Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

The connection to the people we serve is made through engagement.  As a social worker, one must respect the importance of human connections, human behavior in the social environment, and human dynamics of all kinds. Empathy and self-reflection are essential during practice to enhance my techniques and eliminate bias. Making mistakes is a component of learning and is required to advance for this competency, thus I feel challenged by the prospect of doing so. The fact that social work education always entails failure and learning from it is what drives me. It describes the initial step of working for change and this skill deeply interests me. However, it might be difficult because a mistake at this stage can ruin a relationship. I will continue to refine my skills of engagement by approaching any mistakes I make with open and humble communication. Approaching individuals with dignity and respect while uplifting their lived experiences will always be at the root of the relationships that I endeavor in this field.

Evidences

6.1 Examine evidence-based practices to prepare for professional engagement across systems

Course Evidence: Marketing Plan 

As part of a collaborative group project in SOCW 618, I contributed to developing a marketing campaign strategy for Second Chance Collective, a reentry organization serving formerly incarcerated fathers. My role in Box 3.1 involved leading the design of our campaign strategy titled “Second Chances, Stronger Families”, which synthesized evidence-based practices in nonprofit marketing and community outreach. This assignment allowed me to engage social work knowledge by applying research on strategic communication, stigma reduction, and reintegration support across multiple systems—criminal justice, family, and employment.

The campaign aimed to educate the public, reduce stigma toward justice-involved parents, and promote holistic services like family therapy, job training, and housing support. In alignment with social work values such as dignity and the importance of human relationships, the campaign prioritized storytelling and culturally responsive messaging to humanize and center the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated fathers and their families.

Drawing from nonprofit communication research, I utilized skills in media strategy, stakeholder targeting, and trauma-informed messaging to build a campaign that could function across sectors—engaging employers, families, donors, and faith-based organizations. Our theoretical grounding included systems theory to understand how reintegration intersects with housing, employment, parenting, and mental health, and narrative theory, recognizing the power of personal storytelling to influence public perception and policy.

This work also engaged the affective and cognitive domains, as it required deep reflection on how systemic injustice and stigma impact families. Designing a strategy that compassionately educates the public while empowering justice-impacted individuals was both ethically and emotionally significant. This assignment prepared me for professional engagement across interconnected systems—especially in advocacy, program design, and public education work—by requiring me to translate evidence into action through collaborative, socially conscious marketing.

Field Evidence: Male Mentoring LifeGroup Presentation 

As part of my graduate internship, I presented to the DHSI Student Success Committee to report on the creation, progress, and future direction of the Male Mentoring LifeGroup, an initiative targeting male students of color which happen to be the most at-risk demographic for attrition at Southern Adventist University, based on university retention data. This presentation exemplifies how I synthesized evidence-based information to guide strategic planning and collaborative engagement across multiple university systems, including student support services, spiritual life, and residence life.

Using retention data disaggregated by gender and race, I identified that male students of color experienced the highest rates of attrition. Drawing on current literature and best practices in mentoring and student retention, I incorporated findings that emphasize the importance of representation, safe spaces, and vulnerability in male student development. This reflects key social work knowledge in data-informed practice, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed care.

The LifeGroup used an existing university infrastructure—spiritually focused small groups—as the delivery model. I embedded social work values by ensuring the group centered on empowerment, dignity, and connection. I recruited male mentors of color, including professional staff members, to co-lead the group and foster representation, psychological safety, and openness.

This required exercising skills in cross-departmental collaboration, group planning, and culturally responsive program design. Guided by ecological systems theory and empowerment theory, I addressed not just individual student needs but also the broader institutional structures influencing their sense of belonging and academic persistence.

This work also activated the affective and cognitive domains of social work practice. I approached this work with empathy, humility, and ongoing reflection by recognizing the lived experiences of students navigating multiple layers of systemic inequity, including racial identity, masculinity norms, and academic pressures in a faith-based institution.

By presenting this information to the DHSI Committee, I not only reported outcomes but also positioned the LifeGroup model as a replicable, scalable system intervention that can support long-term retention goals. The presentation included plans to institutionalize student leadership and gather retention data for future evaluation.  This would ensure the initiative evolves with integrity and impact.

6.2 Engage with systems utilizing evidence-based practice strategies

Evidences 

Course Evidence: Stakeholders Assignment 

As part of an advanced administrative practice assignment, I engaged in the development of a system-wide strategy to support teen parents in Marshall County, Alabama, using evidence-based practices to guide collaboration with schools, health systems, and community organizations. This project addressed the lack of holistic, accessible services for adolescents aged 13–19 navigating pregnancy and parenthood, and it required intentional integration of research-backed strategies into real-world systems that impact youth.

Using social work knowledge, I analyzed stakeholder interests, power, and influence through tools like the Stakeholder Analysis Matrix and Power/Influence Grid. This allowed me to strategically identify and engage teen parents, local schools, healthcare providers, the public health department, and youth advocacy groups. I employed skills in planning, coalition building, and ethical engagement to ensure culturally responsive outreach through interviews, surveys, and focus groups offered in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Haitian Creole).  This is a direct application of equity-informed practice.

I applied theories such as ecological systems theory and empowerment theory to inform the program design by recognizing that teen parents are embedded in layered systems of education, healthcare, family, and community. Through this lens, we created a plan that included preventative education, mental health support, family engagement, and postnatal services.

The affective and cognitive domains were engaged as I reflected on how stigma, cultural beliefs, and intergenerational trauma affect teen parents’ access to care. I also had to address community concerns. Stakeholders, like faith-based groups or school leaders, expressed fears that the program would normalize or promote teen pregnancy. In response, I grounded my advocacy in public health data and emphasized that the intent was to support already-pregnant teens, not to encourage early parenthood.

By working with and within multiple systems like education, healthcare, family services, youth advocacy, and applying evidence-based stakeholder engagement practices, I demonstrated how social workers can serve as strategic facilitators in addressing complex, community-level issues through collaborative, research-informed planning.

Additional Evidence: 2024-2025 End of Year Summary 

In my role as a graduate research assistant with the Office of Diversity & Strategic Planning, I directly supported the strategic planning efforts of Southern Adventist University’s Vice Presidents by helping them align their departmental goals with evidence-based practices. My supervisor tasked me with organizing, reviewing, and synthesizing strategic inputs across divisions. These ranging from Student Development and Spiritual Life to Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management into a cohesive and actionable framework. This work exemplifies social work knowledge in systems collaboration and strategic evidence use.

I engaged with complex systems including higher education leadership, institutional research, and student support services. By using skills in communication, analysis, and data synthesis to help ensure that each VP’s goals were grounded in best practices, research-informed benchmarks, and measurable outcomes. I reviewed data from initiatives like the QEP anxiety symposium, faith development assessments, and student retention indicators to provide context for setting or adjusting benchmarks.

This effort was grounded in the values of accountability, transparency, and institutional equity. I applied theories such as systems theory and organizational behavior to understand how leadership decisions at the administrative level trickle down to student and employee experiences across campus.

Throughout this project, I actively used the affective and cognitive domains by navigating conversations with high-level administrators while maintaining professional reflection on how strategic decisions affect access, support, and belonging. This required balancing technical detail with a broader understanding of how systems must evolve to meet the needs of diverse student populations.

Through this experience, I engaged with university systems at the executive level, promoting intentional alignment with evidence-based strategies to improve institutional effectiveness, student well-being, and mission-centered growth.