Self-Assessment and Looking Ahead

Important Note: Please use the media player below to hear an audio course introduction that will give you more background information about the course topic. Also provided is a transcript for you to download and print out.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Self-assessment and looking ahead [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Accessible player –Downloads–Download AudioDownload Transcript

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze development of professional identity
• Develop personal action plans for future field education experience
• Apply social work practice skills

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 16, “Merging Self and Profession” (pp. 185-192)
Chapter 17, “Leadership for Social Justice” (pp. 193-206)

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Self-assessment and looking ahead [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: This audio introduction is located in the Introduction section. The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Optional Resources

Click this link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program:
MSW home page

Assignment 1: Week 11 Blog

Refer to the topics covered in this week’s resources, and incorporate them into your blog.

By Day 3

Post a blog post that includes:

• An explanation of your social work field education experience, including the development of your professional identity

By Day 4

Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Validate an idea in your colleague’s posting with your own experience.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

You will be assigned to author regular blog entries as well as make comments on each other’s blog postings.

Submission and Grading Information

To post your blog, do the following:

• To post your blog, click on the Create Blog Entry button. Create your blog with the Title “Week 11 Blog First Name Last Name”. Type your post in the Entry Message using the Text Editor or by copying from your Word document. Submit your blog by clicking on the Post Entry button.

To submit your blog response, do the following:

• Select the blog entry from your colleagues by selecting their Week 11 Blogs. Select Comment button below their Week 11 Blogs. Type your response in the box. Submit your response by clicking on the Add button.

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:
Week 11 Assignment 1 Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 4

To create your Blog post:
Week 11 Assignment 1

Assignment 2: Mid-Term Evaluation and Self-Assessment

Throughout the past nine weeks, you have had the ability to apply social work practice skills in a real-world setting. At the end of your placement, your supervisor completed a final evaluation of your practice skills.

Having had the chance to review your final evaluation, you will now synthesize the results of your evaluation to help you self-assess your field education experience. By performing the self-assessment, you will evaluate your professional development as a future social worker.

For this assignment, reflect on your field education experience. Consider the skills that you have developed and how they might contribute to your professional identity as a social worker. Reflect on what you hope to learn in your concentration year experience.

As you review your evaluation, the opportunity to engage in personal professional development should remain a consideration for the remainder of your program.

For this Assignment, reflect on your field education experience. Review the results of your final evaluation and reflect on what you would like to gain in future field education experiences.

Note: You should receive your final evaluation from you field instructor.

The Assignment: (4–5 pages)

• Explain whether you demonstrated social work practice skills throughout your field education experience, including a description of each social work practice skill and the measure(s) provided in the final evaluation.
• Explain how participation in your field education course might help with future field experiences.
• Describe potential areas where you might need improvement in relation to social work practice skills.
• Explain how your next field education experience might address those areas.
• Explain how you have grown as a professional during this process.
• Propose personal action plans for future field experiences.
• Be sure to submit the results of your evaluation to this Assignment.

Response 1

Chastidy Boutin

Posted by  Chastidy Boutin  at Tuesday, February 4, 2020 11:27:00 AM

My social work field experience has been a positive attribute to the hands-on skills needed in the field of social work. With the guidance of my agency director, whom I have worked closely with, I have been able to enhance my skills in the areas of identifying resources my clients could use, expressing valid social work skills and knowledge, and assisting with minor crisis response. According to Garthwait, C.L. (2017), the progression of self with social work aspects is an essential component of the building of the foundation of strong assistance to clients (Garthwait, C.L., 2017).  In my field experience, I have grown from someone new to the social services field to feeling confident in my ability to serve a variety of client differences. The field education experience is essential to the professional practice of social work as it is a time that is provided to allow the intern to learn and have guidance in successful practice. 

The professional identity that I have established as being a social work intern is one that I am proud and confident of. The building of a professional identity enhances the ability to identify effective practice skills for the field. With the professional identity established, a student in training can become more comfortable with client interaction, support, engagement, assessment, and intervention practices.  I feel as though I have enhanced in all areas of my professional identity. Some ways that I have specifically developed skills are in identifying available resources and transitional support to the clients I serve. According to Corcoran, J., (2011),  some of the areas that are developed in the professional field include cultural competence, privacy, confidentiality,  and social diversity (Corcoran, J., 2011). I have worked in all areas of these subjects and have seen a development in my own personal professional identity. Overall, the social work field experience is a positive component of obtaining the skills needed for social work practice. 

References

Corcoran, J. (2011). Helping skills for social work direct practice. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Response 2

Emily Worley

Posted by  Emily Worley  at Monday, February 3, 2020 3:51:27 PM

My field experience has been an extraordinary experience. I have learned and grown so much in the past 22 weeks of field. I have participated in many clinical settings that have been all new to me. I have worked with my field instructor/supervisor to gain valuable professional skills, I have diagnosed individuals, completed Comprehensive Clinical Assessments, facilitated groups for adolescents, and provided individual sessions for adolescents. All my experience up to this point has been with adults, therefore by participating in this internship I have been exposed to working with troubled youth. It has been a completely different experience for me, I have also experienced many things that are taught in the textbooks: such as countertransference, ethical dilemmas, and had my values tested. I have also been fortunate to have been at a field location that takes pride in the services they offer. Garthwait (2017), stated Effective social work organizations are also committed to measure their workagainst a set of evaluation concepts.

Emily

Reference:

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.  

Comments: 2NewCOMMENT

Response 3

Week 11 Blog Surnita Warner

Posted by  Surnita Warner  at Monday, February 3, 2020 1:48:49 PM

Garthwait (2016) suggests that the practicum experience is to reaffirm an interns commitment to the profession by enhancing their knowledge and skills of social work practice. ( p. 185) I believe this field experience has definitely reaffirmed the desire I have to work with individuals who are vulnerable and need assistance to guide them back to safety (i.e. mentally, emotionally, financially.) After viewing the gratitude of callers who have been homeless and call thanking the hotline specialist for our service, this service not only needed but fulfilling. It has also enhanced the knowledge that I’ve gained educationally by allowing a one to one view of how to respond applying skills. In addition, many social workers describe themselves as called to the profession of social work because they are committed to and passionate about helping others and they find the profession’s values compatible with their own. (Garthwait, 2016, p. 186) I agree that I’ve been called to practice Social Work and I find this profession’s values compatible with my own.

References

Garthwait, C.  (20160222). The Social Work Practicum,  7th Edition [VitalSource 

Bookshelf version].  Retrieved from vbk://9780133948554