A Resilience-Enhancing Stress Model: A Social Work Multisystemic Practice Approach PDF
Preview A Resilience-Enhancing Stress Model: A Social Work Multisystemic Practice Approach
Roberta Greene Nicole Dubus Nancy Greene A Resilience- Enhancing Stress Model A Social Work Multisystemic Practice Approach A Resilience-Enhancing Stress Model Roberta Greene • Nicole Dubus • Nancy Greene A Resilience-Enhancing Stress Model A Social Work Multisystemic Practice Approach Roberta Greene Nicole Dubus School of Social Work School of Social Work The University of Texas at Austin San Jose State University Austin, TX, USA San José, CA, USA Nancy Greene School of Social Work Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA, USA ISBN 978-3-031-08111-8 ISBN 978-3-031-08112-5 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08112-5 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover image: Sun shining through foliage of old solitary English oak / pedunculate oak / French oak tree (Quercus robur) in meadow in autumn. © Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland To all forced migrants across the globe Foreword The book A Resilience-Enhancing Stress Model: A Social Work Multisystemic Practice Approach by Roberta Greene, Nicole Dubus, and Nancy Greene is intended to assist people facing adversity or inordinate stress to reduce risks and maintain resilient effective functioning. The four-phase model and its embedded skill set guides the social worker through client engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Chapters discuss such stressors as biopsychosocial disruption, social economic and environmental justice, forced migration, climate change, and ecological degradation. Evolving over the past two decades, the resilience-enhancing stress model (RESM) is a much-needed social work practice approach that could come at no bet- ter time when living with an awareness of uncertainty is commonplace. Clinical Social Worker, Older Adult Department Harriet L. Cohen Jewish Family Service, Dallas, TX, USA vii Preface I am a professor of social work and have taught undergraduates and graduates the- ory and practice for over 20 years. I am a clinical practitioner and have been practic- ing as a licensed clinical social worker since 1990. I mention this because these experiences are why I am enthusiastic about the resilience-enhancing stress model (RESM). Social work as a profession has adapted theories from other disciplines (biology, psychology, and sociology, to name a few) to deepen the field’s understanding of human behavior and our social environment. Social work has its own theories devel- oped from over a century of research and practice. The life course development perspective, ecological theory, and strength perspective are hallmarks of social work. However, as a teacher, translating theory into practice for students just learning to be practitioners can be challenging. A student can be introduced to a theory, for example, the life course perspective, and not be able to apply it in their work. How do you take a concept and turn it into concrete skills? In teaching students intersec- tionality and cultural humility, how do teachers operationalize these concepts into effective interventions? How does knowing the spheres of influence as described in ecological theory show students how to work with this knowledge? How can know- ing the developmental stage of a person you are helping inform your understanding and the interventions you use? This is where the resilience-enhancing stress model excels. As a metatheory, it takes several concepts and theories that are often difficult to operationalize and translates them into awareness, interventions, and skills. In each chapter, there are practice examples with different populations. That is helpful to students, but many textbooks offer examples. However, this book is practice-focused with explanations about what each theory within this metatheory offers, and how to use those theories in working with clients, communities, or agencies. The reader might wonder if RESM is made up of known social work theories, why learn it? Because it has the power to bring our field of social work into its next chapter, moving us closer to a profession that moves beyond cultural humility toward cultural effectiveness and empowerment. In fact, RESM operationalizes core social work concepts and theories and provides a path to culturally effective ix x Preface interventions. In the heart of this metatheory is the belief that deep within each of us is the ability to adapt and grow. RESM could not have developed at a better time for our profession and for the world. We are living in a time of great disruption and fear. Xenophobia and social injustice have increased to levels not seen since our profession was formed in the late 1800s. We need refined tools forged from years of experience to effectively address our current times. Dr. Roberta Greene’s professional experiences and research have informed RESM. Dr. Greene has worked on the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and helped develop the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). I believe her work clarifies the intention of the EPAS and therefore is a crucial addition to the social work curriculum. I remember the first time I introduced RESM into my courses. We were discuss- ing the ecological theory and the life course perspective, and I wanted to help them understand how these theories can inform their work. My research is on forced migration, so I gave an example of a refugee family and demonstrated how each of the core theories embedded in RESM helped me engage, assess, intervene, evaluate, and terminate with a client system. That was very helpful, and the students took to it easily. When they used narrative therapy to create the third space, students quickly made the connection between the third space, cultural humility, and intersectional- ity. RESM asks us to deliberately set our assumptions and biases aside as we con- struct the third space with our clients. This has operationalized how to be culturally humble. With a foundation of intersectionality, students can successfully engage and assess diverse client systems. A challenge for many new social workers is to know what the issue/problem for the client is, and which interventions to use. RESM provides guidance. With a focus on the client’s strengths and past evidence of resilience, social workers have clear objectives and a pathway to guide their interventions. RESM was developed to help people during times of social distress. Social dis- tress can be caused by war, pandemics, oppression, and natural disasters, among other causes. It is a theory that can be applied on the individual level, with families, groups, communities, and organizations. RESM’s use of narrative therapy gives practitioners a conceptual space to inhabit that intersection of roles, power, privi- lege, oppression, and identity of the worker and client that is intersectionality. RESM importantly has as its foundational assumption that those we help are the experts on themselves and that practitioners, through the use of the third space, can identify the client’s strengths and evidence of past and current resilience. As we reflect on their strengths and resilience, we can help client systems become aware of their coping skills and troubleshoot with the actions they can take. Dr. Greene will tell you that this is not a clinical theory for therapy with clients, but one designed to help restore people’s functioning to the level they were before the distressful events. However, I have found this theory to be useful in teaching students how to engage, how to discover the client’s strengths, and allow the client to tell the worker what is important about their lived experiences and cultural identi- ties. For me, RESM is transferable to many roles within social work. Preface xi Early on I stated that our current times demand we have refined tools forged from years of experience. RESM is one of those refined tools. Our profession is a dynamic, ever-changing one that bends and grows with the needs of the times. We need to grow, and RESM is a fantastic model to use as we develop bold and nuanced changes that our diverse world requires. San José, CA, USA Nicole Dubus Acknowledgments Thank you to all our family and friends who listened to us talk about the book. xiii
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