When working with a new family, the first step a family social worker takes is to assess that family. This is usually done by observation and interviews of family members, both separately and overall. By doing this, a family social worker will usually be able to get a good idea of family dynamics, and identify family strengths, weaknesses, and problems.
Once family problems are identified, a family social worker will typically help set family goals and create a plan to overcome these problems. This often involves the involvement of the family as a whole, even if the family's problems are from just one member or the whole family. The family social worker can then help connect the family to organizations and agencies that can assist them with their specific needs.
Goals and plans that can help families develop a family social worker will be affected by the types of problems that families are trying to work with. Here are a few examples:
Recently, a family is facing serious financial problems due to job loss. Not only do they find it difficult to pay for daily necessities, like food, they are also at risk of losing their home. A family social worker can help families by helping them plan for poverty, which may include sticking to the household budget and applying for other support benefits. The social worker will also refer adult family members to local employment service offices and help them find suitable childcare.
Since his old mother-in-law moved in with him, a husband is finding it harder and harder to spend time with his wife, making her angry and angry. This new system has also put financial pressure on the family. Recently, he often fights with his wife and is often short lived with his children, which is very out of character for him. A family social worker can help this family obtain affordable medical care and home health care related support for the mother-in-law, and possibly refer the family to a marriage and family counselor.
Although she was once a happy student, a father began to notice a decline in her daughter's mood and grades. Lately, she has been sarcastic and abusive, and she often stays away from home for several days at a time. Her final report card revealed that she was already failing two classes at school and was at risk of failing many others. In addition, her mother also found that she believed to be a drug paraphernalia in her daughter's room at the laundry site. A family social worker can refer the family to a teenage addiction counselor, and help them find family counseling services. Targeting, planning, and the expectation that families will follow through with them is usually not enough for the necessary change. In general, family social workers will also be in communication with each family to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps towards positive change.
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