Verified Document

Social Work Management Case Study

Maurice Williams is the former director of Treatment Foster Care. He points out “hundreds of problems that need to be solved” each and every day (“Structural Framework: Authority and Supervision,” 2013, p. 1). However, Maurice indicates that his very first concern when he shows up for work is whether there were any disruptions overnight that need to be dealt with immediately. In other words, a director of human services needs to address crises calmly, efficiently, and carefully. As the director of the human services program—in this case foster care—Maurice shows how a leader’s role is to anticipate and identify problems as they arise, as well as delegating responsibility. Maurice notes, “it is my responsibility to get with the clinical director, to get with case carrying social worker to figure out what actually is the problem,” (“Structural Framework: Authority and Supervision,” 2013, p. 1). This requires following policy and procedure, involving the participation of the entire team rather than making unilateral decisions. Although this may seem to slow down the decision making process, Maurice shows that involving the entire team ensures that the case is dealt with effectively by paying attention to all the contextual variables, the case history, as well as the new information precipitating the crisis.

Maurice’s approach to problem solving and crisis resolution reflects the research by Farh & Chen (2014), who found “abusive supervision in team settings holds toxic consequences for the team and individual,” (p. 1074). Maurice always keeps in mind the welfare of the children as well as the social work staff, occasionally placing him and other administrators in a strategic liaison position. Well functioning child welfare units like Maurice’s demonstrate key variables including “good supervision,” which depends on “management essentials such as people skills, organizational skills, and time management,” (Hanna & Potter, 2012, p. 423). Although policy and changes to the policy environment may alter managerial methods and tactics, organizational culture is ultimately created by persons in positions of relative power like Maurice. As Bogo & Dill (2008) find in their research on administrative responsibilities and authority, the “use of power was related to elements in their relationships with frontline workers and their own professional development,” (p. 141). Maurice cultivates strong and open ties with…

Sources used in this document:

References



Bogo, M. & Dill, K. (2008). Walking the tightrope. Child Welfare 87(6): 141-157.

Bunger, A.C., Collins-Camargo, C., McBeath, B., et al (2014). Collaboration, competition, and co-opetition. Children and Youth Services Review 38(2014): 113-122.

Farh, C.I.C. & Chen, Z. (2014). Beyond the individual victim. Journal of Applied Psychology 99(6): 1074-1095.

Hanna, M.D. & Potter, C.C. (2012). The effective child welfare unit supervisor. Administration in Social Work 36(2012): 409-425.

“Structural Framework: Authority and Supervision,” (2013). Laureate Education, p. 1).



 

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Diversity in Social Work Management and Practice
Words: 1532 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Mary Terrell was an African American woman who was deprived of her rights and privileges in the late 1800s. Despite all the inadequacies of the American culture, Mart Terrell rose above all of them and became the first African- American woman to attain a bachelor’s degree. She became a member of the NAACP and aided in the formation of the NAACW. As a reward to her efforts, she was made

Social Work Informatics in Child Protection Social
Words: 958 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Social Work Informatics in Child Protection Social Work Research The research design for this study utilizes mixed methods in order to identify variables that function as benefits and inhibitors of the use of technology by child protection case workers. Surveys that are a hybrid of quantitative (correlational survey techniques) and qualitative approaches will be conducted with case workers (Creswell, 2009). Survey questions that will permit inclusion of qualitative data in this study

Social Work Framework a Framework to Social
Words: 1379 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Social Work Framework A framework to social work practice is based on a set of beliefs and assumptions about how, when, and under what conditions people and systems change and what a social worker can do to facilitate desired and needed change, such as speaking out and raising awareness of child abuse, how to report it, and how to get help. There are always underlying issues to human suffering, such as

Social Work Informatics USES, Merits
Words: 1824 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

The creation of timely and well-designed outputs leads to further information recording, correcting and completing previous recordings. This builds into a "virtuous circle (Gatehouse et al.)." Social workers rendering children's services should analyze their own work, compare it with others and contribute their data for evaluation (Gatehouse et al., 2004). They need output tools in order to do this. The critical outputs for improving child protection services are, in most

Social Work Field Perception of Social Work
Words: 2143 Length: 7 Document Type: Admission Essay

Social Work Field Perception of Social Work Social work is a challenging profession that also helps one make a difference in the lives of others (CUW 2011). It aims at improving the overall functioning and well-being of people served. A social worker must have a genuine and special concern for the poor, marginalized, and the vulnerable. Social work is an art and a science at the same time. It fits service to

Social Work Children a Research
Words: 1370 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

After all, television attracts people to watch it and perhaps this could provide an interface to get the client and the social caseworker to interact more effectively with each other. Many caseworkers perceive that the new information technology compromises their ability to offer services at all or in the quality of the services because it has greatly increased their caseloads, therefore making it impossible to deliver the services they previously

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now