Reference no: EM133845436

Assignment:

Part 1

Identify two potential disruptions to psychological development resulting from housing instability.

Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, identify the most important aspect to focus on as a social worker. Explain how you would support the child client and family surrounding this aspect.

Learning Resources

Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Chapter 3, "Psychological Development in Infancy and Childhood" (pp. 95-158)

Cherry, K. (2022, August 14). Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Shaw, S. (2019). Current data on infants and toddlers experiencing homelessnessLinks to an external site.. Zero to Three, 39(4), 11-19.

Sucsy, A. (2021, August). An invisible crisis: Early childhood homelessness-A primer

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. (2020, December 18). Housing is health: Examining housing instability

Walden University, LLC. (2024). Gabby, age 4-11 [Video]. Walden University Canvas.

Part 2

Respond to at least two colleagues:

Analyze additional challenges that may influence the development of housing-instable children that you have not already discussed but found in the Learning Resources or other professional or scholarly sources.

Identify one positive effect of your colleague's approach with the child, client, and family.

Colleague 1

Housing instability, as experienced by Gabby and her family, can significantly disrupt a child's psychological development in several ways (Zastrow et al., 2019; Shaw, 2019). Two potential disruptions:

Disrupted Sense of Security and Attachment: Frequent moves can make it difficult for children to form secure attachments with caregivers. This sense of security is crucial for healthy emotional development and can impact a child's ability to trust and build relationships (Zastrow et al., 2019).

Regression in Developmental Milestones: The stress and uncertainty associated with housing instability can lead to regressions in developmental milestones, such as bedwetting in Gabby's case. This can be particularly concerning for young children who are still developing bladder control (Shaw, 2019).

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Social Work Intervention

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, basic physiological needs, such as food, shelter, and safety, are the foundation for all other needs (Cherry, 2022). Until these basic needs are met, it is difficult for individuals to focus on higher-level needs like love, belonging, and self-esteem.

Therefore, as a social worker, the most important aspect to focus on is ensuring Gabby's family has access to stable housing. This could look like connecting the family with emergency shelters or transitional housing programs (Sucsy, 2021) or advocating for affordable housing options and rental assistance programs. Even providing referrals to food banks and other resources to meet the family's basic nutritional needs.

By addressing these basic needs, we can create a more stable and secure environment for Gabby's development. Once these needs are met, we can begin to focus on supporting Gabby's emotional well-being and helping her cope with the challenges of moving. This could be connecting Gabby to individual therapy or even family therapy to address Gabby's challenges. By addressing both Gabby's basic needs and her emotional well-being, we can help mitigate the negative impacts of housing instability on her development.

Colleague 2

Financially insecure and homeless children are at risk of damaging life-long effects. Due to financial insecurities parents are often put in a position where they cannot provide essential needs for their children, like health care, food, and housing. Homelessness is damaging to children due to the effect on their physical and mental health, development and well-being. There are harsh impacts on children's nervous system and stress hormone systems that could lead to problems in learning and behavior who experience homelessness (Sucsy, 2021). In addition to the potential disruption to psychological development they will likely not have access to early childhood programs and services that could help decrease the negative impacts on their developing brain.

In relation to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the most important aspect to focus on as a social worker is self-esteem (achievement, self-respect, etc.). Maslow that striving for self-actualization was a positive process because it leads people to see what they are capable of, strive to meet their full potential, and be productive members of society (Zastrow et al., 2019). I would support the child client and family by empowering them with resource, by helping them achieve their goals, by helping them realize what they are fully capable of, and how they can help the members of their community as well.