QN. The generalisti Intervention Model is the very useful techniques to social workers. Discuss by focusing on its procedures, prons and cons, and provide the way foward.

QN. The generalisti Intervention Model is the very useful techniques to social workers. Discuss by focusing on its procedures, prons and cons, and provide the way foward.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
 -Definition of key terms

MAIN BODY

 -Procedure of generalist intervention model

 -Pros and cons of generalist

 -Way forward

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION
Social workers do not pick and choose which problem and issue they would like to address. They see problem, even a difficult problem, and try to help people to solve it. Social workers are generalist that is they need a wide range of skills at their disposal. They are prepared to help people with individualized personal and with very broad problems that affect whole communities. There are many ways to describe what social worker does. They work with individuals, families, groups, organization and communities. Their work is based the body of knowledge, practice, skills, and professional values. They work in setting that focus on children and families, health, justice, education, and economic status. Generalist practice skills one built upon each other in a professional from micro to macro level. Relating to individual in groups require basic micro skills. Likewise macro practice requires mastery of both micro and macro skills for relating to and working with individual and groups of individual in organizational and community setting.

Definition of key terms
Social work; is a professional and academic discipline that seek to improve the quality of life and well bearing of an individual, group, or community by intervening Through research on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or perceived social injustice and violation of their human
A social worker; is a professional who, most often, work with people and helps them manage their daily lives. Social workers understand and adapt to illness, disability and death, and obtain social services, such as health care, government assistance and legal aid, (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social-work).

Generalist social work model; Can be defined as a comprehensive assessment of problem situation in a client system, followed by planning and intervention, including those of individual, family, groups, organization or community. (www.google.book.org.gender-issue ).
The generalist intervention model; Is an independent between individual and their social environments and require that social worker to have broad of knowledge about the functioning of individual families, groups, organization and communities and the way in which they may reciprocally support to inhibit functionally. (Joseph Walsh,2009).

The generalist intervention model as one of the useful technique to social worker has its own procedure, prons and cons. But also generalist intervention model like other social work method has its cons challenges. The following one the procedure, prons and cons as well as the way forward to the challenges.

( I) PROCEDURES OF GENERALIST INTERVENTIONAL MODEL

Engagement; this is the first procedure in the generalist social work intervention model. In this procedure involve face to face contact between the social worker with the client like those of individual, families group or community through engagement a client need to demonstrate effective attending skills like effective attending skills  like listening carefully focusing on client thoughts and feelings, taking notes of  information which are unlike to remember and use silence as necessary. But also engagement involve discussion on agency services and client expectation, decide if the agency and worker can help, offering agency and workers services to the client as well as negotiation with clients as to frequency of session, time and place and total number of session.

Assessment; It acquire an understanding of a problem or issue what causes it, and what can be changed to minimize or resolve it, through articulation of clear statement of the need, recognizing strength, to emulation of clear description of the client system, understanding the client system’s interactions with other systems identifying any missing information that is important and put the information together.
Planning; Planning is the third basic procedure in generalist intervention model. It involve consensus with client on what needs to happen and what goals should be accomplished to work towards resolving the problem. Planning procedure cannot be successfully without formalization of contact, specification of action steps, establishment of goals and translation of problems into needs and evaluation of levels of intervention for each need.

Implementations; After all processes of planning what comes after is they implementation of all work which has been done in engagement, assessment, and planning. The process of interpretation involve making follow up for plans, motoring progress, revising the plan and comprehension of the plan.
Evaluation; Is both for client and yourself. After the intervention is over a social worker should know if there is lasting result of the intended social activity. Through evaluation a social worker can understand what I missing or what is needed for addition.

Termination; last but not list procedure of generalist intervention model is termination. Termination involves critical decision on when to terminate, evaluation of achievement of objectives, maintenance and continuation of the progress, making of appropriate referrals and resolving the emotion and reaction of workers and client.

Follow –up. This is the last procedure among of the seven. It involve actively representing the consumer, discussing the problems, strengthening out the difficulties and preparing the consumer. But also in follow-up procedure the written contract, written evaluation and documentation on the client evaluation is necessary.

(11) ADVANTAGES AND DISADIVANTAGES OF GENERALISTIC INTERVENTION MODEL.
(A) ADVANTAGES

Generalist works in a great scope and in wide dimension. Generalist social worker does not pick and choose which problems and issue they would like to address. They see a problem even a difficult problem and try to help people solve it. This has been one of the advantages of generalist intervention model. Through generalist involve every problem has to get into solution. ( Horejsi, 2006,pg 119)
The model addresses the qualities that make a social work unique and special. It demonstrate how social work planned change approach can be applied visual to any situation no matter how difficult or complex.(De. Maria,1999)

It integrates an orientation to advocacy and focus on more and just individuals as the target of change. Generalist involves both micro level social work technique and macro level social work application. For example of micro level generalist focus is individual, family and groups, but also macro level generalist focus in communities and larger organization. Both micro and macro are the targets of intervention.(The encyclopedia of social work, 1995)

Flexibility and creativity, this are the important advantages features of generalist intervention model. Flexibility and creativity are the key qualities of generalist social worker practional. Generalist offers chance of other field in the field of social work, it involve the field of psychology, biology and counseling (council of social work education, 2011).

Focus on targeting the environment for change. The system that social worker need” to change or influence the goal in order to accomplish their goal” it called the target of change. Changes are not limited to individuals or families, sometime services are un available or excessively difficult to obtain, social policies are un fair or people are oppressed by other people. Administrator and people in power do not always have the motivation or insight to initiate needed change. Social worker should look at where change is essential outside the individual and work with individual to affect that change. (Pincus  and Minahan,1973).

Engage the client in helping process that empowers them to find creative solution to their own seemingly difficult situation. Community always faced with difficult situation including ignorance, disease, poverty and calamities such as floods. Through generalist social works model based on both direct social work method and indirect methods. People come to solve their problems through this method for example poverty can be solved through creation of groups, working with individuals as well as working with community. And through indirect social work methods a social worker have ability to planning, implementing and evaluation so as to empower them and providing solution to their problems.
   The generalists posses a deep and abiding commitment to value of social work; through generalist social work model emphasize a social worker to be committed with his or her work based on eight values of social work. This help them to perform their work without being bias to any one this value or ethics of social work are respect the dignity of the individual, have faith in the capacity of the client, to advance towards client goals, providing services without biasness, to give an opportunities a client to develop and exercise own capacity and do not invade the personal affairs.(Willma Guese and John Allen, editor, 2000).

(B) DISADVANTAGES OF GENERALIST MODEL

Cost fully; generalist intervention model it is cost full in terms of time and capital of a social worker or organization. For example a social worker will have to spend a lot of time leaning different social work methods and skills so us to become a competent person in all level person ( Generalist). But also a social worker him or herself or organization he have to use a lot of money to develop the skills and knowledge through short courses an d seminars.(Clarence King, 1965).

 Difficult in environmental understanding, understanding environment and its people is the key issue in generalist intervention model. But the difficulties in understanding people and its environment, including those of understanding personal behavior, family, group, community as well as cultural practices. Under this situation a generalist social worker cannot easily afford to understand the whole society and its environment.(Dr. Wilfred Burn. 1996).

 Line of limitation, the presence of what organization has been said or set of rules of rather than professionalism is the obstacle to generalist. Tension for rounding the element in carrying out the situation out of rules is those between two kind of organizational bureaucratic and the professionalism. The organization may define individual duties for his office, that which he must do and not to do (UN, social progress through community development,1955).

There has been serious problem of time to time practice of social work techniques and method among the generalist. Some time social workers are relaying on methods and techniques which are seemingly easy for them to apply. The application methods may head to absence of practice to other methods as the result to some weakness to generalist. But also this may be resulted by organization which does not offer their worker code of practice.

Wakening of competence, the need of understanding variety of skills and other field of study can lead to social worker to lose concentration in important matters of his or her field.  For example a social worker may lack time to concentrate on problems and research activities, which need critical analysis and evaluation. General knowing every stages, methods and skills in incomplete way is what may weaken the competence of generalist social worker.

The level of training variation, there has been growing awareness on the profession of social work in a modern societies which need them to acquire new knowledge and skills in order to make them carry out their major function. The level of training varies from one setting to another depends on needs.  These make worker difficulties in tracking the best training which will affect the change.

.(III) WAY FOWARDS FOR POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENT OF GENERALISTI INTERVETION MODEL

Leadership at all level is necessary, at the front line and political both local and national. The state or institution should insure that social workers do a job which is spiritually, ethically in physically daunting a job which is a permanent test of character and intelligence, a job which requires rare determination and commitment.

Social worker should intervention earlier with complex causes to avert crises but simple early intervention and preventive work should be the role primary of universal services and or social work services.

Easily accessible and available social work services should not require complex assessment processes. All organizations require a shared understanding and agreed protocols which define the roles and responsibilities of different professionals at different stages o intervention and articulate how access more specialist services, across agency boundaries, as people move through the stages and tiers.
Employer and social worker must work together to develop a culture of leaning, valued and promoted throughout agencies and organization which rain forces the importance of being aware of current research and putting into practice.

All organization employing social worker must ensure effective work force planning and development at local level to meet emerging needs. Maintain a competent and effective work force and contribute to work force planning at national level.

Social worker must have access to professional consultation, support and advice from appropriate, experiences social worker. This consultation and management should focus on assisting social workers to reflect critical on their practice, use their power effectively and make complex decision.

COCLUSION
Social work is about real people living really lives, lives that are unique different, some will never need a social worker but others will relay on social workers to help them deal with the challenges. Some will seek the help of social worker; other will have no option but to accept their involvement. Social workers task is to work alongside people to help them build resilience, maintain hope and maintain optimism and develop their strength and abilities.  





REFERENCE
Clarence king, (1965). Working with people in community action, Association press 291 Broadway, New York
George F. Thomson (1969), profession approach to community work, University College of south Wales
www.wadswothmedia.com/marketing,07/05/2002,16:00PM
www.google.book.org.genderissue/07-05-2012/16.42PM
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social-work/07-05-2012/16.53PM

   POWERED BY CHIWAMBO AUSI R, TEOFILO KISANJI UNIVERSITY, MAY, 2012