Download Community Assessment

Class 6:
Identifying social
conditions as
problems/opportunities
UTA SSW, SOCW 5306: Generalist Macro Practice
Professor Dick Schoech
Copyright 2005 (permission required before use)
Suggest printing slides for class using: Print | Handouts | 3 slides per page | grayscale options
Summary of Classes 1- 6
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Generalist macro practice history, change
process, roles, levels of intervention
Theories, values, perspectives
The community as client
Social conditions as problems/opportunities
Assessing social conditions/communities
Intervening in social conditions
Administrative practices
Learning Objectives of Class
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To be able to distinguish conditions,
problems, needs, capacities, and barriers
To understand the capacities vs. needs
perspective
To understand the process of examining
conditions of concern
To understand the roll of needs and
capacities in intervention planning
The Power of Focusing on Outcomes
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Outcomes help focus on the desired state
of being of clients
Outcomes help you focus on the end result
of the desired change
Outcomes open you up to many
intervention options
The public and funding sources understand
outcomes
Definitions (1 of 2)
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Condition=phenomena of concern
e.g., lack of housing, addictive personalities, high # of
single teen pregnancies, violence
 Starting with conditions broadens scope and helps
focus on strengths and outcomes
Problems=condition considered detrimental
 Problems tie conditions to people/neighborhoods
 Problems tell who defines it, whose values threatened,
who supports/opposes change
 Consider “problem” the same as “presenting problem”
in direct practice
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Distinguish problem from condition
Distinguish condition from problems. Ask yourself:
1. What is nature of condition
2. How are terms defined
3. Characteristics of society with condition
4. Scale & distribution of condition in society
5. Social values threatened by condition
6. How widely is condition recognized
7. Who defines condition as problem
8. What is the etiology of problem
Definitions (2 of 2)
Needs
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Tells where to focus solution
Basing needs in outcome is strongest (vs. service)
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E.g., clients need sober lifestyle vs. need detoxification
Summarizes what need & who has need
Usually one need per statement
Capacities
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Tells how to design a solution
Cover individuals experience/knowledge/skills,
associations, and organizations
Barriers
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Identify roadblocks during solutions
Steps in Exploring the Condition
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Define condition
 Implications of definition, measures of the condition
 History & causes (societal, community, agency,
individual)
 Who defines as problem for society, stakeholders, etc,
does consensus exist
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What’s known about typical victims of the problem?
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How do victims typically solve problem (best practices,
models, continuum of care)?
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What is your vision of a client without the condition?
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Politics of condition (power, $s, responsibilities)
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Opportunities and capacities associated with problem
Conclusion
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Design of assessment influences results
Needs tell you what to do
Capacities tell you how to do it
Involving broad, representative # stakeholders
including consumers is politically important
Politics avoided in data collection, included in
need prioritization and designing solution
Know & target audience from beginning§
Advice on working in committees
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Keep to roles
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Stay formal, practice motions, voting, etc.
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Do not become overly dependent on one person
or step (networks more powerful than hierarchies-Internet)
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Use groups to brainstorm & decide
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Delegate individuals to write (do not wordsmith in
groups, chair assigns or seeks volunteer to write & bring
back)
Examples and links
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Putnam, social capital
McKnight, community capacities building
Other