Compare and Contrast the Engagement Process of Social Work Cases

It is apparent that in both cases, the social workers succeeded in getting the causes of the problems that the clients were experiencing and led to solutions to the same. The problem of alcoholism in Mikes case was identified to be resulting from his wife while Anthonys behavioral issues at home because he feels that his mother does not provide the right environment for him.

In the case of Mike, the social worker is more casual in interacting with him and goes straight ahead into finding the reason for his visit, in this case, there is less of personal interaction between the client and the counsellor. In the case of Anthony, the social worker provides a good environment between them before they proceed to tackle the problem he faces.

How Effective Were the Two Social Workers?

Both social workers were very effective in handling the problems their clients were facing, the strong approach that Karen employed was effective in handling the Mike because it is prudent that alcoholics are less likely to admit the effects of alcoholism in them. James on the other hand employed a soft approach as he learned that the emotionally distraught Anthony needed a listening ear to be helped.

How Did Their Engagement Styles Differ?

Karens approach was more confrontational and engaged Mike into the discussion about the problem of alcoholism directly and focused more bringing out the fact that Mike was wrong without. On the other hand, James focused less on the wrongs of Antony but on the solutions that he required to tackle his challenges.

What Would You Do Differently and Why?

In my case, I would not use Karens approach as it could easily put alcoholics into higher levels of alcoholism as they can feel that the society does not understand their problems but condemns them.

What Techniques Did the Social Workers Use to Lead the Clients?

The technique that Karen used was to first draw a line and define the wrong and right to help Mike use his conscience and make the right decision. On the other hand, James sought to understand the situation Antony was in for him to help his client, he then used good communication and emotional rapport to implore Anthony to change.

In What Ways Did the Clients Direct the Social Workers Selected Approach to Engagement?

Antony was ready to talk about the problem and accepted that he had a problem hence led James into use the approach, on the other hand, Mike was more defensive and chose to oppose whatever Karen said and this forced Karen to use a more confrontational approach on him.

References

Cummins, L. K. (2013). Social Work Skills for Beginning Direct Practice: Pearson New International Edition. Pearson Education Limited.

Cummins, L. K., Sevel, J. A., & Pedrick, L. (2013). Social Work Skills for Beginning Direct Practice: Pearson New International Edition: Text, Workbook, and Interactive Web Based Case Studies. Pearson Higher Ed.