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Gender Responsive Case Management (GRCM)

A process of coordinating and providing direct services to women and girl survivors that:

1. Starts from recognition of gender biases against women and girls in the home, in the

community and in society, and seeking to eliminate these;

2. Views the issue of violence against women and girls as a violation of their human

rights;

3. Pursues women's empowerment as the goal of the healing partnership and service

delivery where a woman sees her value and status:

a. in relation to herself as:

● worthy and equal to her partner/husband ;

● responsible and in control of her own life and not controlled by her partner/others;

● able to free herself from a violent situation and seek justice; and

● able to reach out to other women and engage in action for the elimination of

violence, and other forms of discrimination against women.

b. in the family as:

● equal partner in decision-making in all areas of family life; and

● one enjoying mutual respect of each other’s rights in a mother and child

relationship.

c. in society as:

● equal in access to literacy, information and education;

● equal in access and sharing of job opportunities and/or other economic endeavors;

● one living a just and rights-based existence; and

● one participating in the political processes and structures.

REMEMBER: Gender Responsive Case Management addresses the survivor’s immediate

needs (eg. temporary shelter, medical care, legal aid to pursue justice, and economic

resources) AND her long-term needs, e.g. to re-claim her dignity and self-worth, to view

herself as equal to and not subordinated to man, empower herself , and to live in a social

environment that fulfills her right to be free from violence and all other forms of

discrimination.

Components/Elements of Social Work Practice (4Ps)

1. The Person

2. The Problem

3. The Place

4. The Process

1. Person (Client)

● The person is a man, woman or child or anyone who finds himself/herself, or is found

to be, in need of help in some aspect of his social-emotional living, whether the

need be for tangible provisions or counsel.

● As he/she begins to receive help, he/she is called a “client”.

● A client is one who seeks professional help, one who employs the help of another

or one who is served by a social agency or an institution.

Client System - refers to all entities, person, family, group, organisation or community that

receive or command attention of the social worker.

Categories of Clients

a. Walk-in - clients who voluntarily go to the social welfare agency and seek help to

the social worker

b. Referred - clients who were referred by another social welfare agency, social

worker, other professions or para-professionals

c. Reach Out - the social worker offers help or support to clients who are not under the

category of walk-in and referred clients.

2. Problem

● It is a “question or situation that presents uncertainty, perplexity or difficulty”.

● Problems arise when a need has not been met or there are obstacles to its

fulfillment.

Problem Typology/Types of Problems

● These are the common problems brought by the clients to the Social Workers

I. Economic, Intellectual and Physical Problems

1. Lack of economic and social resources

2. Lack of education and skills, knowledge and experience

3. Lack of love, care and protection

4. Illness and disability

5. Lack of opportunities and access to resources

II. Psycho-social Problems

1. Emotional reaction to stress: Developmental and Situational Stress

2. Loss of relationship

3. Interpersonal conflict

4. Culture conflict

5. Maladaptive group functioning

3. Place (agency)

● The place is a social service agency or a social service department of another kind

of human welfare agency.

● The place to which the client system comes for help with his/her problem is known

as a social agency.

Three major factors that determine the classification of agencies

1. Their source of support- tax or voluntary contribution

2. Their source of professional authority – Primary Agencies carry full authority and

responsibility for their social functions and Secondary Agencies derive their authority

and responsibility from the host agency

3. Their special function and area of concern- Primary Agencies both public and

private, may define certain areas of social need as the particular fielding in which

they give services. Secondary Agencies, is related to the work of some other

profession, such as medicine, education or law and to its specific knowledge and

purpose.

4. Helping Process

● It is a means through which an agency’s purpose is achieved

● A phase through which treatment is applied to:

1. Attain changes in behaviour

2. Changes in the environment

3. A problem is alleviated or resolved

● This stage is very important and significant - WHY? Because it introduces the

scientific Social Work Process of helping people.

Goals of the Helping Process

1. Helps the client to cope with problems they find difficulty in solving in such a way

that they will make maximum use of their conscious efforts, choices and

competencies.

2. Engage the client in ways of coping that may be of use to him in dealing with new

or other problems that he may encounter as he lives.

Objectives of the Social Work Helping Process

1. To help people improve the quality of their lives

2. To assist them to cope more effectively with the problems of living so that they will

gain or regain their equilibrium and achieve growth and their coping capacity

Helping Process aim to achieve the following:

1. To help the client so that he may meet his need or solve his problem

2. To provide the client with a fruitful coping experiences which he may use later in

meeting other needs and solving difficulties as he goes through life

Problem Solving Process (PSP)/Helping Process

Note: Different authors use different terms

3 Major Phases by Hepworth & Larssen

Phase I: Exploration, Assessment and Planning

Phase II: Implementation and Goal Attainment

Phase III: Termination and Evaluation

Standard Problem Solving Process for Beginners

1. Identification of the Problem/Intake

2. Data Gathering

3. Assessment

4. Planning the Intervention

5. Implementation of Plan

6. Evaluation

7. Continuation or Termination

Intake

● The start of the helping process, whether the client is a walk-in, referred or reach

out.

Major Purposes of the Intake Process

1. Record the identifying data about the client;

2. Identify the presenting problem - it is the one causing difficulty to the client and the

reason why the client asked for help or has been referred;

3. Determine the client’s presumptive eligibility and motivation to use a service. If his

need cannot be met then he is referred to another agency which can help him.

The Intake Sheet is composed of the following:

1. Personal Information about the client

2. Problem presented by the client

3. Social Worker’s initial impression as to the nature of the presenting problem

4. Initial assessment of the situation

5. Recommendation as to what actions should be taken

The Helping Relationship

● The helping process is anchored on the helping relationship

● Relationship - refers to the dynamic interaction between two or more individuals

● Sometimes it is called the client-worker relationship as it includes the fullest

involvement and partnership of the client himself

● It’s primary objective is to meet the needs of the client

● The purpose behind the establishment of the client-worker relationship is to find a

foothold for the helping process

● Without this relationship there is little hope towards a desired goal

At best it will only be a superficial relationship and the worker may not be able to

get the client’s trust and confidence that is needed for them to work amicably

together

● It must be stressed that this relationship is a professional one requiring self-

awareness, objectivity and discipline on the part of the worker

● To use this relationship appropriately the worker must have the ability to sense the

dynamic interaction of feelings and attitudes in order to facilitate the attainment of

the client’s objectives and the social worker’s intervention action

● This type of relationship respects the clients right to self-determination and is thus

non-exploitative.

Characteristics of the Helping Relationship

1. Accepting

● A relationship is accepting when the worker accepts the client by recognising his

right to existence, importance and value

● Acceptance of this right is the basis of any relationship

● It involves recognition of the client’s uniqueness as an individual, and as a person

who possesses the need and the right to laugh or to cry, to be glad or angry, to

grow, to change, to participate in making decisions about matters related to his

welfare.

2. Dynamic

● The essence of this relationship is more emotional than intellectual

● It is the give and take of attitudes and feelings that serve as the channel through

which the ideas are imparted and reached for rational consideration

3. Purposeful and Time Limited, Unequal

● The relationship is directed towards the goal

● Once the goal is achieved and the case is terminated the relationship ends

● In this essence it is limited

● It is also unequal because the worker and the client assume different roles

● The worker gives while the client receives

4. Honest, Realistic and Responsible

● This means that the worker must have honour, integrity, sincerity and probity

(uprightness)

● He must also perceive what reality is, in terms of people and situations

5. Exercising Judgements

● Any professional judgment that the worker makes should be based on reality

● There are two sides of it: reality as it is and reality as the client sees it to be

● Both sides must be fully comprehended before the worker can make a valid

judgment

Phases of the Helping Relationship

1. The Beginning

● This is the testing period when the worker and the client “sized up” each other;

● The worker, so as to determine the client as a person needing help and the client

to see whether the worker can be of help;

● It is marked by uncertainty and exploration;

● During this period, meaningful communication starts to be established, rules are

defined, and needs are expressed, acknowledged, and responded too;

● This phase ends when the worker and client reach an unspoken agreement to work

on the problem together.

2. The Middle

● This is the working period when the worker and client play their respective roles and

perform their tasks to solve or alleviate the problem;

● They will then be sharing feeling, thinking and experiences together;

● Changes will be taking place and there will be constant adaptation and re-

adaptation to change;

● The relationship will be constantly redefined.

3. The Ending

● This is the termination phase;

● If the goal has been achieved both worker and client may be feeling a degree of

satisfaction. It was a fruitful relationship;

● If the client has been referred to another agency the worker may still rightly feel that

he had brought the client a few steps nearer to the goal.

Social Work Roles, Tools, Skills & Techniques

Social Work Roles

General Roles - these roles indirectly affect the client but eventually benefit the people in

need

1. Catalyst or Catalyzer

● The Social Worker is expected to enhance the client’s psychosocial functioning by

inducing or facilitating some change in the client’s attitudes and behaviour or in his

environment or both.

● The Social Worker is an important ingredient for change to take place.

2. Enabler

● The Social Worker provides or links the client with the means, the knowledge or the

opportunity to be or to do something.

● The Social Worker supplies the client with knowledge and the resources needed so

that change will happen.

3. Change Agent

● The Social Worker becomes the instrument of some transformation that has been

planned at a higher or national level.

● The Social Worker must be able to mobilize the client system to achieve some

planned change.

4. Activist

● One who seeks basic institutional and structural changes.

● The Social Worker participates in a broad attempt to preserve human and spiritual

Values.

Specific Roles - it touches the client directly or those which require the performances of

specific tasks

1. Direct Provider of Resources

● The Social Worker provides the tangible aid that may be needed by the client to

eliminate or reduce situational deficiencies.

2. Case Manager

● Responsible for overseeing the delivery of social services such as linking the client

with the provider of the resources that he needs.

3. Mediator, Broker or Intercessor

● Acts on behalf of the client, scouting for the resources that he needs, procuring this

for him, and interceding for him if needed.

4. Facilitator

● The Social Worker as facilitator helps remove the obstacles to the exercise of rational

thinking or learning by the use of non-formal adult teaching and learning strategies

and methodologies.

5. Therapist

● The Social Worker as a therapist is concerned with the client’s pathological

condition, the Social Worker is a member of a team. Group or Family Therapies are

the commonly used strategies where the Social Worker plays a leading role.

6. Direct Service Practice

● The Social Worker acts as a clinician where he seeks to restore, maintain or enhance

the client’s adaptive capacity and facilitates his optional adjustment to current

social reality.

7. Mobilizer

● The Social Worker assembles and energies existing groups, organizations and

resources or creates new ones so as to bring them to bear on a current or incipient

problem.

8. Advocate

● Seeks some change in a policy or program for the benefit of his clients

9. Role Model

Social Work Tools

Tools - Anything regarded as necessary in carrying out one’s occupation or profession

● In every profession it is aided with its own tools and skills to achieve its own purpose

or goal. In social work practice they serve a special purpose unique to the

profession.

● These are the means by which people are helped in order to improve their social

functioning.

1. Interviewing

● Main tool of Social Work practice;

● A set of verbal and non-verbal interactions which usually starts between two people

although three or more may participate towards the end.

2. Discussion

● A type of verbal interaction or informal conversation among a group of people; it is

a democratic growth experience for the participants.

● As a tool in Social Work it is a form of communication in which each individual in the

group contributes his thinking and participates in the making of a decision which is

arrived at through a consensus.

● Decisions resulting from group discussion serve as a greater motivation for the

participants to translate these into action as they have contributed to its formation.

3. Referrals

● It is a process which helps the client to move on to another resource service. It is

quite necessary because no single institution or agency can serve all the needs of

a complex man in a complex society.

4. Record

● It is a written account of what transpired about a specific event, subject or topic.

● It contains facts and such other information as maybe relevant or necessary in

understanding the person or persons involved and the situation or circumstances

surrounding it.

As a tool in Social Work, its purposes are:

A. For Practice - to ensure adequate service to the client.

B. For Administration - to be able to review and evaluate the discharge of his

responsibility.

C. For Teaching and Supervision - to communicate knowledge and improve skill.

D. For Research - to discover new knowledge and to assist in social policy formulation

and planning.

Social Work Skills

Skills - Refers to the Social Workers proficiency or

ability Basic Skills of a Social Worker

1. Differential Diagnosis

● Refers to the capacity of the worker to understand the uniqueness of his client and

his situation and to adopt his techniques to him. The worker’s diagnosis must be

objective.

2. Timing

● Refers to the worker’s own tempo or pace, refers to the worker’s ability to take

action at some pertinent point in time when it would be most effective.

3. Partialization

● Refers to the worker’s ability to assess the totality of the problem, breaking it down

into manageable parts and helping the client to think about it and decide where

to begin.

4. Focus

● Refers to the worker’s ability to concentrate both his and the client’s efforts on the

significant aspect of the situation that requires work and retaining the focus until

some conclusion or progress has been reached.

5. Establishing Partnership

● Refers to the working association between the worker and the client in which each

understands the role and tasks of the other and together they form a coherent

whole that has purpose and direction.

6. Structure

● Refers to the worker’s ability to determine the setting and the boundaries that will

be most conducive to the work to be done. Choice of physical setting, length of

time the worker and the client should meet, delineation of roles, and agreement

should be flexible so that it can meet human needs and it should be built on a social

foundation.

7. Communication

● Sharing or exchange of thoughts between two or more persons, either verbal or

non-verbal.

8. Observation

● Noticing or paying attention to what is being verbally said or non-verbally

communicated.

9. Case Management

● Refers to the act or manner of directing, supervising and guiding the use of

resources, internal and external to achieve the objectives and goal of the helping

process.

● It implies the application of social work concepts, principles, knowledge, tools, skills

and techniques.

Social Work Techniques

Techniques - refers to the systematic procedure by which a basic skill is implemented

1. Small Talk - Refers to inconsequential conversation

2. Ventilation - Involves bringing to the surface the feelings and attitudes that need to

be brought out because it is affecting the functioning of the person involved.

3. Support - To encourage, uphold and sustain some aspect of the client’s functioning,

his internal strength, and the way he behaves in a relationship. It should be based

on reality.

4. Reassurance - Assuring the client that the situation with which he is struggling

has an attainable solution and that he has the capabilities to deal with his own

problems.

5. Confrontation - To come face to face with hard facts of the situation with reality.

6. Conflict - A type of stress produced when a person is motivated by two or more

needs in such a manner that the satisfaction of one may mean the dissatisfaction

of another one.

7. Manipulation - Skillful management of resources and persons, to provide a

constructive experience to achieve a desirable goal, the worker may manipulate

the situation for the sake of the client.

8. Universalization - Utilization of a commonality of human experience and the strength

of others to cope with situations similar to those that are troubling the client.

9. Advice Giving - Refers to the opinion given which is based on the adviser’s own

personal experience and or observation.

10. Counseling - Refers to the provision of ideas based or drawn from professional

knowledge

11. Activities and Programs - Can be used to meet needs that are difficult to deal with

through other means and extend to the reach of the worker

12. Logical Discussion - It utilizes the ability to think and to reason, to perceive and

appraise reality factors, to see possible alternatives and to anticipate and evaluate

consequences.

13. Reward and Punishment - Reward for good behaviour and punishment for bad

behaviour, a technique to modify behaviour.

14. Role Rehearsal and Demonstration - Through discussion or role play

15. Group Dynamic Exercises, Group Games, Literacy and Audio Visual Materials

16. Andragogy - The art and science of helping adults to learn

17. Exploration - Used to elicit necessary information, to bring out details about

experiences and relationships as the client perceives them and to examine the

feelings connected to the relationships and experience.

18. Consciousness Raising (Conscientization) - Refers to the task of arousing man’s

positive self-concept through a liberating education which treats learners as active

agents rather than passive recipients.