{"id":1113,"date":"2018-06-07T20:21:19","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T18:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/?p=1113"},"modified":"2020-04-02T12:18:03","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T10:18:03","slug":"social-workers-working-fluidly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/social-workers-working-fluidly\/","title":{"rendered":"Social workers working fluidly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><form class=\"mltlngg_switcher\" name=\"mltlngg_change_language\" method=\"post\" action=\"\"><ul class=\"mltlngg-lang-switch mltlngg-lang-switch-names\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/multilanguage\/images\/flags\/en_GB.png\"> English (UK)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"mltlngg-lang-button-icons\" name=\"mltlngg_change_display_lang\" value=\"it_IT\" title=\"Italiano\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mltlngg-lang\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/multilanguage\/images\/flags\/it_IT.png\" alt=\"Italiano\"> Italiano<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"mltlngg-lang-button-icons\" name=\"mltlngg_change_display_lang\" value=\"es_ES\" title=\"Espa\u00f1ol\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mltlngg-lang\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/multilanguage\/images\/flags\/es_ES.png\" alt=\"Espa\u00f1ol\"> Espa\u00f1ol<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul><\/form><strong>Social workers working fluidly reinforce both themselves and their clients.<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Municipal Social Service was subjected to a series of organizational changes, which implied a new operational modality for the individual Social Workers and the reconstitution of a new working group.<\/p>\n<p>The transformations that had been implemented, sometimes too quickly and sometimes too slowly, caused fatigue for the operators involved.<\/p>\n<p>All change gives rise to stress and requires an additional effort that can sometimes be overwhelming and change is almost always experienced as such.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This stress is added to the specific fatigue of those who work with people bearing pain and suffering.<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.erickson.it\/Libri\/Pagine\/Scheda-Libro.aspx?ItemId=37120\">https:\/\/www.erickson.it\/Libri\/Pagine\/Scheda-Libro.aspx?ItemId=37120<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/11464879_Burnout_syndrome_in_the_helping_professions<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, Carla Toffanello and I worked on a strategy that, taking into account the current situation of the organization and the type of work of the recipients, could help in addressing a series of specific, problematic issues.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Initially the management accepted the proposal with both perplexity and curiosity. The Social workers involved welcomed it with attention and understanding of what they would have encountered during the sessions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Initially everyone accepted the proposal for a specific intervention that took into account the needs of the operators and the Organization as a whole.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How the intervention took place:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The preparation of the project was shared with a Professional Social Worker and a Pedagogue, both with long and qualified experience in the field of the helping and training professions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the two professionals followed the progress of the project to validate its objectives and to direct the intervention, if necessary.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The first proposal was evaluated by the managers of the services, as well as by two Focus Groups that had been created from two distinct working groups. The <u>Coordinators and the Social Workers <\/u>from the two different Zones that adhered to the proposal were present. These meetings permitted us to have a first review of the experiential\/training offer. The initial proposal was revised and personalized on the basis of what had emerged.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Two checks were scheduled: one halfway through the course and one at the end.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The theme of the intervention:<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It was agreed that the unifying theme of the training intervention would be: &#8220;<strong>Working in the flow<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<p>The project &#8220;<strong>Working in the flow<\/strong>&#8221; aimed to create a welcoming and purposeful context to &#8220;generate self expression&#8221;, and &#8220;generate dance&#8221;, but also to give space to the <em>creation of affective relationships among the Social Workers<\/em>, an indispensable capacity for professionals in the helping profession.<\/p>\n<p>After a few meetings the Social Workers shared our strong point that was our goal:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>If this positive flow can be experienced, once a week, in a welcoming, supportive group context, and without judgments, we are sure that:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><br \/>\n<\/em> a positive effect of well-being will be generated at work;<br \/>\n\u2022 the operators will experience reduced stress;<br \/>\n\u2022 work satisfaction will increase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Biodanza in the helping professions.<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Biodanza develops those personal and social skills already present in individuals that are sometimes inhibited or poorly developed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These skills essentially serve the person and the society, but they play a very important role in the <strong>helping professions<\/strong>, constituting an essential professional baggage.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Too often, in social work, the suffering with which we come into contact affects the worker who tends to &#8220;lock him or herself&#8221; into a &#8220;rational\/professional&#8221; costume that denies feelings, interpreting them as &#8220;a disturbance to professionalism&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But dialogue with one&#8217;s emotions is, fortunately, recognized as being essential for the same understanding of the person needing help.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In their &#8220;t<em>oolbox<\/em>&#8221; the social worker cannot neglect the skills related to the relating.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The exercises and sessions of Biodanza stimulate the psychophysical unity of the person, their vitality, and their ability to <strong>relate <\/strong>to other people <strong>with empathy,<\/strong> to connect positively to their <strong>group of membership<\/strong>. In other words, they help the human being, who is a relational and social creature, to develop their personal abilities.<\/p>\n<p>Social Workers_The construction of the group<\/p>\n<p>Through <strong>exercises<\/strong> that involve the whole person <strong>in the here and now<\/strong>, the internal equilibrium is restored in a <strong>global and fluid <\/strong>way, allowing those who perform a <strong>helping role<\/strong> to remain <strong>whole, and coherent in the often painful and problematic relationship<\/strong> that they have with those in serious difficulty or marginalization.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, every single session provides the <strong>opportunity to relax<\/strong> and find a greater connection with oneself, which is decisive for the <strong>reduction of work stress.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>BASIC ASSUMPTION:<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Work is &#8220;fluid&#8221;<\/strong> when it involves:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Competence<\/em><\/strong>.<br \/>\nwork allows us <strong>to express our skills, our <u>expertise<\/u><\/strong><u>.<\/u> It is a commitment that frees up energy, develops additional skills, and allows us to express our creativity in the search for appropriate solutions.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The pleasure\/well-being principle<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>during work one is in a condition where the effort made is pleasant and does not &#8220;draw energy&#8221;<\/strong>. <strong>On the contrary<\/strong>, it can offer wellbeing in the work commitment because it allows contact with the &#8220;playful&#8221;, vital part, which gives satisfaction, which recognizes personal self-esteem, and that makes living that feeling of approval of our abilities.<br \/>\n\u2022 <strong><em>Values<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><em>the end results, or even just the goals<\/em><\/strong> that are pursued, respond to our basic <strong><u>values<\/u><\/strong>, which gives a sense and meaning to our work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Biodanza and fluidity at work:<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s have a look at how Biodanza acts on these three components of fluid work taking into account that<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the exercises have a solely positive experiential component related to music and movement.<br \/>\n\u2022 The actual experience generated by the exercises is felt and then disseminated, also in the personal and work contexts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>With Biodanza, among other things, there is the experience of:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Empathy<\/strong>, the ability to listen to the other, to understand their &#8220;inner movements&#8221; or, at least, to be ready to do so.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Feedback<\/strong>, the ability to relate, listening to the other and expressing their personal condition, with reciprocity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Respect,<\/strong> for oneself and for others, understood as awareness of the times and ways that everyone has to express their potential, without the expectation of a pre-established performance and without judgment on the competence of each participant.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A collaborating group<\/strong>, which supports, reinforces, and allows constructive confrontation and expressive freedom.<br \/>\n\u2022 An a<strong>wareness of oneself and other<\/strong>s, with an absence of the judgments that seek fault as a tool to strengthen personal competences, and consolidate constructive relationships. This awareness is an even more necessary instrument in a reorganization phase in which the organizational framework is not stable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reinforcement of a person\u2019s role in the group<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strengthening of self-esteem and determination<\/strong>, both necessary to support constructive and healthy working relationships with colleagues and clients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Social Workers_Dancing with pleasure and freedom in the group<\/p>\n<p>The guide for action must see that the &#8220;reality principle&#8221; comes together with an attention to organizational well-being, which is expressed through the &#8220;pleasure principle&#8221;, that is the opposite of stress.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Biodanza on this path has been tested for:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>self-regulation<\/strong> as a process that favours states of alternation between activity and rest with the aim of producing psychophysical well-being.<\/li>\n<li><strong>fluidity<\/strong> being the ability to flow in order to find different solutions and answers to difficulties.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Affective communication<\/strong> through the feedback.<br \/>\n\u2022 <strong>Mutual respect<\/strong> based on self-respect.<br \/>\n\u2022 The <strong>attention and support<\/strong> relationship with the other<br \/>\n\u2022 <strong>Equality<\/strong> in the relationship<br \/>\n\u2022 <strong>Solidarity<\/strong> between members of the group<br \/>\n\u2022 The <strong>search for the beautiful<\/strong> and pleasant that is found in positive relationships<br \/>\n\u2022 The <strong>experience of knowledge based on affectivity<\/strong> and not just on rationality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>This teaching offer for Social Workers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It was a moment for the &#8220;<strong>recovery of strength<\/strong>&#8221; that, with lightness and fluidity, allowed the recapture of some of that personal, relational and work energy that had sacrificed itself for the change taking place.<\/li>\n<li>It was a formative moment that allowed for the expression and <strong>reflection on the essential relational skills <\/strong>that are essential<strong> i<\/strong>n a helping job.<br \/>\n\u2022 It allowed the acceleration of the <strong>formation of the new working group<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL CONSIDERATIONS<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The experience was conducted with three distinct work groups of Social Workers (two specific groups from two different Zones and one with Social Workers from several Zones) for at least 8 meetings each. At the end there were three further collective meetings of all the participants.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A last collective meeting took place three months later to reinforce the skills acquired or recovered and to verify what was left from the meetings held.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Two essential points emerged strongly:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>full satisfaction<\/strong> with the experience (&#8220;these meetings should be mandatory for everyone&#8221;);<br \/>\nthe request for a <strong>continuous work<\/strong> of reinforcement through Biodanza.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>For our part we have found that these meetings have been an excellent opportunity for<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>the reinforcement of personal identity,<br \/>\nreinforcement of professional relations and<br \/>\n3. the improvement of group work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Our expectation was related to the consequences of the <strong>relationship with the clients<\/strong>, but the<\/p>\n<p>benefits of the acquisitions and knowledge had not been decidedly highlighted, if not by a few Social Workers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The validity of the <strong>requested monthly<\/strong> <strong>reinforcement<\/strong> <strong>remains unexplored<\/strong>, which in our opinion would have been very appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Carla Toffanello and Salvatore Mirante.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[multilanguage_switcher]<strong>Social workers working fluidly reinforce both themselves and their clients.<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Municipal Social Service was subjected to a series of organizational changes, which implied a new operational modality for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[30,33,32,31],"class_list":["post-1113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corsi-e-stage","tag-assistenti-sociali","tag-lavoro-di-aiuto","tag-lavoro-di-gruppo","tag-stress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1113"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4550,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113\/revisions\/4550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipob-biodanza.org\/en_GB\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}