“My artwork has always chronicled my life. My current paintings incorporate a multitude of new ideas, concepts, psychological theories and emotions related to my recent entry into social work. My days in the studio are now spent exploring these new ways of thinking. Bright colors, intricate patterns and directional motion continue to be my visual vocabulary as I now paint what I see or need to understand in my rewarding life as a social worker.”
Lou Storey, LSW
Theories
Many different theories, or organized systems of knowledge, guide social workers in understanding, explaining and helping to bring about changes in situations and behaviors.
Perhaps one of the most well know in the field of psychology would be Sigmund Freud’s structural theory of the psyche. Freud Landscape constructs a physical place for his three concepts, Id, Ego, and Super-Ego, to play. Maslow illustrates Abraham Maslow’s 1943 Hierarchy of Needs, a pyramidal structure aligning the human needs of physiological, safety, love & belonging, esteem and self actualization into levels of ascending importance. It is a valuable reminder that a complete assessment of all aspects of a client’s life is a vital preliminary step for a social worker. Motivational Interviewing is a counseling approach that is designed to encourage a client through consecutive stages of change, which are pre-contemplation (or not ready), contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Another stage, relapse, is added when used in relation to addiction. Along with theorizing individual behaviors, there are also systems that attempt to define group behaviors. Group lists the expected progression of behaviors in a group therapy setting over time- forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. New theories are being created and tested all the time, while earlier theories may change and be adapted to new uses. Because of this, renewal of the social work license requires bi-yearly earned credits in continuing education to ensure that social workers are diligent in maintaining their competency.
Tools of Social Work
Just as a carpenter needs his hammer, saw and nails, social workers need certain tools to accomplish their work. For clinicians who are required to assess and diagnose someone’s behavior the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, DSM, is a book that quantifies, defines, and divides this assessment into five parts: Axis I- Clinical Disorders, Axis II Personality Disorders, Axis III Medical Conditions, Axis IV Environmental Factors, and Axis V Global Assessment of Functioning. I am still unclear as to why these are called “axis” so I painted them as rotating around a central point, or axis. GAF, the fifth Axis, codes people’s mental health on a scale of 1 to 100, the latter being a state of perfection. The Ecomap is a chart drawn by someone in therapy where they locate themselves centrally on the page along with the people, events, organizations, feelings and activities in their life, both good and bad. Guidelines and policies also provide parameters for social workers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, includes, among other things, a series of regulations that influence access to information and also protect client privacy. The Wellness & Recovery model is a recent program designed to influence treatment plans that encourage a person’s return to being a productive member of society (which also has a cost savings factor on the insurance industry).
Social Work and Social Causes
Social work ranges from micro to macro—from working one to one with individuals to working on a global scale with communities, governments and nations. Social workers are tackling issues of, among others, homelessness (Homeless in Homeland), hunger (End Hunger), prejudice & equal rights (Stigma DNA), and poverty (Poor Voices United) on all levels. In the medical field social workers play pivotal roles in client case management and advocacy as well as giving psychological aid. Search for a Cure suggests that more than pills and money are utilized in battling disease. Having only recently begun my journey in the world of social work (Back to School) I am continually amazed at the cultural reach of social work and at the depth of its influence. On all fronts social work is a powerful agent of change.
