STOREEZ

Reflections of Community Work

One of the most challenging aspects of social work certainly has to be community work. Most times, you have to do more than what you are technically paid to do, and add in more hours to think about what exactly the community's needs are. You need to be aware of current trends in order to identify opportunities for programme creation, and the most difficult task of all, you have to win the hearts and minds of not only residents, but the key stakeholders such as community funders, and more importantly the grassroots leaders. 

Sometimes, we may be too carried away in our individual casework, and underestimate the importance of community based work for preventive and developmental support for residents, and create a more connected environment where the vulnerable can be easily identified and referred. 

Some things I have learnt from my experiences in Community Work, and initiating community based programmes.

1. Be prepared to work

You need to move out of the comforts of the office, do community walkabouts and understanding the workings of the grassroots structure as organised by the People's Association. You have to carve needs assessments to understand the true community's needs in comparison to the expressed need. More importantly, your agency has to recognise the work that you are doing, and back you up! 

No Surprises

As I was lying in bed recuperating from this bad cough, I read a few chapters of Gostick & Elton's The Orange Revolution (2010) about the features of great teams (be it in business, social service or military). As with most similar books, the authors prescribe a model for creating success in any team. The part about a culture of "No Surprises" catches my attention most. 

Simple Words

"Hello I Love you!"

Were simple words that came out of my Father in Law's lips the moment he saw his first born daughter (who happened to be my wife). I watched the scene unfold as father embraced daughter for a split moment before he sauntered happily into the kitchen, only to come out looking grumpy  with a large pail of water to clean some faeces that the neighbour's cat had unceremoniously donated on the doorstep of his flat. 

Latter event notwithstanding, that split second embrace and the response he received from his daughter was a priceless observation. The  glow and glimmer of a smile from my wife, and the validation of love she received from her father. 

The use of simple words to remind her of the love and bond, simple words that we sometimes forget or even lack the courage to muster.

To remind our loved ones that we care and recognize their efforts at caring and loving us. 

To let them know they still matter to us.

 

Moving Target

"Danger Zone: I'm all alone and I'm a moving target"

Many a time, during networking events and happenstance meet ups with veteran social workers, I keep hearing the sighs and longings for yesteryears where "Social Workers' really did social work", "Got down and dirty in community work", "Conducted intensive home visits" and "Advocated strongly for clients' needs" in a time which was really "tough" and "difficult". 

There are also calls for Social Workers in Singapore to be exposed to third world conditions so that they would be able to really "do" social work, and also understand the skills needed to be a truly effective professional. 

There is a lament on how social workers today are not handling the real problems of society, being office based aircon loving people, and preferring that their clients come to the FSC for appointments instead of really conducting outreach and home visits to identify clients in need. They resort to "armchair" counselling and forget the true nature of social work. 

Although I strongly respect these individuals and the contributions they made to Singapore's social development (really I do, in fact most of them are my professional mentors), I can't help but feel very uneasy in response to these statements. I will admit that times certainly were tough in Singapore's socio political climate 30 - 40 years ago, and it was not easy supporting and empowering the community in need. Efforts towards community reorganisation and outreach in social welfare development by these pioneers of the profession are to be applauded. 

However, I firmly believe that these statements are unfair.

For Couples: Approaches that Usually do not Work

In his work with couples, Brian Cade (1993) would give a handout listing the things that usually do not work, when you are trying to change the behaviour of someone you love:

 

1. The unsolicited Lecture

This includes long drawn out advice given for "their own good", nagging, giving hints, begging and pleading etc. Repeating or escalating punishments also tend not to work, and usually lead to escalation of the problem behaviour. 

 

 

2. Taking the High Moral ground

This is when you take a position  where you imply that you are in possession of the truth, and you know how things are supposed to be, implying superior knowledge, abilities or morals. You use phrases like "anyone with commonsense would know that..." or "If you really loved me..."

 

 

3. Self Sacrifice/Denial

You take a stance of sacrificing your own happiness for the sake of others, making sure of tending to the other person's feelings at all times. You protect others from the consequences of their actions, and you are always trying to please everyone. 

 

 

4. Demanding that the other person "Do things spontaneously"

This is when you want not only for the person to do something or change her attitude, but that she do it because she herself wants to do it. For e.g "I want to show me more love. But I want you to do it because you want to".

If you want to change someone, most likely you want them to change and obey to what you think is right. Usually it does not work, and usually the best you can get from the person is obedience. But most people don't like to be obedient? 

 

 

So... you are probably saying "hey! Ok i guess what i'm using doesn't work, so what should I do?"

 

 

Well, Just try something different,

 

 

and you tell mewhat works. 

 

 

 

Going to play Soccer now! 

 

 

The "look helpless" method... just might work..

 

 

 

All Boxed Up

 

Are we doing ourselves justice in the quest for specialisation and professionalisation? If we stay rooted in just one path, we develop a deep sense of passion and conviction on the way we do things, and we may become experts in a certain field. But I sometimes wonder whether this pursuit of singular goals will just box us up in a certain rigid perspective which makes us blind to the perspectives of others. We turn esoteric, and turn a high and mighty eye to the dialogues and ideas of others, and worse of all, we do it unconsciously. Yes, it happens to Social Workers, but don't blame us for it, as I see Teachers, Doctors, and other professionals fall into such traps. 

How do we prevent it? Some sense of humility perhaps, to be able to accept that sometimes, all of us can be wrong, and being open to the views of others, inside or outside your profession. Humility is but a philosophy we can adopt to promote consciousness building, or expand our "map" of the territory. However, we need to seek the environment to nurture that expansion. 

What am I saying exactly?

Get out of that damn box, try other passions, gain new experiences, learn and appreciate new cultures, try something outside your element: Jump of a plane, dive in the deep blue sea. 

Then perhaps you may just begin to appreciate the awareness of other realms of perspectives, make yourself a better person, to help yourself, before we  start helping others.