On the Road to Recovery--The Content and Process of Treatment Relationship in Strengths-Based Social Work Practice

• Main Authors: Tseng, Jen-Chieh, 曾仁杰
• Other Authors: Song,Li-Yu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/5y666f

博士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 社會政策與社會工作學系 === 102 === To achieve recovery, strengths-based social work practice focuses on reversing defect- or problem-oriented thinking habits, considering the client a guide in practical helping work. This type of helping relationship that considers clients as guides drastically affects and challenges the thoughts and practical behaviors of social workers, who have deemed themselves helping professionals. The primary objective of this study is elucidating the content, relationship development process, and practical methods of the strengths-based case management (SBCM) model to examine the suitability of this model for use in Taiwan. Based on hermeneutics, this study used purposive sampling to select 8 social workers who had successfully used the SBCM model for at least 2 years, conducting in-depth interviews by using a semi-structured interview outline. This study summarized the participant experiences and determined that the professional relationship in the SBCM model can be viewed as an interpersonal connection there to help clients recover by loving themselves, believing in themselves, being open, and living their true lives. As a professional helping connection, the relationship used in this model prompts clients to develop hope and positive energy, practice self-independence, and activate opportunities for recovery. The most crucial element of the recovery process is the social workers strongly trusting in the strengths, possibilities, and solutions that the clients can develop. The social workers foster the power of belief when they first meet their clients. During the seven stages (meeting, acquaintance, getting to know, accompanying, helping, supporting, and cherishing each other), the social workers invested elements of belief, caring, sharing, accompanying , cooperation, assisting, and thankfulness to enhance and clarify the existences of the clients. Subsequently, the clients were able to continue on the road to recovery with belief, courage, thankfulness, and blessing. Evolving from strangers to well-known partners, the social workers and clients developed a strengths-based partnership. In contrast to other relationships, this partnership targeted recovery as the ultimate goal in addition to professional provisions. In this partnership, the social workers and clients developed a positive, bidirectional relationship in which their subjectivity was equally important and each was emotionally intimate, conducted stable interactions, shared responsibilities, regarded the other as important, and defined clear and flexible boundaries for the relationship. While developing a partnership, the social workers used inspiring and guiding strategies and input elements, such as believing, caring, and sharing and so on, to encourage and assist the clients toward recovery. The strengths perspective emphasized arguments of universal benevolence and harmony, highlighting the compatibility between partners. Although a professional-based friendship appears contradictory, this relationship is actually a dynamic balance based on the concept of Taiji, conforming to the attitude discussed in the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), which is favored by Chinese people. This professional and friendly relationship matches the characteristics of the differential mode of association, emphasizing the affinity and feelings expressed in kinship-like relationships in Chinese society. Moreover, this study provided a discussion and suggestions regarding the professional orientation and helping effectiveness of the partnership