Macro interventions and their influence on individual and community well-being PDF

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Summary

Notes from Professor Haranis's class about the use of macro therapeutic interventions in influencing intrapersonal and collective empowerment outcomes for individuals, communities, and organizations....

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Macro interventions and their influence on individual and community well-being ● Introduction: ○ In SW profession, improvements in clinical outcomes have been the main goal of clinical practice intervention with individuals, families, and small groups ○ Aim to alleviate problems at intrapersonal and/or interpersonal levels ○ Recognize relationship between individual and surrounding environment ○ Conceptualized from micro theories of human personality development that offer explanations about human behavior among individuals and small groups ○ Macro practice interventions (community development/organizing, social planning, social action, legislative advocacy, community-based participatory research) ■ Tend to measure changes in communities, organizations, large groups, policy arenas ○ The divide between clinical interventions producing clinical outcomes and macro interventions producing structural outcomes has limited focus on clinical benefits that result from clients’ engagement in macro practice interventions ○ Purpose of article is to initiate a space in the social work profession to further the conversation regarding role of macro therapeutic interventions (MTIs - structural interventions that target community, organizational, systems, and/or policy-level change and have direct clinical benefits to clients) in influencing intrapersonal and collective empowerment outcomes for individuals, communities and organizations ○ Four case studies to present how MTIs have individual and community empowerment benefits ● Literature review ○ MTIs overlap with similar constructs both within and outside SW field: ■ Empowerment-oriented social action groups combine SO values of service and social justice by both administering therapeutic services and creating opportunities for participants to engage in systemic change ● Groups seek positive individual outcomes for members including improvements in self-esteem, self-efficacy, and political efficacy skills ■ Community-centered clinical practice entails efforts to strengthen communities while concurrently alleviating the intrapersonal and interpersonal problems of their members ● Approach draws on concepts from community and family-centered practice including direct intervention, service delivery assessment, and change-agent activities ■ Neighborhood-focused activism refers to a form of civic engagement in which participants effect change in local neighborhood conditions ● Can build empowerment and enhance individual and community well-being ■ MTIs are also related to constructs such as: ● Healing justice

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Radical healing Restorative justice

Case studies ○ Social enterprise (SE) ■ SEs refer to nonprofit organizations, a socially minded business, or a revenue-generating venture established to create positive social impact in the context of a financial bottom line ■ Contribute to positive individual outcomes as well as collective improvement for disadvantaged populations ■ Some examples of SEs:...