Strengths To Empowerment Analysis

Strengths to Empowerment One of the most common approaches used today by social workers is the strengths based perspective. Often time when trying to solve a problem, the main focus is on the problem itself and by doing so, there is a focus on the negative aspects and what is wrong. The strengths perspective tries shifting the view of situations by focusing on what the client may bring to the current situation. It tries to focus on the present and what the future may hold rather than what has happened in the past (Miley, O’Melia, & DuBois, 2015, p. 79). The strengths approach consists of observing the qualities and strengths a client has. Often times there are strengths that have not been given enough attention and may need to be released …show more content…
80). By focusing on the strengths of a person using the strengths perspective, we can address the first level of empowerment, which is at the personal level. By using a person’s strengths and releasing talents that they may have, it creates a sense of control and competence in the client. Once they feel confident, they can move to the next level which is the interpersonal level. At this level, as a social worker focusing on strengths, they would focus on developing new skills to help the client influence and improve their interaction with other people. One of the main roles here is to tackle the level of social power and position the client holds (Miley et al., 2015, p. 81). The last level of empowerment is the sociopolitical dimensions. Having a client be aware of their strengths and use them to feel more competent and influential, they can now tackle the social and political systems. This means having access to resources and opportunities that will help them grow further. If certain opportunities aren’t there at the present moment, they can help create them by making changes to the current structure that is in …show more content…
There may have a harder time accessing places, commuting, or simply running their daily errands. To help them feel empowered, a social worker has to point out their strengths and not their disadvantages. An example of this would be if the person is in a wheelchair, but can compose music or loves sports. By pointing those strengths out and using them to find an environment that can meet the needs of the client, it would be addressing the personal dimensions of empowerment. This can include having the client embrace the talent they may have to use it in their favor as a