Strengths Assessment
Strengths assessment is a structured way of assessing a client that deliberately foregrounds capabilities, resources, and aspirations rather than deficits and problems. Grounded in the strengths perspective articulated by Dennis Saleebey and operationalized in Charles Rapp and Richard Goscha's strengths model, it surveys the client's life domains — such as daily living, health, finances, relationships, leisure, and spirituality — to record what is already working, what the person wants, and the personal and environmental resources available to get there. Those strengths then become the raw material for goal-setting and intervention.
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Sources
- Saleebey, D. (Ed.). (2013). The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice (6th ed.). Pearson. ISBN: 9780205011544
- Rapp, C. A., & Goscha, R. J. (2012). The Strengths Model: A Recovery-Oriented Approach to Mental Health Services (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199764082
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Strengths Assessment in Strengths-Based Social Work Practice. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/social-work/strengths-assessment
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Ecomap AnalysisSocial Work↔ compare
- Genogram AnalysisSocial Work↔ compare
- Goal Attainment ScalingSocial Work↔ compare