Social Work Profession: A Case Study

Introduction

“The primary role of the social work profession is to enhance human wellbeing and help meet basic human needs…An historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well being in a social context.”

The opening text is an extract from the preamble to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics brings to the fore, the ultimate goal of the social intervention in Jaclyn’s situation. This is especially so as examination of the provided information in the case study highlights how environments contribute to problems in living.

Jaclyn, the client, offers an interesting and dynamic case which engages the Social Worker at the individual, group, community and policy levels as well as the biological,

Specifically, she will be informed about the impact of using alcohol during pregnancy, of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, pharmacotherapy and in- patient treatment for withdrawal from alcohol. She will also be informed of alternatives to alcohol such as non alcoholic beer, cocktails without the alcohol. Jaclyn will be allowed to give her input about alternative behaviours to acarry her through the life transistion of alcohol withdrawal if , throough self determination, she opts for a non pharmacological approach to abstinence during the

Depending on how Jaclyn achieves her milestones and how she manages with the alcohol withdrawal and pregnancy, she may be switched to the appropriate option in the foregoing list. The list offers solutions in various outcomes

Community Intervention, Social Policy Reform and Advocacy

In the absence of type specific programmes for alcohol dependency in pregnant women, measures at Jaclyn’s intervention may be consolidated with methods of the above evaluations to create a programme to propose to the Ministry of health. Research may be conducted to show empirical data on the prevalence of alcohol use in pregnancy, the long term neurological behavioural effects on a particular section of the population and the costs of treating and managing these outcomes as opposed to the cost of Educational and Preventative programmes as a rationale for funding, as well as getting social policymakers involved. Different strata of society, community groups, medical practitioners, and the average person on the street may be asked through varying national media to petition for implementation of the