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UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHY
Clients are provided services to remediate problems
–
If we do our job well, someday they will be nearly as good as us.
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not so
HIDDEN PHILOSOPHY
If a person or community is said to have deficits, we mean that they do not measure up to some standard.
Who sets the standard?
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WHAT WE DO
We Help Clients Identify Their Problems.
We Tell Them They Have Special Needs.
We Convince Them Services Are the Answer.
We Teach Them to Find Services.
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WHAT SOME COMMUNITIES DO.
Comprehensive Needs-Assessments
Service Delivery Maps
One-Stop Shopping Centers
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WHAT WE UNCONSCIOUSLY DO.
Remind People of Their Deficiencies
By Requiring They:
• prove they have needs
• satisfy means tests
• (i.e. prove they have financial needs)
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EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL and COMMUNITIES
They Learn That They Have Failed
They Learn They are Dependent on Us.
They Lose Their Self-esteem
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WHAT WE TEACH
Well-being results from being a client served by outsiders.
Their role In society is to consume services
Survival depends on consuming services efficiently.
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WHAT THEY LEARN
They become dependent on outsiders.
Productive behavior is finding and
using services provided by others.
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SAME EFFECT ON COMMUNITY.
Outsiders Help The Community:
• Define and understand problems,
• And seek outsider-provided services.
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DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Individuals living in target neighborhoods are repeatedly told they have multiple complex problems and their surrounding community Is problematic.
Individuals Stereotyped Because of Location.
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WHY WE TAKE NEGATIVE APPROACH.
To Satisfy Our Needs.
• Ego > We are better.
• Control > We need to control others.
• Employment > They need us.
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WHAT ARE ORGANIZATONS?
More Than the Sum of Parts Synergy of Individual Efforts Human or Social Technology
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WHAT DO ORGANIZATIONS REQUIRE?
Mission Resources Tools Structure Communication Motivation
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Pressure on Organization to:
imperative > turf / credit > budget > donations > political
support >
performance
define a problem. own a problem. over count cases. define a crisis. develop a
constituency generate “positive
terminations”
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SYSTEM CONSEQUENCES
imperative > budget > donations > turf / credit > political
support > performance
problems, problems categorical cry wolf balkanization battle of the
constituencies cream
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ALTERNATIVE PARADIGM: START WITH ASSETS
Every Person, Every Community Has
Strengths.
Community Strengths Come From
People.
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OUR JOB
Help Good People Achieve Their Goals
NOT: Help Inferior Clients and Communities Remediate Their Problems.
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IMPLEMENTATION
Identify Assets First
Plan To Build On Strengths Before Thinking About Negative Concerns
Have Individuals and Communities Define Strengths and Problems In Their Own Words.
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side EFFECTS of ASSET APPROACH
Involves People and Communities in Securing Their Own Destiny
Gives People Hope
Strength Building Mollifies Problems
Causes Problems To Be Defined in Different Way (as barrier to success, not maladies)
People Become More Independent
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DEFINE STRENGTHS & PROBLEMS
HOLISTICALLY
ï Not According to Common Categories
ï Not According to Organizational
Boundaries
ï Not According to Specialize Professional
Training
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EFFECTS ON THE SYSTEM
Must Collaborate
Share and Double Count Credit
No Wrong Door
Budget Process That Rewards Collaboration
Seek Donations For Community Building, Not For Sympathy