Mezzo-level practice is an important aspect for social workers because it focuses on a client’s family system, school, community, neighborhood, and any relevant local organizations or agencies. Social workers working with undocumented students soon learn of the disadvantaged position these students are placed in their local communities. There will be a focus on Latino/a undocumented students in this paper because the undocumented population is mostly made up of Latinos. This paper will discuss the problem at a mezzo-level, research-based interventions, theories, evaluation, and how social work skills, values, and ethical considerations can possibly impact the work with the client system.
Problem & Perspectives
Mezzo-level practice of social work looks into the interactions between undocumented students and their communities and local organizations. Undocumented students face so many barriers due to their lack of legal status, such as restrictions
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The community affects individual clients, therefore, social work practitioners should look into the programs and resources available in the community for the client to utilize. This method of assessing also takes into account the social structures of a community. If there is a lack of necessary resources in the community then it is something that a social work practitioner can organize and advocate for. Looking at a community’s strengths and capacities is an empowering approach that makes it more likely for the members of the community to respond and collaborate. This also helps in ensuring that power struggles or conflicts don’t arise and retract progress. This kind of community assessment brings about opportunities to address the needs of vulnerable populations and makes sure that resources are being equally distributed which further enhances the functionality and development of group relations in the
Bridgeton, New Jersey is well known for having a large Latino/Hispanic population. The fact that I am also Mexican-American makes it easier to relate to surrounding Latino population because I have come across situations that show the gains and losses of migrating from another country. Up to this date my dad always repeats to us that if it were not for his children he would have left back to his hometown in Guerrero because he does not feel a sense of belonging in the United States even though he has been here for more than 25 years. As stated in the chapter one of the main reasons why many Latinos decide to migrate is in search of a better future for themselves and their loved ones. As a social worker I am able to relate to the Latino population because I understand their culture on a personal level, however those that are not able to have that experience this chapter helps convey one of the many struggles that the Latino population has to face and how to properly go about
“One of my really close friends is not a United States citizen and is here attending school. I feel worried for her that she has to attend school in such a hostile environment.” Texas A&M University needs to get better at being real and acknowledging that racism exists on campus said Alejandra Luna, a Hispanic political science major. “I didn't know that being a minority meant your life was gonna be complicated,” said Luna. I didn't know we were constantly gonna be looked at as the standard for every minority.”
For many years, unauthorized immigrants have migrated to the United States looking for a better future for their families. Many immigrants bring their children to this journey looking for a better quality of life, but what they don 't know is that their kids are going to face many challenges like discrimination, not belonging, health issues and most important being undocumented. In the article “I Didn’t Ask to Come to This Country... I Was a Child: The Mental Health Implications of Growing Up Undocumented” written by Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini in the Journal of Immigrant &Minority Health. Stacciarini holds a Ph.D. and an RN in nursing and mental health and is well-known for publishing investigations on minority health.
This article explains how this lack of awareness is unethical in social work practice and can cause clients great harm. Social workers need skills to assess clients’ entire systems. If ignored, social workers may echo society’s oppression by assuming that clients need to change, rather than working for societal change. This research also warns us that on the other hand, lack of cultural competence can also lead to overcompensation by social workers; clinicians may spend too much time focusing on culture or may excuse dysfunctional behavior. Child disciplines and physical abuse in immigrant Latino families; Reducing violence and misunderstanding.
Community accountability and community based approaches challenge us to seriously address violence and intimate harms without reproducing the technologies of individualization, pathology, penality, protection under the authority of heteropatriarchy and white supremacy, and criminalisation, all of which continually deny and subvert our notions of safety and justice. We are asked to consider recover and build the potential of community while recognizing and disengaging from strategies that undermine the possibility of community formation. Community accountability is any strategy to address violence, abuse, or harm that creates safety, justice, reparations, and healing without relying on police, prisons, child protection services, or any other state
Now, that it is 2017, The United States of America does not deny education to anyone. Including those who are undocumented such as myself. I can’t compare to those life threating dangers that they face but to this day I still fear deportation. I was brought to The United States when I was two-years old and since then I have not been back to my home country. I grew up here, I learned the culture, the language, and I was also blessed to be able to get an education here.
One of the toughest adjustments, having been born to Mexican parents, is migrating to an unknown country where traditions and languages differ from one 's own. Though many pursue an education and strive for a better life, the purpose behind an immigrant, like myself, differs from the typical American. Immigrants strive for a life that was once impossible, going to school is not only to attain an education, but to better prove that we can also become successful regardless of our traditions and skin color. I lived in a country for over fifteen years, fearing deportation, not only losing a home, but potentially saying goodbye to a bright future. Although many feel empathy for Mexican-Americans, it is undeniably difficult to truly comprehend the immense trauma children and even adults undergo upon experiencing racism and prejudice.
There exist plenty of actual American citizens who do not realize how great their nation is and therefore they take their freedom and opportunities for granted. All these students wish would be to continue with their
“The Working Poor: Invisible in America”, written by David Shipler (2004), portrayed many families who faced extreme barriers that directly impacted their families and affected the quality of their lives. This book not only gave the reader a sense of America’s social justice issues, but it also allowed the reader an opportunity to take a look inside the lives of real people struggling with social, economic, and cultural barriers to achieving the “American Dream”. Among many of the individuals and families in the book, most were barely making it financially, despite large efforts. With respect to social work, David Shipler did a fantastic job opening the eyes of the reader to the problems one might face with clients, and the spiral effects
There are a lot of obstacles students face when trying to college and going to college, sometimes these obstacles involve how counseling and emotional support is out of the question and other reasons are fall into the category of not having too much money to afford school or if they could afford college through scholarships they still struggle with meeting their basic needs. Students lots of minority students face constant oppression because of students face discouragement and this can lead students down two roads, sometimes to regret and misery. Minorities have never really grasp the opportunity of getting a higher education because these students are always discouraged from dreaming of college, making
Empowerment theory and macro social work typically appear in the form of grassroots organizing (Gitterman & Knight, 2016). Both social work students and practitioners tend to work on the mezzo or micro level with individuals, families, and/or small groups, rather than within larger communities (Gitterman & Knight, 2016). Community organization is not possible if one person attempts to create change alone. A group of like-minded people must make a concentrated effort to instigate change in a community. Groups must have open communication and an understanding of the common goal.
Community work is an essential part of social work. It has been defined as “the process of assisting people to improve their own communities by undertaking autonomous collective actions. ”(Twelvetrees, 2001) It entails getting the support of communities members to undertake projects or tasks that would be beneficial for the community. In community work, workers “operate as facilitators with people in relation to what those people decide to become involved with.
How you, as a social worker, might interpret the needs of Paula Cortez, the client, through the two cultural lenses you selected. How you, as a social specialist, may decipher the requirements of Paula Cortez, the customer, through the two social focal points you chose. Cultural competence in social work is the primary guideline of social work education and practice. According to Carpenter (2016) As the population in the United States continues to diversify rapidly, the requirement for culturally competent social work administrations is similarly as essential as it ever has been.
Immigrants and Education We believe that teachers and parents are struggling to make their students and children involved in a different community from their original community. Because these students have different cultures, languages and values from their teachers who are doing their best to meet the needs of all international students (Shurki & Richard, 2009). The schools across the country today are looking for ways to welcome and assist immigrant families because they become a big part of their communities. So how these effect on each of students, teachers and parent? Teachers Some school districts respond to the needs of immigrant and refugee students by creating “newcomer” programs (Hertzberg, 1998).
Strengths: • Giving the autonomy to the service user/community: Both the theories provide the client or community; here children and families to utilize their self-determination and their individual power to bring change. • Sustainability: The system theory tends to fix the maladjustment between the environment and the client for a long-term whereas the strength perspective focuses on amplification of the innate strengths within client; focuses on sustainability. • Holistic approach: Both the theories show a holistic approach; they cover different aspects, traits and systems which define the client and his behavior in whole. • Social Work values: The theories embody the core social work values such as valuing the dignity and worth of our client, their self-determination and protection as the first priority.