Social Work, as any other profession, carries its own Code Of Ethics. What sets social workers apart, while applying this Code of Ethics, is our uncanning ability to recognize the person in the environment( a.k.a. Ecosystemic perspective). As Social Workers we remain focused on our clients/consumers as we assist them through interactions with systems within their own ecosystems.
As we attempt to advocate for our clients/consumers within different systems (e.g. Juvenile Justice, Family and Children Sevices, and education) we may observe that each system has its own view of "the problem". For example, several parents with whom I work, feel helpless when navigating the system of juvenile justice due to its tendency to observe problematic behaviors in children/adolescents as a "parenting issue". Parents experience shame after being questioned about their discipline practices, how they supervise their adolescents while working overtime or two jobs, and etc. One must step back and consider how these often conflicting views affect our clients/consumers and parents' views of themselves.
Often times when we become involved, parents have already been accused of creating or not doing enough to circumvent the "problems" their children display. When we "meet them where they are" we find we meet them beaten down by the traditional systems they lean on for support.
Certainly, not every educator views "the problem" from a specific lens; most educators do view problematic behaviors in school as a need to contact parents to "intervene".
Development of IEPs, although not the first proactive measure, includes testing and recommendations through a psychoeducational evaluation by a psychologist who may or may not take precipitating factors into consideration. Psychologists may provide recommendations based on their findings and some provide a diagnosis based on self report and standardized testing. However psychologists also have a different "lens" as their own profession emphasizes on the child as the "patient" or "the problem".
Parent teacher conferences may discuss ways to assist the consumer with being more focused on education and may even elicit a screening for special education/student supports. Support usually begins with requesting the parent to serve as an enforcer of the school's rules to include completion of homework, lectures of respecting teachers, staying on task, and etc.
Parents may become overwhelmed when their main goal is to get their children up and dressed and on a school bus and or to even have their children come home after school. Too often parents begin to "trust the authority" of the school system to make decisions regarding their child's behaviors, hoping to address "the problem" from an educator's point of view. As a result the development of IEPs are often created from the psychologists and educators perspective.
Even as advocates we as Social
Workers are faced with attempting to have other systems view our clients and families through our Social Worker lenses. By tradition, we are considered those who "want to save the world" by the same systems that are in place to be an extension of socialization and support for our clients and families.
We may assist in the developments of the IEP, and make recommendations to the probation officer or DFCS. We may all feel that everything is addressed and everyone's happy discussing lunch options and networking. The next day our clients/families are seen through the specific lens of the same system which we visited the day prior. The next "incident" then becomes the catalyst that perpetuates the cycle many parents experience with the systems responsible for coordinating their children's care.
Luckily, there are Social Workers in all systems. There are school Social
Workers, Social Workers who serve as probation officers, special education teachers who are also Social Workers, Social
Worker attorneys, and etc.
After years of facing a beaurocracy that encompasses a different view of the "problem" the ecosystemic perspective may get tucked away as our colleagues attempt to work within their individual beurocratic systems. Some of our very own colleagues have their own lenses tainted by the experience in their dual systems that any hope of incorporating a view of the person in the environment while providing services becomes lost.
As Social Workers we must always remain aware of the different perspectives of which our consumers are intertwined. We are generally involved for brief intervention services and will not always be around to advocate for our clients. We must empower our consumers and families to recognize when a systematic perspective affects their desired outcomes through interactions with these systems.
Without such education our consumers/families will continue to face the same perceived adversaries and possibly return to a state of helplessness. Most importantly, however, is that we charge the Social Workers who work in these systems to help address this mismatch of views with those who provide direct assistance to our clients/families. Continue to advocate, to educate, to serve as liaisons between systems. Please do not let your lenses be tainted by your lived experience in these systems. You are forever a Social Worker! After all we really do strive to "save the world".
Kelly J Brown,LMSW
