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Essay / Strength and Resilience in a Family - 2620
Strengths PerspectiveThe Strengths Perspective focuses on a family's strengths and resilience in order to overcome challenges and help the family reach its full potential. The principle of this perspective is that every family has abilities that can be relied upon to triumph over adversity. These difficulties are seen as opportunities for growth within the family. Although this approach is strengths-based, it is important not to ignore problems within the family, but rather to focus on the strengths that can be used to overcome the problems (Anderson, 2013). This perspective moves away from the problem-oriented medical model and instead focuses on strengths to help families achieve their wellness-related goals. This approach views the person or family as an expert, with unique talents and resources. The social worker helps the family leverage their strengths to achieve family goals (Anderson, 2013). This perspective is consistent with social work's value of self-determination, as the family directs goals and interventions in collaboration with the social worker. The assessment focuses on the family's vision and identifying the strengths needed to achieve that vision; require the social worker to use a person-in-environment approach to understanding the strengths and resources of the family (Anderson, 2013). The strengths approach allows the family to draw on its own resources and tends to produce more positive and lasting change because the family takes ownership of the plans and changes it implements. Additionally, this approach helps the family continue to use the skills learned when they need them in the future, thereby strengthening their capabilities and success in their family, but they have many assets to build on. The family has a sincere love for each other and a genuine concern for the well-being of each member of the family. The family has strong support and is financially stable. Additionally, the family works very cooperatively and seems to derive great joy from interactions with each other. Even though Kayla has faced many traumatic events in her very young life, she is a generally happy child and seems to trust her grandparents a lot. Kayla shows that she feels very safe in her grandparents' house. She is also a very intelligent and articulate child, which helps her better deal with her past trauma. Although the family has obstacles to overcome, they are committed to achieving the goals they set and the strategies they use to leverage their strengths and overcome their challenges...