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Effective social service practitioners spend a lot of time reflecting and have a great deal of information in their heads, but when they begin work with children and families they know they know nothing. Their first job is to get to know families and what the families want. They do this by being trustworthy and keeping their word. They build working alliances with
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Social Worker Attitudes
Jane F. Gilgun, PhD, LICSWProfessor, School of Social Work
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USAOctober 30, [email protected]
Topics
Not Knowing
Framework for not Knowing
Alternatives to Not Knowing
Sharing with Parents What You do Know
Assessment Tools
Knowing Some Things in General
Not Knowing Individuals
Relevance of Signs of Safety Framework
Not Knowing
Importance of a storehouse of knowledge
Social workers know nothing about individuals family members at intake
Assessments based on relationships
Relationships built on trust
Trust based on attunement, sensitive responsiveness, showing up
Framework for Not Knowing
Centrality of seeking to understand
Open-ended inquiry
Contextualized inquiry
Be open to correction by children & parents
Gentle focus on person’s stories and perspectives
Situated stories
Service users’ points of view
Life histories
Belief systems
Framework Not Knowing
Reflection as reciprocity
During early parts of assessment, well-timed statements of what you are hearing
Be open to correction
As you learn more, let parents and children know what you are learning about them
Sensitive responsiveness & attunement
Be a secure, safe base
Hold back on showing rage, shock, disgust, and pity
Framework for Not Knowing
You could be wrong
Reflection
Value base of your work
Know own life history
Know own flaws and biases
Be honest with yourself
Find one other person to be honest with
Supervision
Be open-minded
On-going study
Framework for Not Knowing
More on Building Relationships
Relationships of trust with other professionals
Return phone calls
Show up
Listen
Know systems and referral sources
Safety first
Advocate for service users based upon values of justice, care, dignity, worth, autonomy
Alternativesto Not Knowing
Paternalism (Dismissive of parents’/children’s pov)
Child saving (Preoccupied & Paternalistic)
Rigid Thinking (Dismissive)
Confusions of Perspectives & View Points at Individual & Systems Levels (Disorganized)
Share with Parents& Children What you Do Know
Bit by bit
Toward end of assessment
Examples?
Assessment Tools
As crib notes and cheat sheets
Most important is what is in your head
Keep adding to what is in your head
Revise what is in your head
Connect head and heart
Be authoritative
Secure base
Some behaviors are harmful
Parents who harm require clarity & direction
Assessment Tools
Lessons From Common Factors Model
Most change occurs outside of sw/su relationship
Relationships single most important factor after outside influences
SW and SU (Service User) variables important: motivation, desire for change
Specific technical framework, such as CBT, competency-based, solution focused, narrative therapy are equally effective when looked at in the context of the other three factors
Discussion
Relationships central
Trust takes time
Breakdown & repair part of trust-building
Have lots of info in your head
Know you know nothing about families before you do assessments
Test what you know for fit with families & children
Revise your understandings as you gain knowledge
Reflection is central
References
Drisko, James (2004). Common factors in psychotherapy outcome: Meta-analytic findings and their implications for practice and research. Families in Society, 85(1), 81-90.
Lambert, M. (1992). Implications of outcome research for psychotherapy integration. In J. Norcross & J. Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy integration (pp. 94-129) NY: Basic.
The Signs of Safety Child Protection Practice Framework (2nd ed.) (2011). Government of Western Australia, Department of Child Protection. http://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/Resources/Documents/Policies%20and%20Frameworks/SignsOfSafetyFramework2011.pdf
Tunnell, Andrew (2009). Introduction to the Signs of Safety (DVD & Workbook). Resolutions Consultancy. Perth: Western Australia. Available at signsofsafety.net.
