How Big You Are as a Problem [1 Film, 2’18”]
One of the things that struck me when I worked in the field in the first decade of the 2000s was the negativity generated in approach and practice in much of the treatment system, in particular the statutory sector. Attention was focused on defects and weaknesses, rather than strengths and assets. The same problem exists today.
In this conversation, Wulf points out that one of the things that he has learned from Rhoda over the 20 years they have know each other is:
‘… we must always recognise all of the strengths and capacity for people to change. It’s too often people and families get described up in negative labels and deficits. I would like you to say just a little bit more about how important that is and why that comes about.’
Rhoda replies:
‘Absolutely. We have fallen into the trap, haven’t we, of releasing resources only when people can be defined as a big problem. So, if that’s the way to get service and release resources to people, then the conversations between professionals and between professionals and the citizens are all about how bad is this… and where can you go and get something to fix it. So the conversation is all about the deficits and the problems, and sometimes they’re even escalated in order to push someone to crash through into the referral criteria the service the worker wants…’