Empowering Adolescent Girls in Foster Care

Melissa Lily Lafferty

Reflection 2

This unit contained many interesting readings that reflected on several social work topics. Cultural competence and social diversity was a common theme in each of the case studies. These readings certainly emphasized the importance of cultural competence and understanding diversity in social work practice.

Empowering Adolescent Girls in Foster Care

This case study reflects upon African American girls living in foster care and their personal experiences. Two primary themes in this case include cultural competence and social diversity and group theory and practice. In this case, a social worker coordinated a groupfor 11 black females in the foster care system. The purpose of the group was to provide the girls an opportunity to share their feelings and problems with each other, as many of them shared similar experiences. Additionally, girls who were responsive to the group were offered an opportunity to participate in a long-term mutual aid and empowerment group for the following year. The group generally demonstrated an approach-avoidance pattern; many of the girls disliked a member who wanted discuss uncomfortable topics. Some major topics that the girls discussed included the struggles of being a foster child, issues with sex and sexual orientation, women struggles, and life as an African American. Social workers who work with diverse populations such as these should be somewhat familiar with the oppression that many diverse groups face and discuss these issues during counseling. During the final meeting, the social worker took the group to an amusement park. Planning a trip for the final session was very beneficial for helping the girls think positively about the termination process.

I think that group therapy programs are very useful and help empower individuals. While reading this case study, I reflected on my experiences in group therapy for my eating disorder. I participated in two 8-weeklong programs that a medical social worker coordinated. The group met once a week, and the social worker planned discussions and activities ahead of time. I noticed that the group in this case study did not appear to have a specific agenda; the girls just thought of a topic on their mind and then discussed it. I think that having a specific agenda or topic to discuss during group therapy really helps keep the program organized and allows the group participants a chance to reflect on issues they may have not realized that they had. I also think that having innovative activities, such as crafts or reflective exercises, help keep the participants engaged. Furthermore, social workers should be actively involved in group discussions. The social worker in this case did a good job of analyzing members’ behaviors and needs; however, she was rather passive and let the girls run (control) the group.

The Case of Trent

This case underlines the importance of cultural competence and social diversity as well as evaluation and research. In this case study, a 5-year-old African American boy, Trent, was acting aggressively in his kindergarten classroom, and his teacher and teacher aide concluded that Trent had severe behavioral problems and needed to be placed in a self-contained classroom. Jo, the social work intern at Carver Elementary School, determined that the teacher and teacher aide may have had preconceived notions about African American males, which in turn may have led to their judgments about Trent. By portraying cultural competence, Jo was able to work with Trent’s family and develop a successful intervention strategy for helping Trent modify his behavior. Although the intern felt that the intervention plan was successful, she remained concerned about Trent facing discrimination. Due to this concern, Jo ultimately decided to perform research on the extent to which African American males are treated differently within public schools. Performing this research would be beneficial for understanding the degree to which African Americans are at-risk in schools and what interventions would be necessary for remedying the problem.

Diversity and Equity

The Diversity and Cultural Competence page on the NASW website explains the importance of cultural competence in the social work profession. I agree that all social workers should have an understanding of diversity and cultural competence, as social workers serve a variety of different people with different needs. In order to provide the most effective care and services for their diverse clientele, social workers must have a working knowledge and understanding of different cultures and backgrounds. Social workers often provide services to at-risk populations, including African Americans, women, older adults, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, and many other minority groups. Each of these populations hasa different historyand requires different intervention tactics; therefore, social workers need to have an understanding of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds in order to understand the needs of the populations in which they are servingfully.

Using the Ecological Model in Generalist Practice

This case study focuses on the theme of the ecological model and its components of life transition, status-role changes, strengths-perspective, and self-determination. Social workers use the ecological perspective to examinehow an individual responds to changes within his or her environment.

In this case study, an older adult, Mrs. Lilly Goodman, was admitted into a long-term care unit where a social worker and other members of an interdisciplinary team worked together to assess Mrs. Goodman’s health and determine whether she could continue to live alone in her home. The social worker looked at Mrs. Goodman’s case from an ecological perspective and as a person undergoing a transition from independence to dependence. The social worker also emphasized Mrs. Goodman’s strengths and encouraged Mrs. Goodman to utilize self-determination. In order to determine whether Mrs. Goodman could return to her home safely, the interdisciplinary team needed to assess her physical environment, social environment (i.e. family support), and interpersonal interactions, all of which are a part of the ecological perspective. The social worker also assessed what types of resources and support Mrs. Goodman would need if she returned home. The social worker acted simultaneously as a facilitator, enabler, and teacher in order to help Mrs. Goodman adapt and cope to her life transition. Ultimately, Mrs. Goodman used self-determined and decided that she was not ready to return home at this time.

This case helped me refresh my knowledge on and better understand the ecological perspective. This model is very useful for social workers looking to better understand how a person responds to changes within their environment and major life transitions, such as being fired from one’s job or moving into a new home. I also firmly believe that social workers should promote self-determination and focus on clients’ strengths during the intervention and goal establishment processes. I will very likely use the ecological model when working with clients throughout my social work career.

Overall, I gained a new perspective on the importance of cultural competence and social diversity in social work. During my field placement, I hope to have the opportunity to work with many diverse groups of clients and increase my cultural competence. Additionally, these readings helped me reflect on topics such as group theory and practice, evaluation and research, and the ecological perspective.