Blog post #4 - In their own words.....

For this blog, I interviewed three ongoing workers at my internship at DCF in Taunton.  Their thoughts and responses are documented below.

Definition of Macro Practice:
SW1:  For me, when I think of macro practice I think of work within and between agencies.  It's more large scale work.  Sometimes it involves trying to change policies, but most of the time we try to work around policies that can't be changed.


SW2:  Macro practice involves being an activist or at least an advocate for your client.  You have to be good at working with larger systems and how each
sub-system interacts and reacts to the other sub-systems.


SW3:  Macro practice to me isn't much different than the micro practice we do here.  While we are working with one family or child at a time, we can't be effective without looking at the family alone, we have to look at everyone within their system too.  We also have to involve other agencies and services, so I think that adds a macro element to our work.




Examples of macro involved practice:
 SW1:  I think when I write up an assessment or service plan, and I put services in place, like a parent aide or therapeutic mentor or support group in the community I am completing macro tasks.  Also, when I go out into the community to attend meetings at schools and review meetings here that is kind of macro level work too.


SW2:  I think almost everything we do involves some type of macro element. Whether it's advocating for more services to be put into place for our families at a review meeting, a change of placement for one of our kids if they are not in a good place or even requesting a daycare voucher for a parent who is struggling to find a job.  The micro stuff we do is working with the individual families to learn to advocate for themselves and secure their own services and supports.  But most of the time this can't happen until we have walked with them while navigating the channels of bureaucracy. 


SW3:  Some examples would be speaking up at a meeting when a decision is being made that I don't agree with.  I used to be really quiet and just listen and then do what I'm told, but now I am pretty comfortable speaking up for what I feel is best for the child or even the family.  Sometimes, you might hear that there isn't any funding for something, but if you are persistent enough and have enough conviction in your beliefs they will find the funds somewhere.


Percentage of Macro base work performed each week:
SW1:  50%


SW2:  80%


SW3:  fluctuates, but about 30-40%  .....some weeks more and some less.


Leadership skills necessary for successful practice:


SW1:  Good communicator, attention to details, motivator


SW2:  Organized, knowledgeable about resources, good writer


SW3:  Reliable, engaging and determined


I think a lot of what Hardina talks about in her article applies to the work I have been engaged in at DCF.  When she discusses the need to develop a "critical consciousness" in order to begin a discussion and identify the problem, reflecting and exploring the ways our clients experience oppression and then deciding what action to take to attempt to solve the problem parallels the work we do when working with our families.  We don't just begin and end with a problem though.  We explore other parts of their family and community systems to explore the supports that could be useful to them.  Hardina also points to the need to work in true partnership with the client and the particular systems involved (2003).  In addition, in the Netting article, the integration of macro and micro practice is focused upon when she makes the point that an individual (or family) should always be examined in the context of their environment (2005).