Person-In-Environment Approach Essay Example

The Person-in-environment approach is one of the practices used in guiding the social work and mostly for groups. It states that when solving a problem, it is essential to understand the environment, in which the victim lives and acts and how the two relate to each other. It states that a person interacts with multiple environments which are dynamic and interactive and affects the behavior of individuals (Narhi, 2017). An example of a problem is that of an old lady, Mary, aged 85 years who lives alone and who had fallen when attending to her chores. She had a fractured leg and stayed with her daughter who lives in the neighborhood with her husband and two children. After recovering, she insists she would like to go back to her house and she is confident she will be safe alone. The first step is to analyze the problem and understand it. The second step is to assess the situation and make Mary part of the analysis. For example, the focus can be on how he can get home services to have her meals and other chores done. The third stage is intervention, whereby the therapist and the family members can analyze how to get Mary help. For example, the family can suggest weekly plan to ensure Mary gets frequent assistance.

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The fourth stage is to evaluate the progress of the agreed plan and the fifth stage is a diagnosis of any challenges that could be occurring. For example, if Mary goes back to her home, she should be monitored to determine if she is able to carry on with her chores and if the plan works. The last stage is assessing the success of the plan and determining if changes are needed. A different approach may be chosen. The use of this approach helps to get adequate information on the interactions between individuals and the environment around them (Greene, 2017). Communication helps to reduce resistance to change in a group. According to Zastrow (2011), the communication used determines the cohesion and expression of feelings. One method of skilled communication is to have open communication, for example, where everyone communicates freely. The other one is to encourage two-way feedbacks. For example, Mary and her family should also give feedback about her progress. The third one is to have clear roles and lastly to have team goals and tolerance.

In assessing a group, one method is giving equal mars for all members and the advantage is that it is easy to use and the disadvantage is that's it does not show individual contributions. The other one is the use of exam questions and the advantage is that it increases interest in the group. The disadvantage is that people may ignore group work to study for the exams. The other one is splitting tasks and its advantage is that it encourages individual participation. The disadvantage is that it is tiresome to administer. The steps help to assess the individual efforts of team members (Dijkstra, Latijnhouwers, Norbart, and Tio, 2016). To minimize disruptive behavior using leaders approach, the leader should use polite words to convince the opposing party. For example, f the leader is opposed when making a statement; they can use convincing but polite words. For example, 'I agree with the opposing views, but I suppose my view is more valid.' One way of terminating a group is terminating a successful group and members feel satisfied. The other one is termination of unsuccessful groups where members feel they have failed. One way f group evaluation is fishbowl, whereby other group members are invited to observe and question the operations of the group.

References

Dijkstra, J., Latijnhouwers, M., Norbart, A., & Tio, R. A. (2016). Assessing the "I" in group work assessment: State of the art and recommendations for practice. Medical Teacher, 38(7), 675-682.

Greene, R. R. (2017). Human behavior theory, person-in-environment, and social work method. In Human behavior theory and social work practice (pp. 1-30). Routledge.

Narhi, K. (2017). The Changing Understanding of the 'Person in Environment'in Organizing Public Social Work Practice. Routledge Advances in Social Work;.

Zastrow, C. (2011). Brooks/Cole Empowerment Series: Social Work with Groups: A Comprehensive Workbook. Nelson Education.