tools

Social workers are responsible for providing clients with the tools to change. It is the client’s choice to accept or decline the tools. If a client calls saying they haven’t eaten in three days, you don’t run over and buy them a sandwich. You give them the phone number and address for the local food pantry. You make sure they have sufficient transportation but you make it an empowering choice for them to make.
A professor I had, James Brown told it like this: You’re washing dishes and out the window you see someone digging a hole and then they jump down into the hole. You’re not going to join them in the hole, stranding both of you, you’re  going to give them a ladder so they can climb out on their own.
You have to allow people to make their own choices and take action by themselves. All the books I read about successful people share the idea that you need to take action and that no one is going to come along and motivate you to start. You take action and empower yourself which in turn empowers others to take action.