Practicing Social Casework at Correctional Settings

Prefix law and justice research foundation, ljrfvoice.com, Practicing Social Casework at Correctional Settings, probation of offenders act

The author of this article is ANJANA PETER, MSW student of Vimala College, Thrissur. This article is about ‘Practicing Social Casework at Correctional Settings’.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CASEWORK
2. OBJECTIVES OF CASE WORK
3. PURPOSE OF CASE WORK
3.1. The General purpose
3.2. The specific purposes
4. Basic assumptions underlying casework which are applicable in helping the offender
5. CASEWORK RELATIONSHIP
6. PRINCIPLES OF CASE WORKER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
7. CHARACTERISTICS OF RELATIONSHIP
8. PURPOSE OF CASE WORK RELATIONSHIP
9. PRINCIPLES OF CASE WORK
9.1. Principle of Acceptance
9.2. Principle of client’s right to self-determination
9.3. Principle of Non- judgmental Attitude
9.4. Principle of client’s Participation
9.5. Principle of Confidentiality
9.6. Principle of controlled Emotional Involvement
10. SOCIAL CASE WORK PROCESS
10.1. Social Study
10.2. Social Diagnosis
10.3. Social Treatment 
10.4. Follow – up and termination
11. CASE WORK TOOLS
11.1. Listening
11.2. Observation
11.3. Interview
11.4. Home visits
11.5. Relationship
12. SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUE USED IN SOCIAL CASEWORK
13. KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR A CASEWORKER
14. SKILLS FOR A CASEWORKER
15. CONCLUSION
16. REFERENCE

CASEWORK

Social casework is the primary method of social work. It is concerned with the adjustment and development of the individual towards more satisfying human relations. Better family life, improved schools, better housing protected socio-economic conditions and better relations between others in the society help the individuals in his adjustment and development depending on the use of these resources by him sometimes due to certain factors, internal and external, he fails to avail existing facilities. In such situations, the caseworker helps the offenders. Thus, social casework is one to one relationship which works in helping the individual for his adjustment and development. Case Work is an individualized service in the field of Social Work in order to help the client to adjust with the environment (Hamilton Gordon). According to Perlman: (1957) Case Work is a process used by human welfare agencies to help the individuals to cope more effectively with their problem in Social Functioning. Grace Mathew defined Case Work is a humanistic attempt for helping people who have difficulty in coping with the problems of daily living. A social case worker provides counselling to the individual client to effect better social relationships and social adjustments that makes it possible for him to lead a satisfying & useful life. Gordon Hamilton points out that, “The objective of case work is to administer practical services and offer counselling in such a way as to arouse & conserve psychological energies of the client activity to involve him in the use of the service towards the solution of her/his dilemma”.

OBJECTIVES OF CASE WORK

1. To understand and solve the internal problems of the individual

2. To strengthen his/her ego power

3. Prevention of problems in social functioning.

4. Remediation of problems in social functioning.

5. Development of resources to enhance social functioning.

PURPOSE OF CASE WORK

The General purpose:

To help an individual (offender) to solve his psychosocial problems, so that he finds himself capable of dealing with these problems at present also may solve in future if such problems arise.

The specific purposes are:

1. To enable the offender to adjust with the social situation.
2. To facilitate the social relationship.

It is concerned with the individual in relation to his social environment and aims at his successful adjustment. The caseworker is accountable for facilitating communication, both verbal and non-verbal, without which no relationship can be established and developed. This relationship is connected with the treatment process. The two types of casework treatment currently used in correctional settings are the supportive treatment method and curative treatment. The latter requires the use of different techniques that help the client to improve his functioning through modification of selected ego mechanisms of defence. The outward form of the client’s behaviour and selected internal process are modified. In a correctional organization, a caseworker keeps the bond a sensible one, using the possible elements in the relationship to motivate and influence the client towards a maximal solution of his problems. This is for the purpose of adaptation and mastery and towards offering chances that may induce constructive motivation, where it does not exist. In correctional settings, the social caseworker attempts to establish a relationship which, over a period of time, frees the individual to express his feelings, muster his ego strength, change his anti-social values and become a law-abiding citizen. It means that the caseworker accepts the client, understands and respects him. Then, through a bond of warmth and support, changes are affected. The caseworker is non-judgmental, sensitive to the needs of the offender, and conveys a feeling of respect for the integrity and individuality of the offender, regardless of his criminal conduct.

Casework should have a general interest in both the offender and the environment, since its goal is to and a means of adjustment and equilibrium between the two. For the successful accomplishment of this task, the caseworker must understand the offender, his capacities and abnormalities and he Must know the social situation, its resources and dangers.

There are have basic assumptions underlying casework, which are applicable in helping the offender:

1. Every individual must be seen as a person of dignity and worth.

2. Behaviour, whether acceptable or unacceptable to the community, expresses a need of the individual.

3. An individual can and will change his behaviour if the right help is given at the right time and in the right amount.

4. If the offer of help is given before the problem becomes seriously aggravated, the response is likely to be better.

5. The stress in casework varies from case to case, since the cause of maladjustment may lie first and foremost with the individual, or with the environment, or in some mixture of these personal and social factors.

A caseworker must acknowledge and respond to the real environmental and emotional crises that can be created by incarceration. Each offender has the capacity to grow and develop to be a constructive member of the family, community and society. Prisoners are responsible for their behavioural change. A central component of valuing the individual is recognizing the individual in relation to their family and community. The case Workers challenge attitudes and behaviours, which result in crime and cause distress, or harm to victims and others. Casework treatment in institutional settings relies heavily upon efforts toward role-adaptation in the client and role adjustment in the primary groups, of which both the client and the persons who referred him are his members. In the correctional field, the probation officer interprets the delinquent’s behaviour to the judge and to the police officers. The caseworker studies and assesses the combination of internal and external forces that directed the prisoner into criminal mode of behaviour. The caseworker also assesses the social role of the inmate and observes the client’s daily role-performance. In such institutional settings, the caseworker is trying to help the client adapt more satisfactorily.

CASEWORK RELATIONSHIP

The client caseworker relationship should be professional, social and personal. Caseworker creates a rapport with the client and tries to understand them more. Relationship is the caseworker’s responsibility and disciplined use of him in working with a client. Through this channel of relationship, the mobilisation of the capacities of the client is made possible. The relationship is a medium through which the client states his problems and through which attention can be focused on real problems. The essence of a relationship has mutual emotional exchange, an attitude, a dynamic interaction, a connection between two persons, a professional meeting and a mutual process.

According to Perlman, a relationship is a condition in which two persons with some common interest between them long-term or temporary, interact with feeling. There are two elements in establishing the relationship.

• Client’s trust in the worker’s competence.

• Clients trust in the worker’s goodwill.

PRINCIPLES OF CASE WORKER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

• Principle of Individualization
• Purposeful Expression of feelings or Communication
• Controlled Emotional Involvement or Self Awareness
• Acceptance  
• Non – Judgmental Attitude
• Self – Determination
• Confidentiality
  

CHARACTERISTICS OF RELATIONSHIP

According to Perlman, the characteristics of relationship are:

• Vital relationships between people arise out of a shared and emotionally changed situation.
• All growth producing relationships, of which the case work relationship is one, contain elements of acceptance and expectations, support and stimulation.
• The identifying mark of professional relationship is its conscious, purposive and growing out of the knowledge of what must go into achieving the goal.
• The case work relationship begins as and when the client shares some part of his problem and the worker demonstrates what he feels with the client and at the same time, the worker must bring professional competence to deal with the problem.
• The casework relationship has several therapeutic values.
• Difficulties from outside the case work situation may intrude (interrupt) into and complicate the case work relationship and may have to dealt with.
• The case worker too has relationship reactions and part of his professional skills in their management.
  

PURPOSE OF CASE WORK RELATIONSHIP

• Better solution for client’s problem
• Stating reality & emotional problem
• Solution for the Personal Problem
• Development of Personality
  

Obstacles / Problems in client worker relationship:

• Mutual Unknowingness 
• Attitude towards the client’s culture
• Ability of different opportunities
• Social and Cultural expectations
  

PRINCIPLES OF CASE WORK

Case workers have to adopt certain principles of social work to do case work with the clients. A case worker has to follow these principles in order to be effective in case work.

• Principle of Acceptance:
  The caseworker must accept the person with all his Strength & Weakness, good & bad qualities, Well & ill manners, rich & poor financial status. Every individual has innate worth irrespective of his social position or behaviours all this should be considered while working with the offender.

• Principle of client’s right to self-determination:
  Every individual has self- dignity and self-esteem. So, every person has the right to make decisions about his/her life. A social worker should not take a decision for: he client. The decision must be taken by the client himself. A caseworker must support them for the decision-making process.

• Principle of Non- judgmental Attitude:
  Never judge a client with a prejudiced mind. Don’t judge a person to be a wrong-doer forever.

• Principle of client’s Participation:
  Social workers should act as an enabler for the client. The client has to find a solution for his/her problems and they have to find out the outcome.

• Principle of Confidentiality:
  While doing casework sessions the client will reveal various secrets to the case worker. The caseworker must keep it confidential. Secrets of the clients should not be disclosed to others. Breach of confidentiality is allowed only when it is professional and if it creates a life threat.

• Principle of controlled Emotional Involvement:
  Social workers should be aware of the feelings of the client. The feelings/ emotions of the client should not affect the social worker. The social worker should not get involved with the client emotionally.

SOCIAL CASE WORK PROCESS

Case work is practiced through a casework process. This is a continuing process. This process goes through various stages:

1. Social Study
2. Social Diagnosis
3. Social Treatment 
4. Follow – up and termination.

1. Social Study
   Social study is a systematic study about the client. The clients age, sex, marital status, educational qualification, Family history, occupational and economic background, educational history is studied in this phase.

Study of the client’s circumstances in relation to his problem:

• Record the problems as expressed by the client 
• Collect the Age, Sex, Marital Status, Educational Qualification of the client
• Family Particulars
• Employment Details / income & Expenditure
• Personality Features
• Scholastic History
• Neighbourhood relationship
• Family History (Significant events, rituals practices, beliefs, taboos, attitude, relationship etc.)

2. Social Diagnosis

Social Diagnosis is an assessment to find out answers for major 3 questions such as

What is the problem?

How does it arise?

And how can it be solved?

With the help of assessment, the caseworker makes a conceptual picture about the problem and plans an action using case work techniques for helping the offender.

3. Social Treatment

After diagnosis is conducted the social worker will provide 3 main treatments like administration and practice services, direct and indirect treatment.

Goal of social Treatment:

• To help the offender to solve the problem
• Client should get relieved of feelings of guilt, worries, anxiety etc.

4. Follow – up and termination.

When the client has attained the treatment goal the caseworker will terminate the client. Follow-ups were conducted regularly after two weeks, then a month, then three months, six months and a year.

CASE WORK TOOLS

Casework tool is very effective to assess the information about the offender, his/her family and their problem. The three dimensions of casework tools are:

• Getting information directly from the offender.
• Getting information indirectly about the offender.
• Giving help to the offender.

For this a caseworker use Five casework tools like:

1. Listening
2. Observation
3. Interview
4. Home visits
5. Relationship

Listening

Listening is the basic tool of casework. The word listening has to be differentiated from the work of hearing. Listening is a specialized hearing activated by the mind. The caseworker must actively and attentively listen to the client. The caseworker must pay attention to what the offender said, not said and what is suggested. Obstacles of listening are:

• Distractions: Distractions are common during listening. A distraction can be internal or external. An internal distraction can be due to thoughts about the offender, connected or unconnected with the offender or about what he/she is saying.
• Listeners anxiety: Listeners anxiety also blocks good listening. When the the offender is speaking, if the caseworker is anxious about his response this might be an obstacle for listening.
• Selective listening: This refers to the mental tendency of hearing only what the caseworker likes; other elements are ignored by the caseworker.
  

Observation

The caseworker observes the offender to understand more about them. It is a practice of noticing features about the person, things or situations and in the context of casework. The main purpose is to use the observed data for understanding the offender and his/her situation. The caseworker must recognize following things such as:

• The general appearance of the offender.
• Facial expression, postures, gestures, mannerism and body language etc.
• Interaction take place between client and others, including family members, neighbours and other people around them.
  

Interview

The probation officer meets the offender and engages in face to face conversation, this is called interviewing. It is not a casual conversation, but it is professional activity from the caseworker. The purpose of interviewing is following:

• To obtain information from the client.
• For studying and assessing the client’s problem and related situation.
• To give help.

Home visit

Conducting interviews in the office has certain advantages. It provides privacy and prevents distractions. But some individual’s formality in the office may be threatening and they will put on a mask and hide their actual feelings. So therefore, home visits are an important and necessary casework tool. When a probation officer visits the offender’s home, it is an indication that the officer is interested in his/her welfare. Through home visits caseworkers can observe the home environment of the client. The interactions which take place among the family members lend themselves to the case workers observation from which the case worker is able to make useful inferences about the attitudes and relationships within the family.

Relationship

The caseworker-client relationship is another casework tool that needs to be delineated. Professional relationships have some characteristics. They are bound by time to specific purposes. When the purpose is met, the relationship comes to an end. Caseworker client relationship is expected to foster growth in the client. The exercise of casework principles, especially those related to client’s self-determination and participation, is intended to infuse growth fostering elements in the caseworker-client relationship.

SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUE USED IN SOCIAL CASEWORK:

• Acceptance
• Sympathy and Empathy
• Assurance / Reassurance
• Facilitation of Expression of feelings
• Reducing the intensity of feelings
• Building self-confidence
• Encouragement
• Being with the client
• Emotional support
• Action-oriented
• support
• Advocacy
• Counselling
• Reflective Discussion
• Advice
• Motivation
• Clarification
• Correcting Perception
• Modelling  
• Anticipatory guidance
• Role playing
• Reality orientation
• Removing guilt feelings
• Using guilt feelings constructively
• Partialisation
• Interpretation
• Universalisation
• Confrontation
• Renewing family links
• Improving communication Patterns
• Changing Attitudes
  

KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR A CASEWORKER

• Knowledge of human beings.
• Knowledge of human behaviours.
• Knowledge of individual behaviours.
• Knowledge of individual behaviours in a group, society & community.

SKILLS FOR A CASEWORKER

• Listening skill
• Observation skill.
• Report writing
• Professional use of relationship
• Communication
• Use of Non-gestors
• Networking
• Referral services

CONCLUSION:

Social Casework is a methodology of helping clients through a systematic way of assessing their problems and handling them. It is a mode of helping people on the basis of a person – to – person relationship. Social casework is very effective in correctional settings. The probation officers can use casework to know more about the offender and also through this social work method a probation officer can help the client to solve his or her psycho-social problem. The purpose of social casework is to help the offender to handle their problem of social functioning effectively. The two major goals of casework service are: To render help to cope with the problem, which the offender cannot handle unaided and enhancing the operation of client’s ego functions, whereby he or she moves towards greater ability in handling his or her life and problems. The two goals are interlinked or to be more precise the second goal stipulates the special manner in which the first goal -help for problem solving-should be achieved. In order to have effective results the caseworker- client relationships are very important. The caseworker must have a good professional relationship with the offender. Then only their problems can be identified and it can be solved. While practicing casework the caseworker has to respect the client with all his dignity. Also follow various principles of social casework. The casework is done through a social casework process and while practicing casework several supportive techniques can also be used to make it more effective.

REFERENCE

1. Mathew, Grace (1992) An Introduction to Social Case Work Bombay; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
   
2. Misra. P. D. (1994) Social Work: Philosophy and Methods. Inter-India Publications, New Delhi
   
3. Gordon, Hamilton, (1940) Theory and Practice of Social Case Work: Columbia University Press.: New York School of Social Work.
   
4. Timms, Noel (1964), Social Case Work: Principles and practices, Rutledge and Kegan Paul., London.
   
5. Upadhyay, R.K (2003) Social Case Work, Rawat, Jaipur.