Running head: Levels of Practice

Kathleen Wallace
Levels of Practice
SW3010
12-9-14
Eh5820

Levels of Practice

The main goals of a social worker are to promote social justice and social change. Yet, in
some cases, effective change can only be done if the problem is looked at from different levels.
The Systems theory illustrates a key example of when a social worker, who is engaged in
primarily micro-level practice, may come across a macro or mezzo level. If an individual is
suffering from a problem, such as depression, it could be the consequence of another system such
as school or the community. Hence, by meeting with a client one-on one, a social worker may
learn their client is being bullied at school; thus, a toxic mezzo level environment would be
jeopardizing the clients mental health. Similarly, on a macro level, the relationship of living in a
poor neighborhood with higher crime rates could cause a client to suffer from anxiety and
insecurity. Therefore, in order to solve an issue with a client one-on-one, the macro and mezzo
level systems must be considered in order to get to the root of the problem.
A social worker in the role play may want to pursue specific changes such as government
assistance and a better living environment for their client. As a consequence of living in poverty,
all three families struggled to put food on the table. Thus, a change in their inadequate
government assistance would be a huge benefit to the families, considering the help they are
currently receiving from the government is barely enough to survive. Therefore, on a macro
level, a social worker could organize people living in these poor communities to come together
and bring awareness to this problem. Lobbying and media outlets can be used to have their
voices heard to fight the corrupted policies giving insufficient funds to low-income families.
Likewise, although money is a struggle, a social worker could help find possible alternatives for
their living situation. It may be a positive change if the family is able to move in a different area,
within a reasonable price range. If their homes were more centrally located, this could positively
affect the familys nutrition by being closer to fruit markets, as well as possible job prospects.

Levels of Practice

Social work is divided into three parts; micro, mezzo, and macro. Micro is the level of
practice that focuses on one-on-one assistance such as counseling, rather than mezzo and macro
practices that are broader by working with groups. The dignity and worth of a person is a skill
that should be used at the micro level because at this level, the primary focus is to establish selfdetermination. Although a social worker can encourage an individual to change, it is client who
holds the ultimate power. Hence, self-determination is established by a social worker providing
tools to their client that they can actually achieve. These realistic goals create the drive to success
and allow the client to belief, I can do it! Additionally, when developing strategies to resolve
an issue, it is essential that the individuals cultural differences are considered. During the roleplay, Barbie shows the importance of self-determination. Although being a single-mother is
uncommon in some cultures, Barbie does not let that culture difference stand in her way of
providing for her children. She is determined to give her children the best food she can afford,
even if it requires traveling miles away to reach the nearest fruit market. Thus, taking into
considering the cultural barriers of poverty, I would help Barbie use her strong determination to
turn her life around. Although Barbie desires to go to college, it is almost unthinkable given her
lifestyle. Yet, as a social worker, I would help Barbie find scholarships and programs that provide
her with the assistance she needs to get an education. Finding resources for Barbie to pay for
college would encourage her to fulfil the desire to receive an education and ultimately, provide a
more stable future for her children.
The mezzo level practice falls in between the individualized micro level and the broad
macro level. The mezzo level involves smaller group and institutions such as businesses, schools,
and local organizations. The importance of relationships is a skill that is helpful to use at the
mezzo level because it focuses on the strength of people coming together for a common cause.

Levels of Practice

This can be put into action by the specific changes needed in the role-play such as healthier
foods in the schools and attainable fruits and vegetables throughout communities. Rosie, a fifth
grader in Colorado, struggles to concentrate in school because she does not receive the essential
nutrients children need to learn. Due to the lack of funds, both the school and community have
no other options but to purchase the cheapest food. On a mezzo level, the schools that offer fruits
and vegetable at lunch could create a program that gives the leftovers to families that are unable
to afford such items. Also, small businesses and local organizations could come together to fund
a market once a week to make it easier for individuals to access fruits and vegetables. This could
make a huge impact to the overall well-being of many families in poor neighborhoods.
Macro level social work focuses on changing larger systems such as governmental policy,
compared to working with individuals on the micro level and small groups on the macro level.
Competence is an essential skill to use at the macro level. As a social worker, I must be
knowledgeable of different policies and which policies have been effective in the past.
Considering the world is always changing, it is important to keep up to date with policy changes.
Furthermore, if I try to bring a community together, I must be knowledgeable of different
strategies to organize successfully. Likewise, social justice is another key skill used in this
practice because the primary focus of this principle is to provide equal access for all people at a
large scale. Each client from the role-play was affected by poverty as a consequence of large
scale problems, such as the price of food and government assistance. The high prices of fruits
and vegetables is affecting the health of our citizens and preventing children to grow properly
because families and schools cannot afford these items. Although, government assistance is
supposed help individuals afford food, Barbie proved that if an individual makes an income
barely above the amount that qualifies you for food assistance, you will not receive help. Yet,

Levels of Practice

receiving an income barely above the amount of eligibility, it still is not enough to support a
family. Thus, Barbie banned together with the community and ventured to Washington D.C. to
lobby for change. I believe that there needs to be more macro level practices such as lobbying for
this issue because even today we do not have a policy to effectively help resolve this social issue.
Although each level of practice is different from the other, there are situations in which
these practices overlap. Social workers simultaneously work with micro and mezzo level
practices when they are dealing with an issue between an individual and their environment.
While working with a client one-on-one, a social worker may find that their mental disorder is
the consequence of a damaging mezzo level relationship, such as sexual abuse. Thus, in order to
resolve the issue, a social worker would have to look at the problem from a broader perspective;
how their environment is affecting their personal life. Likewise, it is common for macro level
practices to stem from micro level conversations between one client and the social worker. In
order for a social worker to get an entire community together, it must start with individualized
discussions of a plan of action between two people. Also, to ensure that a clients needs are met
at the mezzo level, they have to be addressed by the larger system. If I have a client that cannot
afford lunch at school, I would have to look at options such as applying for reduced lunch
through the governmental policy. Hence, the mezzo level issue is resolved by a macro level
policy.
Women in particular are commonly faced with challenges such as the ones identified in
the role play. A lack of nutrition, transportation, and well-paying jobs are problems Barbie and
Tremonicas mother deal with being single mothers. Since their families are living off one
income, their nutrition is jeopardized because of the lack of funds. Due to the absence of a fatherfigure, the foods they are able to afford with only their mothers income consist of empty

Levels of Practice

calories. As a consequence of these unsuitable foods, Barbies son is cognitively impaired and
Tremonica suffers from. Likewise, since these single mothers are struggling to pay bills, while
simultaneously trying to feed their children, transportation is hard to come by. Barbie cannot
afford a vehicle because she is raising two children on her own, thus, she has the hassle of
putting her children on public transportation every day. Additionally, due to her income level,
Barbie lives in an underprivileged neighborhood with a public transportation system that is
unclean and dangerous to ride because of the high crime rates, especially being a woman with
small children. Barbie yearns to go to college and establish a career, however, with all her
expenses and having to take care of her two young children on her own, she is unable to do so.
Similarly, she encounters the conflict between having a job and the absence of having a husband
to take care of her children while she is gone. Hence, she would have to put her children in child
care, which would cost her more money. Likewise, in order to provide for her family,
Tremonicas mother must work as hard as she can at her dead end jobs to receive any income.
This creates health risks, both physically and mentally, for single mothers such as Tremonicas
mother. The combination of overwhelming stress, lack of nutrition and working long hours create
huge heath risk for single mothers. Accordingly, these women face the public scrutiny by the
belief that they are irresponsible individuals that live off the government. However, in reality,
they are doing the best they can, with the little amount of assistance they are receiving. Similarly,
many people believe the stereotype that these women end up as single parents, struggling to
make ends meet, as a consequence of being careless to have a child at a young age. Yet, in
reality, it does not take being a teen mother to fall into poverty as a single-parent.
Living in poverty creates an ethical dilemma between the importance of human
relationships and social justice. The single mothers within this role-play are prime examples of

Levels of Practice

this confliction. These women are faced with having to choose between their relationships with
their children and the surviving through poverty. Tremonicas mother must work long hours
away from home, therefore compromising time that could be spent building a strong relationship
with her daughter. She must prioritize working as many hours as she can, instead of being at
home spending time with her family. Also, the stigma of single mothers using government
assistance creates the dilemma between integrity and social justice. Although there are programs
that promote change through food assistance, their efforts lack integrity. As shown throughout
the role-play, the assistance programs that the government claims to have established to help
families, still leave individuals struggling to get by month-to-month. In all honesty, these
programs are not fixing the social injustice of poverty. Similarly, these programs create
fabricated stigmas that individuals receiving assistance are living off the government with no
aspirations to help themselves. Yet, these individuals must swallow their pride and take any
assistance they can; even if they seemly fit the stereotypes. Thus, the truth of their situation is
covered by the social injustice of stereotypical poverty.
Ethical principles such as social justice, service, and the importance of human
relationships can help resolve the issue of individuals living in poverty. Commonly, social
workers focus on services that aim to fight for social injustices such as poverty, as well as strive
to give equal access of information, resources, and services to all people. Throughout this roleplay, all three families suffered from a lack of resources. Single parents such as Barbie suffer
from social injustices of poverty that leave their children malnourished, while they struggle from
pay check to pay check. If better policies were established to help this population receive
adequate food and an education, the issue of individuals suffering from hunger pains would
decline. The mental and physical health of individuals would increase with better nutrients and a

Levels of Practice

proper education would open the door for career opportunities. Additionally, the principle of
service is an important element to this change because social workers must focus on helping the
oppressed above their own self-interest. Hence, since this population is suffering because of lack
of income, social workers should volunteer their professional skills to encourage a positive
impact. To receive the information about services that could help resolve the issue such as food
stamps, a social worker should not expect a significant financial return, especially considering
the population is suffering from poverty. Hence, the importance of human relationships is a
vehicle for change because if a social worker can engage people to come together for a common
cause, it can promote the awareness of this issue and gain attention that can lead to policy
changes to restore the well-being of many communities.
Before learning about the issue of poverty and hunger, I viewed someone starving as
skinny and frail. I assumed that obesity was the cause overeating and choosing to eat unhealthy.
Thus, my personal morals created a bias toward this particular population of clientele. Yet,
becoming culturally competent has allowed me to remain ethical. By obtaining a better
understanding of clients in this specific situation, I am able to demonstrate competence for
services that are sensitive to their culture. My biases have been proven incorrect and I am able to
focus on how to change the clients issue on a larger scale. It is not the client choosing to eat
unhealthy; it is the lack of funds being granted to families living in poverty. If a family is
starving, they are going to try and make the best of what they can by purchasing foods that are
the cheapest; consequently, the same types of food that are the least nutritious. Thus, I can use
this competence to deal with a client in a more ethical manner, as well as receiving a better
understanding of the true underlying cause of this injustice.