Technology, Relationships, and Social Work

This week's readings really surprised and interested me. Most of my professional experience has been working with adults with special needs in a case management capacity. I have seen how technology has been a blessing a curse for this population. Many of the clients my agency serves struggle with social skills, knowing appropriate boundaries, stranger awareness, and interpersonal development. I have watched them have difficulty engaging in relationships with peers through social media, where communication can be twisted, statements can be taken the wrong way, and rumors and gossip can run amuck!

 

That being said, Virtual Abilities mentioned in the chapter intrigued me! I had never heard of it before and decided to look it up online to see what it is all about. It is a non-profit organization that provides support for people with "physical, mental, sensory, developmental, and emotional disabilities and their families, friends, and caregivers" (http://www.virtualability.org/). Learning more about Virtual Abilities challenged my notion of social media. With technology comes a host of challenges as well as opportunity. I feel that it is important for us as social workers to do our research and make ourselves aware of the types of platforms our clients are engaging in. It is neither "good" nor "bad." Virtual Abilities and other types of online forums provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to connect in ways they have been unable to do before. So often folks are isolated in their homes and these types of communities allow for people to interact.

 

Virtual Abilities is not only a place where individuals can meet new friends, they also provide opportunities to build skills. Technology of this nature brings new ideas to the forefront of our social service system. Often times agencies get stuck in services they have been doing for years and years. Our world is changing, our clients needs are changing, and our services must change with it. It is crucial that we provide the types of services and supports our clients need in this modern world.

Creating Change in Rural Communities

Rural communities have unique strengths as well as unique challenges. In order for social workers to be successful in empowering clients living in rural communities, social workers must understand the communities themselves. Social workers should be cognizant that they cannot create change independent of the clients they are working with. The desire for change should come from the residents of these communities. They should be the ones identifying the need for change and the outcomes they would like to see in their communities. As a result, they have ownership of the process and have more of a "buy in" for whatever action takes place to reach their goal.

Social workers must also support changes that can continue even when the social workers are not there in the communities. The work must be self-sustaining by the individuals who will remain in those communities. "We strive to empower communities and avoid creating dependency by progressively strengthening the organizational capacity of local partners to sustain processes" (Weil, 2013, 702). When residents can continue with the work on their own and realize they are not dependent on those from the "outside," they feel empowered.

References

Weil, M. (2013). The Handbook of Community Practice. 2nd Edition.