8/31/2014: [Social Work] Intervention theories and my value-based intervention hypothesis (Work in progress)

8/31/2014: [Social Work] Intervention theories and my value-based intervention hypothesis (Work in progress)

S:11:09pm

E: 12:15am

As always, I might finish a day later, since it’s already 11pm.  There are a lot of things I can write about, including my experiences at Dismas.  However, to plan ahead and to establish a base for interventions, I want to begin to write and explore a list of possible social work interventions I can use to work with my clients or residents.

I want to start by saying I know little of interventions but that is one of the reasons why I am writing about them.  As a pre-social worker, I know more about therapeutic forces what to assess.  However, I have some ideas on what might work.

My professors tell us that in order to work effectively with clients, each of us must be using at least one theory.  Not using a theory is equivalent to going in blind.  One of the main theories touted by many of my professors is the cogitative-behavior theory.  It seems to be effective, thus, I will devote some time to study this theory more.  But, to give a pre-analysis of it, I feel it has some limitations.  This theory states that our thoughts cause our feelings and our feelings in turn cause our behavior.  So, the key is to change the way we think.  It is all a mind game. 

This approach may not work for me because I can see the truth.  It can be deceptive because the change in thinking may not be grounded in reality but instead only used to achieve a desired effect.  It may also suffer from an all-or-thing fallacy.

For example, if I tell myself that I can’t find a job because it’s all the economy’s fault, not my fault, the therapist may try to change my thinking into that I am responsible for my fate.  However, that is not really true.  The real answer why a person can’t find a job can be between internal and external factors, although many say that it lies more in the internal.  The 12% what happens to you and 88% how you respond to it.  But, it’s 88% and not 100%.  The economy may also play a factor, so is the supply and demand of certain jobs.  If I try to think to myself that I am completely responsible for my own fate, I am leaving out other factors and if I fail even when doing my best, the person may blame him/herself instead of looking at other possibilities. 

Experienced social workers or counselors may be laughing at me, but it’s ok.  I am still learning and the purpose of this discovery is to learn, both from my mistakes and the mistakes of others and to identify, partly through reason, the best method.

I think the military also tried to use a little CBT on me.  They try to drill soldiers into thinking something that is not completely true (or so I think) in reality, but thinking the way the Army wants you to think can make you a better soldier.  That’s why many soldiers tell me I should stop thinking so much and just follow orders.  If I do that, if I throw away my inquiry and questioning abilities and just adopt their way of thinking, I may be a better soldier, but I will compromise my value of logic and questioning. 

For example, in basic training, our drill sergeants or culture tell us that if we are not meeting the standards, then we are lazy and not doing our best or giving “110%.”  In a way, this type of thinking is good.  It forces soldiers to meet the standard because, if they meet it, they will feel good; they will feel that they are trying.  However, this way of thinking doesn’t work for weaker soldiers who may be doing their best but are still not reaching the Army expectations.  Frequently, and only the individual can testify, I done my best to adapt and reach the expectations.  However, I frequently fall short.  Other soldiers verbally attack me by telling me that I’m being lazy and not doing my best, when, in indignation, I might be trying harder than them.  They see the results more than the effort.  This way of thinking, that if you do your best, you will reach expectations, and that if you don’t reach it, then it’s your lack of willpower, doesn’t work for me because I did do my best and still couldn’t reach the expectations.  There are other reasons why soldiers can’t reach expectations besides the lack of effort.  Prior physical conditioning, street-smarts, the ability to adapt quickly to change, social skills, among others, also play a role. 

I do agree, however, that CBT can be effective, and in some of my experience, is effective.  If I keep telling myself something, I will tend to believe it.  However, this approach, and I only have a cursory knowledge of it, won’t be as effective for those who are broader in their thinking, who consider other factors as well.

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The approach I am thinking that may work with my residents is more like a value-based approach.  I don’t really have a name for it but looking online, it kind of agrees with value clarification psychotherapy theory. 

Everyone has values and their internal motivation is based on them.  Interventions and approaches will be more effective if it agrees with what the client values.

Thus, finding what the resident or client value is the assessment.  Of course, since we live in similar environments, many of us may have similar values, such as independence, money, family, etc.  But, everyone can be different. 

Once we know what the client values, we can inquire what the client intends to do to further that value.  The social worker will then be like a second observer or advisor (I like to call it a second general) analyzing the client’s methods and objectives.  The end point is to establish a task or objective that benefits the person without harming other people (hopefully it may benefit others as well).  If the client gives an objective to a value that may hurt other people, the social worker can educate the client on the possible consequences as well as moral arguments (maybe). 

For example, if the resident values money and he/she says they want to a hitman to be rich, the social worker can point out the dangers of a hitman, the consequences of murder, how it may actually counter-act their goal of wanting to be rich (being arrested, prison time, death), as well as moral arguments such as the value of a human life.  The social worker can then give other socially-acceptable alternatives that will further the client’s goal of wealth, such as employment-search, education and job training, how to save money (financial responsibility- can tell the story of poor lottery winners), among others. 

This is a client-centered approach that drives on internal motivation as well as focusing on the strengths perspective.  Thus, the client will have a self-interest to accomplish their goals and objectives in a, hopefully, healthier way thanks to the advice of a social worker using this approach.

This also goes in-line with Sun Tzu’s Art of War in that if the client knows thyself and the task ahead (i.e. enemy), he or she will be 100% effective in accomplishing their life task(s). 

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As I learn more intervention theories, I will be able to learn from others and develop, hopefully, more effective ways to help people.

Add: I probably have no idea what CBT is.  Forgive me; I am new.

10/21/2013: The Real Positive Qualities Chart / Guitar [Bright Ideas / Discovery]

10/21/2013: The Real Positive Qualities Chart / Guitar

S: 9:47pm

E: 10:53pm

Note: To see the small-print, drag the picture to the top to make a new tab.

So, as promised in my last blog, here is the Positive Qualities Chart developed by Jim Downs.  Let me retype some of the instructions they gave me:

[From handout]

Purpose & Philosophy: Whatever you focus on, you personify.  Whatever you experience becomes a part of your being.  You can become better than you are by choosing and acting on your positive ideas and ideals.

History of the Chart: Love, truth, beauty, and goodness are the foundation upon which all qualities are build and the culmination of all reality.  If these are the central values, what others are important and what would be the relationship among them?  The Chart and book are my answers to these questions.

Facts:  There are 1,000 qualities on the Chart which were taken from a list of over 2,300.  The Chart took six years to catalog, organize, and design.  Each quality has a wedge of qualities situated in front or behind appropriate related qualities.  These relationships flow out from and into the center – a sort of visual thesaurus.

[From brochure]

Positive Qualities are the basic and universal building blocks of life.  Being positive enhances your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.  We each embody a wide range of qualities and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many of these gifts you already possess.  Growth is assured with your conscious, sincere, intelligent and playful effort.  Keep up the good work.

Acquiring qualities creates a feeling of real accomplishment and gives a genuine boost to your self-esteem.  Share the powerful and tender force of Love by your willingness to understand and sympathize with others.

As you look at the chart, identify with a quality and see yourself experiencing it in your life.  For example, if you need humor, open yourself to the lighter side in your daily events.  Or, picture a situation and imagine what the ideal collection of qualities should be as you live out the scene.

…

Ahh, too much typing.  Ok, so there is the gist of it.  I can type fast, around 80-90 wpm average, but right now I’m running out of time.  Tomorrow may be another long day like today.

Before I get to my happenings today, I want to talk about the chart.  I do find this chart useful to keep track of my personal growth.  As you can see from the big picture, I have it taped to the wall.  The ones with a black dot are the ones I feel I have.  I am not done evaluating myself yet.  Best of all, having this chart serves as a visual reminder to improve myself.  I recommend everyone good to download the picture and to look at the values that you share. 

Ok, about today.  Whew.  I was supposed to get my blue autistic guitar two days go but when the USPS came, twice, there was no one to sign-in or track the package.  I was so pissed.  I was in my room at that time!  The thing is, I live in the back of the house, with separate rooms.  Therefore, I couldn’t hear whether the post-person knocked on the front door or not.  The only way for me to receive the package is to physically be at the front porch and wait for the delivery-person to arrive, which is just what I did.  I set my alarm to 8:30am because that was about the time when the person came the first time.  I waited outside from 8:45 to around 9:45 and no one showed up.  I had my fold-up ACU Army chair with books and my mp3 player.  However, I spent most of that time praying, singing, and walking around.  Waiting outside for people to come reminds me of a few memories from the Army.  In the Army, we too have to wait outside a lot.  I miss those times.  I remember once when I was in Kuwait, I was one of the three soldiers selected to go to another U.S. base to “watch” the equipment until the forward unit who is supposed to relieve us arrived.  So here I was, in a sea of military trucks and Humvees just standing there waiting for my shift to close so the next soldier can relieve me.  I would have my cellphone ready in case something happens.  And I would also have the same field chair with my ACU backpack next to it.  I would walk around and sing, pray, read the Bible, and eat.  The lot where I patrol is pretty big so I have to walk a bit to make sure everything is covered.  I also enjoy the feeling of being by myself.  I imagine once the stillness ends and the forward unit arrives, there will be a locust of activity where I stand.  I actually have a picture of myself.

Here I am, in a special mission.  This is a picture taken of me during night-time in my quarters typing, you guessed it, a blog.  We also spend a lot of time transporting materials around the site.  

Anyways, back to my story.  So the mail-person didn’t come.  I figured he or she will come again around noontime, because that was when that person came the second time.  I texted S (inital) that I wouldn’t be able to attend the prayer meeting because I have to “watch” for the mail-person.  So I waited outside again from 11:30am to around 12:30pm and still the cavalry didn’t come.  Using the journey-approach, I took measures and biked to the UPS store in downtown El Paso.  The staff told me, because of a special arrangement, my mail is with the USPS.  So, I biked back and drove to the post office where my zip code is at, which is pretty far away.  I got there and the staff there told me they moved my area to another post office.  So I drove there and the staff then told me because the sender designated it as a business address (which it’s not), the package is still en route with the mail-person.  Therefore, they don’t have it.  Oh my goodness.  Luckily, and I forgot to mention it, I made a note to the UPS deliverer (forgot to change to USPS) to call me to verify the package.  I’m so glad I made that note because while I was buying groceries at Wal-Mart near-by, the delivery-person texted me and told me the package is at the front of the house.  I’m so glad when I heard that.  All this work, all this effort, for nothing.  Well, not really nothing, I still learn some values and gained some experience. 

I ordered the acoustic guitar in part because I wanted to help play for Intervarsity.  The members there encouraged me to join them.  However, I might have trouble because their practice session conflicts with my volunteering time and I may be too busy to help.  I still want to remain optimistic so I brought the guitar.  I also already have an electric guitar, unfortunately, I realized its downfalls.  I thought the electric guitar would be the jack-of-all trades because with the amp, I can adjust the volume to however I want.  I developed a portable system where I put the amp in my backpack and connect the wires to my guitar.  There, I can walk and play and sing.  The downfall to my system is that it’s not portable enough.  I have classes all day (on Thursdays) and I bicycle to school.  By the time I’m done with my classes, I’m already tired.  I don’t want to lug a heavy electric guitar with a loaded backpack to school.  With my acoustic guitar, I can just use that as a backpack and bike my way to school.  Maybe I made a mistake.  Maybe I’m just being lazy.  I just wasted $35 on that guitar.  Oh, did I tell you I only spent $35 on it?  I was comparison shopping and I found this guitar on Amazon.  It is both cheap and of good quality, based on numerous customer reviews.  I got the guitar today and it is beautiful.  It also comes with a flimsy bag, a pitch-pipe, and a spare set of strings.  I could take a picture of myself with it and post it on Facebook sometime.

Ok, so there is my daily double.  I want to close this entry so I have a bit of time for myself, God, and to prepare to sleep.  

11/20/2013 [Discovery]

11/20/2013:

S: 11:18pm

E: 1:20pm

Note: This is my first blog on Google Blogger.  I chose to use it to test it out so please be patient with me.  Thanks!

Maybe I should write every day, at least short pieces.  Perhaps writing daily will help me in my life.  Right now, my mind is kind of in jumbo.  I’m thinking so many things and forgetting so many at the same time.  I feel disorganized right now, probably the worse time for me to write.  :(

Maybe one of the best forms of writing is to write uninhibited.  There are exceptions, and maybe a balance to that approach, of course, so wisdom will dictate when to use them.  Maybe I should change the tone to myself.  I feel I can write so much easier.  But, if I write to myself, I’ll be too afraid to post it for everyone to see.  So my tone will still be for others, maybe a compromise of both.  I’m writing so many maybes, maybe that’s because there’s so much exceptions and maybes in life and we need God’s wisdom to sort it out.

One thing that is bothering me quite a bit is my eye.  No, it’s not damaged or anything, so don’t feel sorry for me.  Rather, I feel my eye is getting more tired easily.  I attribute that to spending too much time in front of a computer.  That is one reason why I started my weekly (or I hope it to be) fast.  I haven’t fasted for a long time so the fast yesterday was a very lively experience.  No, I didn’t feel much hunger pains, rather, I feel like an electric sensation going through my arms and an altered state of awareness, a little like feverish, mentally.  I do feel, however, that my body is recovering itself.  All those dead cells being replaced.  My body restoring balance.  Not to mention I save a seventh out of my food budget.  Well, not quite, but more like 6.5.  My one-day fast was actually closer to a 30-hour fast (no, not the famine although that was a good experience).  To adjust to my computer-heavy eyeload, I would take breaks and use deep breathing to rest my eyes.  But I feel my eye is getting worse (not vision-wise, stamina) hence the fast.  I also decided to fast as a time to grow closer to God, to realize that “man does not live on bread alone but on the every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 

I messed up yesterday, I sinned against God, but I know that as Christians, we will never be perfect in this life.  I went to the “Rising Our Voices” event at Sunshine Community Center on Friday with my La Fe Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group (whew, long name) and the youth pastor there said those words.  Christians are not perfect but forgiven but as Christians, we all try to be like the Heavenly Father, who is perfect.  We will finally reach our goal once Christ comes again and gives us new bodies.  And my eye got much better thanks to the fast.  I know, I’m a bit disorganized right now.

I hate it how timeliness is almost everything.  If I’m talking to a person and then I forgot to mention an important word or phrase, then it’s almost always too late to add it back and have the same effect.  I get that a lot when I was in the Army.  I would be so afraid talking to some people that I wasn’t able to express myself.  Or, and I just thought of this, sometimes I would think of something that is cool or ingenious to say in class but I was too afraid or too worried about the consequences that I let the opportunity pass.  Then, in hindsight, I should have said it.  Maybe, for me, if I reach the point of debating to myself whether I should say something or not, I should say it.  My filter is already very layered, like the clinical trials in medicine. 

Goodness, I do have quite a few things to say, and that is because this is the first of my many (hopefully) daily or at least semi-daily discoveries (blog).  So I got the Positive Qualities chart from Hanna’s Herb Shop and it is great!  I love it!  I took a picture of the chart and I’m going to share it on Facebook and my blog very soon.  One of the qualities I am focusing on right now is “high-minded.”  Many times, I find that I’m focusing on low things, my mind sometimes gets in the gutter, ahem.  I want to focus on things that are, according to Philippians 4:8, pure, lovely, admirable, or excellent.  Some of the traits, I’m still evaluating myself so please don’t judge me :) , I already have or have experienced.  Traits such as enduring, frugal, careful, reflective, precious, childlike, among others.  But the mass majority, I lack, and some I never even heard about.  But, it’s okay.  What matters is the journey.  Which brings me to my next point (thank God I remembered).

One thing I learned, and thanks to other people’s contributions, is not to see life as goals.  If I don’t get an A I’m a loser.  If I don’t make this interview then I suck.  If I can’t get into my Social Work program than life has no meaning.  If we see life from a goal or external perspective, we will tend to give up more easily if life doesn’t go our way.  I was reading an article two weeks ago on Wall Street Journal about the reason why the author got this far in business is because he had a “systems” approach as opposed to what I call a goal approach.  Life gave him many setbacks, he made many mistakes, but he still chose to keep going.  What gave him the strength to keep going was in his approach.  He doesn’t place a high emphasis on winning or losing but on effort, on enduring, on not giving up.  I call it the journey approach.  I want to see life and my dreams and strivings as a journey not as a win-or-lose goal.  I didn’t get the job I want.  Not a big deal.  What matters is I’m on my journey.  Storms may come, my feet may get muddy, I may even take steps back or get lost, but as long as I’m on my journey, as long as I’m on my path, that’s what counts.  It’s okay if I can’t become a lawyer and fight for human rights.  It’s okay if I can’t have a high-paying job.  It’s ok.  I just need to keep in the journey or path that God has given me.  Great things will come naturally if I just focus on my journey.

I call my journey the Paladin’s path.  I think it should be the cleric’s path.  If you ever played dungeons-and-dragon’s type games or got really into the Lord of the Rings, you will know what I mean.  Actually, if you just like medieval RPG-type games, you will know what I mean.  When I was in the Army, I wanted to be like a Paladin.  A paladin uses physically as well as spiritual strength to fight against evil.  Back then, it sounds fitting for me.  I was more extroverted, I was around people a lot more.  But now, I feel like being a paladin is no longer a perfect fit.  A paladin is 50% spiritual and 50% physical.  I’m not that physical.  Instead, I’m more like a cleric (75% spiritual/magical and 25% physical or melee).  I prefer to spend more time on God than with people or with this world.  I still want to be with people and lead them gently to Christ, hence the 25% physical, but I feel more comfortable with God.  I’m not as spiritual as a priest, or for non-faith terms, a mage, who is 100% spiritual/magical.  As a cleric, I’m more behind-the-scenes support but I can still fight if I chose to.  Ok, I’m talking in codes but if you like RPG games, you will know what I mean.

Gosh, so many status updates.  No wonder I chose to have a blog instead of writing tons of Facebook updates.  Lol, just kidding.  I started writing a journal since 7^th grade because I want to be more in-tune with myself and because I feel it will hold some significance in the future.

I am also looking for ways to earn more money.  It’s hard.  I tried to find ways in the past but I always reached a roadblock.  Oh you can fill out surveys.  I tried that and more often than not, it’s a gimmick or completely not worth my time.  I have spent half an hour just trying to qualify for a survey only to be rejected.  Wow, how wonderful is that.  I was forced to lie and even then, many times, the agency won’t reward you the survey credit.  It’s a mess.  Second, I can sell stuff.  But I don’t have much stuff to sell.  Well, I do have some, but I don’t know the procedures or how to sell them on eBay.  I’m going to find out.  Third, I can have my own vegetable garden or make stuff!  But the problem is I’m renting my room and there’s not much stuff I can make.  I could learn sewing but is it worth the time to make something that could be sold at Wal-Mart for $5?  I am planning to have a little fruit orchard or a vegetable garden once I own a house.  And I prefer to move to a place where there is plenty of annual rainfall.  Then, I can also install a rainwater collection system.  Ok, I’m getting off-topic.  Bottom line is, there’s not a lot of ways to make money besides working.  Oh and I could invest, but that’s for the long-term.  I want money now. 

Recently, in the past few days, I gained more of an insight in making money off-hand.  I could sell my blood plasma.  El Paso has a plasma center very close to where I live.  I could get, if the prices are still current, about $30 per donation and I can donate twice a week.  That’s $60 a week or, being optimistic, $240 a month.  Pretty good deal.  I do need to learn how to see stuff on eBay.  The part I’m most confused in is when a customer places an order.  What do I do next?  Do I just get a box, write the customer’s mailing address, and ship it from a local post office?  A church family gave me a box of Super Nintendo games and I’m thinking about selling them.  I feel bad about selling those because it has sentimental value.  I also could, ok don’t hate me, sell my sperm at a sperm bank.  When it is time for me to masturbate, I will not use any of their supplementary materials because I don’t want to sin against God.  However, the problem with that is I may not qualify.  In general and to be stereotypical, I need to be White, six-feet tall, and a traceable family history going back to at least four generations.  Well, I could give it a try, but I’m not optimistic. 

I want to end my post about God.  What I really need to do, and what I would ideally want to do if I have the discipline, is just to talk to God.  That is the best use of my (and I daresay our) time.  I do find that everything (good) comes from God.  Being with God gives me peace, direction, purpose, and inspiration, and wisdom.  If I can just spend time with God all the days of my life, then everything will be ok.  It is the life to come that counts.  One of the values I am focusing on, as I wrote earlier, is “high-minded.”  I don’t want to waste my time or focus on things that are worthless, so, I spent my time on productive things.  However, the things I switched to productively doesn’t really focus on God.  I just shifted gear to how to make more money, interesting information that might be useful, and real-world life learning.  The chief of high-minded is in the spirit.  I should also be focusing more time on spiritual things.  That is partly why I feel so disorganized and random.  I need to seek God first and then everything else.

Ok, this is another one of my longest blog/discovery/journal pieces I have written in a while, at 2,085 words and counting.  To end this blog, I want to share a song that gave me motivation.  “They can try to deny what’s inside of me / But there is more, can’t ignore all the things unseen.”  I know that it is God who helped me in my life and without Him, I would die.  The secular world can call this “God” by other names, such as wishful thinking, positive thinking, stress-displacement, empowerment, inner-strength (strange cause I feel I got none), placebo effect, etc, but I know that it is God’s spiritual power that gave the strength and power to live life.  Without God, I would had broken down when times are hard.  Instead, I pray and I felt strength.  It’s hard to explain it.  I know God is real because I’ve experienced Him working in my life.