ABSTRACT
JANICE’S STORY EXEMPLIFIES THE COMPLEXITY OF HUMAN problems. Rarelyin social work will you find yourself working with people whose problems are straightforward. When you carefully examine Janice’s situation, you will probably identify several major issues: health and parenting problems, potential mental health issues, developmental issues associated with Janice’s age, program policies (such as welfare policies), cultural expectations of parenting and self-sufficiency, access to affordable housing and day care, and employment availability and policies. Regardless of the type of agency in which you work or the population with which you work, you will find people’s problems to be multifaceted and interconnected on many different levels. Because the human condition is so complex, social workers need to understand human behaviors in their social environment.
