Discuss 2.4: Schools and Child Welfare
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Some other themes in this module included school social work and children and the child welfare system.
Choose an area to comment on, drawing o
n Webb’s coverage of these two topics, your own experience, and other readings or sources.
A few of my thoughts on each area are below to consider.
School social work is often a topic of discussion in this course. Working in schools is complex and includes issues of educational law and regulations, inter-professional collaboration, and relationship with families. Some clinical themes to think about are the issue of doing therapy in the tight social system of a school and the sense of being monitored in your work; how emotional and “deep” should therapy go in a school setting?
Similarly, working with the child welfare system is a complex systemic challenge. Like with schools, there is an influence of laws and regulations. How do we handle reporting suspected child abuse or neglect while working to maintain a working relationship with families? For children who have been placed there is a series of issues: the experience that led to placement of deprivation or trauma; the losses and repeated losses of major attachments, homes, school; growing up in often resource-poor settings and handling the transition to young adulthood. How do we assist children and families in all the different stages of child welfare involvement? What theoretical approach or therapy types are a good match?
Make sure you use one citation. Remember, don’t just mention the cite, discuss what the author has to say the helps you understand things.
