Blog 3

Looking Back…

 Everything in life has a history, and Social Work practice is no different. Our history is what shape our present which in turn makes us envision a future. Knowing where you came from, appreciating where you are and working on where you’re going…!

Social Work was founded back in 1917 by Mary Richmond, who also was one of the first who practiced macro practice, otherwise known as indirect work.

 What is Macro Social Work? It is basically addressing outer, societal and/or environmental issues that are directly affecting someone’s life or situation. Per Netting, Macro Social work is about advocacy, change, sustainability, quality of life and the multi paradigmatic practice   

http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/viewFile/78/66

Blog 5

“The Democratic Process”

                                                                                             

"If people don't think they have the power to solve

their problems, they won't even think about how to solve them.”

Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A

Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals

            When we talk or think about community organizing, we can’t for forget the great Jane Adams who was a great pioneer that established the settlement house in Chicago. The Democratic Process: Saul Alinsky. Alinsky was born and raised in Chicago in the Jewish community back in 1909. He was a social activist advocating for human rights, one of the founders of community organizing. His work was around organizing unions, churches and neighborhood council for those living below the middle class who obviously had no voice. The democratic process is really all about how people who were not in power position still wanted to create a change for themselves and others like them so they could have some power over how they live their lives.

            What I really gathered from the documentary is that no matter how little or powerless one might be or society might tell you, you always have a voice; and at some point, you need to have that voice heard. Power is not what position someone is in but rather how strong and loud can your voice be and how you can use it to make a difference for the better for yourself and everyone else in the same position.

Holding Ground

            The film was about a ghetto community on Dudley Street facing extremely hard challenges like racism, no decent housings, school or whatever basic things that are needed in a community and shape the future of the youngsters in that community. The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative was developed by residents in the Dorchester and Roxbury MA in 1985 after 25 years since this problem had existed. This project was really all about the residents taking a stand and having a voice. They were the ones living there, so they knew better what would have been in their best interest. In Social Work macro, empowerment approach is really important because then, it is the people who are making the needed change or taking the right steps into the direction leading to that change. I think the Dudley Street disaster was nothing but the minorities being overlooked or thought of as not having a voice or the right to appropriate care, decent living and most importantly human rights!!! I enjoyed the film!

Strengths Insight Report:

Your Top 5 Themes

Empathy

Adaptability

Strategic

Responsibility

Developer

Empathy

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Driven by your talents, you credit yourself with unraveling tangled issues, dilemmas, or puzzles. You instinctively find the right solutions and correct answers. Chances are good that you trust your intuition. Often it allows you to resolve difficult issues and unravel perplexing puzzles. It probably enables you to overcome obstacles that block others. Because of your strengths, you have a special gift for helping people realize that you truly value them and hold them in high regard. It’s very likely that you are pleased when your teammates trust you enough to tell you about their ambitions, doubts, suggestions, worries, plans, concerns, or questions. Instinctively, you probably notice that people tell you about their innermost thoughts and feelings. Why? They are apt to sense you can help them sort through information and pinpoint relevant facts. You are known for your good mind and your sensitivity.

Adaptability

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

 

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Because of your strengths, you usually do much better when you are free to respond to demands and problems as they arise. Understandably, you dislike being forced to follow someone else’s plan of action. Having to use outdated and inefficient processes probably is just as frustrating. Chances are good that you enjoy reading. It allows you to gather information to expand your storehouse of knowledge. When surrounded by individuals who cannot sit still, giving your full attention to the printed word is apt to be difficult, if not impossible. You have a habit of avoiding the company of restless

people when you want to give your undivided attention to a book, magazine article, newspaper account, personal correspondence, or official document. It’s very likely that you need to have time to rest and unwind. Rushing from one activity or assignment to another can take a toll on you mentally, physically, or emotionally. So, rather than do the opposite of what everyone else is doing, you prefer to move in the same direction as they are. Typically you choose to use the processes they are using. In your opinion, being cooperative is not only sensible and efficient, but also less exhausting. Driven

by your talents, you are inclined deal with events as they occur. You usually make more progress when you can work at an even and unhurried pace. By nature, you are quite comfortable letting the day’s events and people’s demands determine what really deserves your attention.

Strategic

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Because of your strengths, you can reconfigure factual information or data in ways that reveal trends, raise issues, identify opportunities, or offer solutions. You bring an added dimension to discussions. You make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. You are likely to generate multiple action plans before you choose the best one. Driven by your talents, you often bring an imaginative game plan to your teammates’ attention. You enjoy partnering with people who rely on you to identify critical as well as recurring sequences of events, facts, or data. Chances are good that you thoroughly examine many of the problems you face in your life. For simple difficulties, you probably discover the right solution early in the process. When handling complex matters, however, you frequently labor long and hard to identify what is actually causing the predicament. Often you can pinpoint fundamental glitches or missing steps. Eventually, an economical, efficient, or diplomatic remedy becomes apparent to you. By nature, you realize you can identify a variety of problems and respond to a wide range of questions. You probably can pinpoint specific times when you proposed alternative ways of doing things. You probably recall giving answers no one else considered. You are aware that your subconscious mind continuously absorbs information and creates possible options. Instinctively, you customarily pinpoint the core problems and identify the best solutions. You artfully and skillfully

eliminate distractions. This helps people gain a clear understanding of what is happening and why it is happening. You frequently identify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity.

Responsibility

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

It’s very likely that you probably are the team member who wants to be held accountable for the results you produce and the obligations you assume. You can readily admit when you are wrong. You usually accept without complaining the consequences of your words and deeds. Instinctively, you volunteer for additional duties. You really enjoy being given authority over projects, individuals, or groups. You expect to be held accountable for the results you produce as well as your words and

deeds. By nature, you are a person upon whom others can depend. When you make a promise, you keep it. You feel obligated to honor your commitments. You do things correctly, accurately, and properly. Because of your strengths, you do what you said you would do even if it means being inconvenienced. You typically work long hours. Frequently you put off what you planned to do to deliver on your promises. Even when you must accomplish more than you anticipated to finish the job, you proceed at a predictable, measured, and even pace. No one needs to prod and push you. You

are known for finishing assignments just as you said you would. Chances are good that you conduct yourself in an exceptionally mature and orderly fashion even when your teammates, classmates, friends, coworkers, and colleagues are acting childish.

Developer

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Instinctively, you derive much satisfaction from giving individuals credit for what they do really well. Your openhearted — that is, kind and generous — spirit probably permits you to praise all sorts of people. You are genuinely intrigued by the diverse qualities of human beings. Because of your strengths, you genuinely like honoring individuals and groups for their successes, contributions, and progress. You usually establish standard criteria to identify people worthy of recognition. You probably pick dates each week, month, or year to present awards and announce special commendations. It’s

 

very likely that you usually put aside what you want to do and even inconvenience yourself to serve others. People probably say you devote yourself to the welfare and interests of many individuals. You routinely put their needs ahead of your own. By nature, you realize the wealth you accumulate means little to you when you are not surrounded by a delightful and diverse mix of people. You relish differences and would be ill at ease — that is, feel anxious — if forced to remain only in the company of people who are very much like yourself. Chances are good that you are keenly aware of others’moods. Your insights can be especially valuable when you are helping someone develop strength by acquiring a skill, gaining knowledge, or using a talent.

Blog 4- What is Macro Social Work???

I started this assignment by asking about 3 of the social workers at the Health Center what does macro social work practice is? What I found interesting is that the conclusion of what they all were saying is that: social work practice is what every social worker does, whether you realize and accept it or not. I sat with my supervisor to discuss this and she explained to me that the macro aspect of out practice is the relationship we create outside of our walls, that connects our patients to the services they need that has the louder voices. What she meant was that we all do it on some level. She then started asking me about a meeting I attended at Headstart that was about improving thir services, expanding, so on and so forth. I talked about it and told her how it would be beneficial for our clients, how we would be able to use those services in the Health Center. I went to another meeting at the mainspring house in brockton, because I wanted to work on a policy about housing and homelessness, she asked about that and we talked about what I found out, what I think can be done, at least propsed and how we can make a difference with this social issue and move toward a better tomorrow, even if it's just for a few people.  She then look at me nad said, see all of theose things, that's macro practice. That's what it's all about. She went on and talk about the leadership skills she recognized in me, I saw the issue, I questioned, I asked about it, I asked about who to talk to about making a difference and I went out and got that done. She told me "you came in and said you wanted nothing to do with policy, but guess what, all these work, phone calls you made, visits, interview, that's how policy starts: you recognize the problem and you want to bring it to other people's attention and hopefully one day, get a solution". So over all , she basically told me that there is no micro without macro and vise versa!!! So what is macro social work? The collaborative work we all do to bring changes in the social systems!

Blog Post 2

Take Back The Night!!!

            Have you ever experienced the fear of walking alone at night? Wondering what you would do if that strange man approached you? Well, you are not alone!!! Take Back The Night is a program for women who have historically faced the anxiety of walking alone at night. This program has had over 30 years of progress. The first event of this program in the U.S took place in Philadelphia in October of 1975 after a young microbiologist, Susan Alexander Speeth was stabbed to death by a stranger one block from her home while walking alone. This program is also known in other parts of Europe, though used to be known as "Reclaim the night".Outside of Europe, Australia and Asia also participated in hosting events for Relaim the Night, both started with their first event in 1978. Take Back the Night is a well known movement growing more and more everywhere: Europe, Asia, North America and Canada. "30 years ago, women started to stand up and speak out against sexual violence under the banner of Take Back The Night. During those years, it bacame internationally known as a visible way to take a stand against sexual violence, specifically violence against women."



A Little bit about the meaning behind the logo:

Our logo embodies the spirit and mission of Take Back The Night.

The image is more than star and moon, artfully united. Look again. The star is a survivor or a supporter. It is a friend, a sister, a parent, a partner, reaching for strength, for healing, for empowerment and for our cause.

Look closer. The star becomes a vigil candle flickering in the night to light our way as we aim to end sexual violence. The moon represents the first historic moonlit march made by women as they bravely walked through dark city streets in a show of strength during their stand for safety. Today, the moon lights the skies of our cyclical events as women and men take to the streets to end sexual violence and support survivors.

Our colors are carefully selected. The blue “Take Back The Night” lettering represents our support of those affected by sexual assault and abuse. The purple of our star reflects our support of survivors of domestic and dating violence. Black symbolizes the dark night to be reclaimed by survivors, and the white lettering for the “Shatter the Silence. Stop the Violence.” slogan embodies the light and energy of our cause and the many who stand with us.

So, it is critical to community interventions in social practice/ social justice. Community interventions, as I mentioned in my earlier blogg, goeas hand in hand in social work practice. If the community is involve, the voice is louder and change is prone to happen quicker. There is no community without family, no family without social support, no social support without community!!!!

Source: Takebackthenight.org

Blog Post 1

Hello,
          My name is Chrisline Felius, I am 28 years old and I am the youngest of 4 children. I was born in Haiti and have been living here in the U.S for the past 13 years. I spent my days here in the U.S living in Brockton, MA until I moved to Taunton, MA 2 years ago. I enjoy reading, hanging out with my friends and family, traveling and exploring new things. I am known to be straight forward, unpredictable, optimistic and multitask- orientated. 
         I know this sounds cliche, but it is what it is and it is the truth. I find myself in Social Work simply because I enjoy helping people. Nothing brings me no greater joy than knowing that I helped someone and I made a difference, regardless how small it might be. I also love Social Work because it is one of the broadest field there is and it is impossible to move away from it. So knowing myself and know how I can at times get easily bored if I am not challenged, I can always move on to the next thing, and yet, still doing what I love. I find social work practice with communities and organizations very interesting because they really go hand in hand, like a web really, when I think about it. This semester, I hope to learn how to better navigate the relation in social work practice with communities and organizations, to better under the full impact and togetherness they have. I have had many great classes and I believe a professor who knows and love the matter he's teaching, interesting books, motivated students and participatory style are those components to having a great class, hence meeting the set goals and expectation for that class. I am looking forward to a great semester.   
         If I could have a magical power, it would have to be being able to be in different places at the same time and if I could solve one major problem it would have to be poverty, which I find to be the root of many, if not all of the social problems.