As a good generalist social work practitioner, which systems (individuals, families, small groups, communities, and organizations) might Tamara consider targets of change as she attempted to intervene as a school social worker with the Andersons and other similar families who reside in The Ridge?

Question

Tamara Simms, a 32-year-old school social worker, had worked in a rural community called The Ridge for more than six years, since 1997. She was assigned a case which caught her off balance. There was something going on in the Anderson home that she couldn’t quite grasp. She had concluded from a home visit that the father was neglecting the children. The home had unsanitary conditions. Sarah Jane, a third grader, had the worst case of head lice Tamara had ever encountered and her lips were severely blistered, a condition that hadn’t healed despite treatment. Furthermore, Tamara sensed that there was something more serious going on in the Anderson home. She suspected that Mr. Anderson was involved in internet pornography and she feared he may have involved his children in some way. In spite of her “hunches” she had no clear evidence to report to Child Protective Services. As seasoned as she was, Tamara still “brought her work home” with her. Although her own family needed her, she could not stop worrying about Sarah Jane and her two siblings. Written for a bachelor’s- level capstone or integrative seminar in social work, the case may also be useful for courses in macro- or micro-level practice, diversity, or international social work. The case situation may be useful for discussion of multiple topics such as social work ethics, policy issues (including policy related to crime victims and to undocumented clients), diversity, language, agency settings, crime victimization, and professional use of self. The case also may be appropriate for MSW foundation courses dealing with these topics.

Answer 1

As a generalist social worker, Tamara would interface simultaneously with multiple system levels as she attempted to resolve problems within families living in The Ridge. In other words there are multiple targets for change. At times the entire community would have become her target for change; she may have chosen to work with small group systems, informal helping networks, health care organizations, or the state health department. She would be continuously aware of and interacting with systems of all sizes in order to initiate change within The Ridge. The target system may have changed from time to time; it may have included the Anderson children, the father, teachers, and even the entire Ridge community.