Discussion: Psychosocial Theory and Diverse Groups

There will be times when a social worker is presented with a case where they are not familiar with the surrounding psychosocial issues. Because social workers are on a continual journey in learning, it is important to read pertinent literature. This Discussion provides an opportunity to visit Walden Library and strengthen your skills in identifying and locating an empirical research article.

To prepare:

• Select one of these three groups: (1) an immigrant individual from a racial or ethnic minority group, (2) a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) individual, OR (3) an individual who is physically disabled.
• Review the Walden Library resources listed in the Learning Resources.
• Then conduct a library search for an empirical study focused on one of the groups above and the unique psychosocial factors or issues a social worker should be aware of when working with that group.

By Day 3

Post:

• Post the APA-style reference for the article you found in the library.
• Describe four specific psychosocial factors that should be taken into account in order to understand the psychosocial context when working with the group you selected. (Two of these factors should be psychologically related and two of these factors should be socially related).
• Identify and explain a psychosocial intervention that addresses one of the four specific psychosocial factors you described above.
• Identify 1 to 2 outcomes you might measure if you were to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
• Evaluate one advantage of using a psychosocial framework in social work practice with the group you chose.