Freedman, Ethan 11/14/24 Columbia University School for Social Work, New York
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements for Columbia's School for Social Work program and Dr. Susan Witte Foundations of Social Work SOCWT7100
Acknowledgements
In introducing the following work, I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory on which we learn, work, and resource from at Columbia University School of Social Work is land of the Lenape and Wappinger indigenous peoples. Let us commit ourselves to the struggle against the forces that have dispossessed the Lenape, Wappinger, and other indigenous people of their lands.
I would also like to thank Prof. Susan Witte and my peers in T7100 Foundations of Social work for their efforts in building skills as social workers. Through conversations, role play, and analysis of readings and text with my peers, the following work was produced.
Introduction
Entering into the profession and academic discipline of social work requires grounding oneself in frameworks for engagement, assessment, and contracting from standpoints that scream for equity and liberation of all agents. While the sites at which social work takes effect range from individual to macro levels, the micro context often revolves around holding space for agents. Focusing on the individual necessitates considering how outside systems operate on their body and mind to produce the context that creates the need for social work practitioners.
The client reaches out for a reason, and it is a responsibility to hold a safe centered space for this individual to uncover how a social worker can be a resource. On the other hand, it is the social worker's responsibility to ensure that an agent is being guided down ethical and empathic routes for emotional, sensitive, convergent and divergent thinking processes that result in mental and physical strides for betterment.
From an initial contracting session with a client called Mr. Walsh, understanding of social work practitioners responsibilities in building out the primary steps for a case, contracts, and plans can be elicited. Moreover, the process of reflecting on one's own role as a social worker when addressing agents in clinical space entails being aware of how engagement, assessment, and contracting is a pivotal skill for the profession. To demonstrate self awareness of one's own positionality when faced with individuals who rise from different contexts means orienting around how anti-black racism and white supremacy influence the engagement, assessment, and contracting case development.
Case Development and Plan Moving forward
When planning a case, social workers must consider the notion that social justice is approached via many mediums. In a chapter Justice Practice: A Social Justice Approach to Social Work, one is oriented with the perception that there is a "struggle over defining social work" because of "justice oriented" interpretations "challenge the boundaries between addressing the individual and social" (Finn, 2021). From a practitioners perspective, an agent is not solely responsible for all their adversity because oppressive and subjugative systems of power govern modes of thinking and ways of life–but "we individually and collectively make our social world, and in turn through participating in society, build the institutions, systems of belief, and patterns of practice" (Finn, 2021).
"We shape ourselves and are shaped as social beings," therefore the space held by a social worker for a client is a paradoxical space where a social worker can have major influence over changemaking processes because they are representative of the overarching system (Finn, 2021).
To ensure Mr. Walsh was centered in a space that we mutually agreed to create when initially building out the case, a social worker must introduce themselves in a way that creates room for the client to take the reins. Insert video clip (Clip 1: (0:00 - 1:33). Discussing confidentiality versus mandated reporting is essential for clients to understand the domain of the conversation that is set by a practitioner. Moreover, the boundaries created as mandated reporters is a reminder that social workers are essential for systems that help prevent violence towards oneself, others, and children. I wanted Mr. Walsh to understand, before delving into their own history and reasons for meeting, that "this space is confidential and any sensitive information that you share, any vulnerabilities that you have, I will hold that space and make sure it is held safely" – despite there being "a couple things I have to report as a mandated reporter" (Ethan). Leading with this ensures that rapport can safely be developed when engaging with the client in order to make an assessment later.
Once space is made for an agent by a social worker, the client can begin to discuss their history and reasons for being present. History is incredibly important to building a case and can take dominant narratives, but the emergence of social work is intertwined with the emergence of case work and the problem solving process applied at multiple levels (Finn, 2021). "Generalist practitioners acknowledge the interplay of personal and collective issues, prompting work in a variety of human systems, societies, communities, neighborhoods, complex organizations, formal groups, families, and individuals" (Finn, 2021). For Mr. Walsh, I wanted to "make any space for whatever it is that we can do to go further in this process" together, prompting him to communicate his history. Insert clip: (1:33 - 1:54).
Mr. Walsh has a non-binary child named Ris who was arrested for shoplifting the night prior to meeting and he is "overwhelmed with questions and indecisions," and "looking for any guidance" that can be offered (Mr. Walsh). Recognizing that he said he had "questions," I was curious to know what they were (insert clip (1:54 - 2:51). Mr. Walsh lacked knowledge about legal processes, "why something like this happens," and "is it teenage hijinx or a red flag that something bigger is happening" with their child (Mr. Walsh). This word "bigger" stood out to me. I attempted to lead with open ended questions wondering "what does bigger look like" in this situation (Ethan), and Mr. Walsh spoke about the possibility of a "misdemeanor," a "record" and feeling like his child was "targeted" because they "came out as nonbinary" (Mr. Walsh). (Insert Clip: 2:54 - 4:50).
I wanted Mr. Walsh to be equipped with resources and information that address LGBTQ community and non-binary individuals in broader societal contexts in order to understand how this population embodies unique experiences of the world in joy and oppression (Insert clip: 4:50 - 5:26). I was curious about the extent Mr. Walsh tried to engage in empathetic space to communicate with Ris about the charges and he cited his child as "remorseful" and "sorry," but with no further explanation (Mr. Walsh, Insert Clip: 5:28 - 6:04).
Validating all the information I collected on why Mr. Walsh sought out a conversation felt necessary here (Insert clip: 6:04 - 7:21). I wanted to affirm the nuanced situation alongside zero explanation from his child, and made room for possibly "larger emotional resources" that could be provided to "ensure that [he] can show up for [his] child the best that [he] can possibly show up" (Ethan). Mr. Walsh released a belly laugh while reiterating my question back to me, helping me to see that it was time to come up with a plan (Insert clip: 7:12 - 8:55).
Mr. Walsh then notified me that Ris is a "person of color" and this is what he "meant when suggesting they could have been targeted" (Mr. Walsh), leading me to incorporate this into my understanding of the developing case as "identities can compound on each other to create marginalized experiences of adversity including the misdemeanors." (Ethan). Mentioning that they are more comfortable with the non-binary aspect of their child's identities than race, Mr. Walsh wondered if he hadn't "prepared them as well for potential racial animosity that they may..." experience and "it is just like a wake up call" (Insert Clip: 8:55 - 10:32).
By this time in our session, I needed to gently wrap up the session, and decided to lay out my plan with Mr. Walsh alongside affirmations for showing up vulnerable and willing to embrace the space (Insert Clip: 10:32-11:50). In assessing Mr. Walsh's case, providing resources pertaining to legal information and the intersections of identities for LGBT and people of color would be best in tandem with meeting again. Mr. Walsh is really struggling with the feeling of racial oppression that his child Ris might have weighing on them, but struggles to know how to absolve the situation and assist them.
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has many mental health and legal resources at the local and state level for LGBT youth Mr. Walsh can access. For gender nonconforming and nonbinary youth, legal guidance on common issues can be found in the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, but there is much more information on their page regarding policies and laws for LGBT community. While the New York State provides general assistance with information, The Audre Lorde Project "is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans, and gender Non-conforming people of color community organizing center in the NYC area. They have programs on "TransJustice" as a "political group created by and for trans and gender non-conforming people of color" to "mobilize its communities and allies into action on the pressing political issues they face" (Audre Lorde Project). Moreover, Mr Walsh attending "TransJustice" in tandem with "Safe OUTside the System: The SOS Collective" might equip him with "anti-violence" principles "devoted to challenging hate and police violence by using community based strategies" in a moment where he was wondering if his child was directly "targeted" (Audre Lorde Project)(Mr. Walsh). As a social worker, delivering these resources to Mr. Walsh mitigates the big questions that he cited having, as well as equips him with empathic tools for being a co-conspirator with his child Ris based on the sensitive information he shared.
Awareness of the Process
Developing a case will always be measured against the process of implementing skills for engagement, assessment, and contracting pivotal to professional practice, but this takes on many different methodologies. For the meaning of engagement alongside the importance of developing relationships with clients in clinical contexts, "engagement" is "showing up with a sense of positionality and power" rooted in "anticipatory empathy," "observation" and "bearing witness," and other dynamic forms (Finn, 2021). To be fully engaged with a client requires a clinician to understand their presence in space dedicated to centering another comes with power dynamics that are alleviated through collective dialogue that radically reimagines it. This is "grounded" in "love," "dignity," and "respect" and "challenging radical power imbalances between professionals and those labeled as clients, patience, or consumers." It is my job as a social worker to ensure Mr. Walsh knows the space is his to guide by orienting it around these values (Insert clip: 0:00 - 2:12).
However, creating and engaging in the space can fall short of achieving the outcomes one desires without incorporation of assessments via teaching and learning processes. In Chapter Seven of Just Practice, Finn depicts assessments as a "key phase in the process that follows initial engagement" where a clinician offers a "collection and interpretation of information needed to inform change oriented action" (Finn, 2021). While assessments historically analyze the individual agent, they struggle to incorporate broader social contexts for inequality, and "teaching learning goes beyond fact finding and diagnosis" as "learning from others through which we recognize multiple ways of knowing, challenge dichotomous thinking, and question underlying assumptions" can liberate communities (Finn, 2021). As a social worker, I am a "learner" in the process of becoming an interpreter for someone's narrative–but it is not my story to tell. Power is inherently attached to patient-clinician relationships and social workers must bend to the space designed by a client's story and understanding of self (Insert clip: 2:12 - 10:00)
Blitz (2008) reminds that a social worker's identities, like race, might be in conflict with the client's story; therefore, a "a therapist must include an understanding of power and oppression in their work" as "antiracist organizing and education can be done within individual or family therapy sessions." Not only can one organize in a clinical context, but resources one provides can support anti-racist ideologies. With Mr. Walsh, it was my intention to let him design the space, based on setting my boundaries as a practitioner equipped with tools that enable limitless styles for engagement depending on the client involved.
Once the social worker has an understanding of one's story, Finn (2021) solidifies how action and accompaniment follow in the initial process of building out a case. Tatum (2000) understands establishing cases that speak to the broadest narrative requires "integrating one's past, present, and future into a cohesive unified" idea of agency and can be done in partnership. When a social worker acknowledges "anti-oppressive social work requires attention to language in our practice" and beyond, leaning into being the listener and learner of another's story orients a social worker to the notion that they "should accept invitations to accompany participants rather than intervening" (Morgaine & Copious-Desyllas, 2020). It was my intention to hold space for Mr. Walsh without misleading him on how, and to ensure he knew this space would be recreated with the information incorporated from the session prior (Insert clip: 10 - 12:10).
Considering the meeting was an initial intake, my case plan delivered to Mr. Walsh was rooted in this professional encounter. It was a goal to engage in discussion that acknowledged diverse experiences of agents in conjunction with issues of oppression and human rights. To be engaged with an individual in social work contexts necessitates wielding professional tools ethically, adopting the role of the listener, and reminding agents of possible co-conspirator relationships they can have with a client.
Bibliography
Blitz, L. V. (2008). Owning whiteness: The reinvention of self and practice. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 6(2–3), 241–263. https://doi.org/[DOI if available]
Finn, J. L. (2021). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. Chapter 1 & Chapter 2.
Finn, J. L. (2021). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. Chapter 3.
Finn, J. L. (2021). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. Chapter 6 (pp. 202–220); Chapter 7 (pp. 223–235).
Finn, J. L. (2021). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. Chapter 8 (pp. 263–302).
Audre Lorde Project. (n.d.). Home. Audre Lorde Project. Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://alp.org/
Morgaine, K., & Capous-Desyllas, M. (2015). Anti-oppressive social work practice: Putting theory into practice. Sage Publications. Chapter 4 (pp. 136–161).
New York State Office of Children and Family Services. (n.d.). LGBTQ+ youth resources. New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/youth/lgbtq/resources-youth.php
Tatum, B. D. (2000). The complexity of identity: "Who am I?" In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, H. W. Hackman, X. Zúñiga, & M. L. Peters (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice: An anthology on racism, sexism, anti-Semitism (pp. [page range, if known]). Routledge.