The practice of social work has several areas of work with a risk group, which includes several categories of people. In this article, we will cover the basics of work, communication, and purpose. To begin with, we propose to determine that this is a risk group? What categories of people are included in it?
Definition and categories
A risk group is a category of people whose social status is unstable according to some criteria, as a result it leads to a loss of moral character, social significance and even biological destruction. Such people alone can seldom overcome all their problems, and for this reason a certain work is being done with them. Social workers are trying to help solve all life troubles, find a way to restore social status.
The risk group is:
- children with difficult behavior;
- refugees
- mentally disabled
- homeless
- single and large mothers;
- elderly;
- single-parent families;
- orphans;
- subjected to any kind of violence;
- disabled people;
- drug addicts;
- criminals;
- socially unadapted people (with communication difficulties);
- immoral families.
Fundamentals of social work with families at risk
A risk group is a certain contingent that cannot meet the requirements of a real social family. These requirements are as follows:
- solving everyday problems of all family members;
- birth and full education of children;
- support for the incompetent;
- providing psychological, physical, economic, moral and social protection for all family members.
Social workers help families solve problems:
- bringing up adopted children, children with disabilities who have a disabled relative in their care;
- military families;
- large families, single-parent, single mothers;
- antisocial families;
- unemployed
- migrants and refugees.
People at risk receive from social workers the necessary assistance in restoring family relationships, solving everyday problems and difficulties, moral support, valuable guidance, patronage, the path to achieving positive results and their consolidation, orientation towards further existence.
The employees of social services perform the following functions:
- Diagnosis of risk groups. That is, the identification of the potential of a family or a person individually, the study of his needs and characteristics.
- Law enforcement function - providing social guarantees, legal support, assistance in the implementation of law and freedom.
- Organization of family communication, social leisure, joint activities and creativity.
- Providing psychological and moral assistance, support and patronage.
- Modeling of certain situations, ways to solve them.
Work with a risk group is an organized activity that is aimed at helping small groups of people who need some help from outside.
Social work with people at risk
Social protection of the family:
- cash payments (for birth, raising a child - survivor's pension, social benefits);
- privileges: housing, medical, tax, credit, labor and so on;
- counseling: psychological, economic, legal, pedagogical, medical, parental comprehensive education.
Social support for illness, temporary unemployment, loss of a loved one:
- support, guidance and guidance of adolescents, assistance in vocational guidance;
- advice on training and employment;
- payment of benefits during job search;
- social and psychological assistance.
Social service is material, psychological and rehabilitation assistance to people in a difficult situation. This category includes:
- minor parents;
- large, childless and single-parent families;
- pedagogically independent parents, families where children are abused, conflict families with an unfavorable psychological climate;
- families with criminogenic and immoral individuals;
- returned from places of imprisonment, convicted.
Tasks
The main tasks of social workers are as follows:
- Identification of the reasons why a family or a person is at risk, what kind of help is needed from the service.
- Providing the necessary social assistance.
- Help in solving social problems, including moral.
- Patronage and rehabilitation support.
- Social patronage.
- Analysis of the specific situation and the benefits of the assistance provided.
Working with a risk group consists of several stages.
Primary family study
First of all, workers conduct a family study. The procedure includes:
- identification of the composition (presence of children, complete or not);
- analysis of relationships in the family, internal and external;
- family monitoring from the side;
- determination of value orientation;
- identification of living conditions, life and financial situation;
- elucidation of the health status of all family members, their characteristics.
At the first acquaintance with the family, the specialist conducts interviews with each member, may ask to invite close friends and relatives.
At-risk conversations
You can conduct conversations both in a particular institution and at home. During the conversation, if it takes place with the child or his parents, teachers and psychologists may be present.
First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the topic of the conversation, it is better to start with simple questions, for example: "How did the day go? How is the mood?" etc.
The first conversation should not last more than an hour.
Chat Requirements
- Determining the purpose of the conversation.
- Identification of the main questions to be asked.
- Conviction of the interlocutor that the conversation will benefit him.
- The wording must be stated accurately and clearly.
The first step is to analyze whether the interlocutor is ready for a conversation. If not, you need to set it up in a friendly tone, starting with everyday questions. When you are sure that the person you are listening to carefully, you can proceed to the main survey.
A risk group is a special group of people who need a certain approach.