Evaluate individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as inter-professional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness.
Social workers:
a. select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes; and
b. critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
The evaluation piece of social work is critical in our practice. Evaluation is needed in our field as it directs and indicates how any form of practice is doing to serve others. The things that are going well, that need to be improved, and what the next steps potentially are. This tool is used to evaluate the previous competency of intervention that can guide how we intervene and assess our practice for the future. It allows us to modify our approach based upon evaluating our own progress. I am committed to this competency by emphasizing the importance in my work with regular evaluations of functionality and organization. I will engage with this competency by researching the proper literature of evaluating social work practice.
Evidences
Coursework:
This assignment was to evaluate the intervention in our pseudo group in the Junior course of Social Work Practice with Families and Groups. We administered a peer evaluation at the end of our third and final time meeting. In this evaluation, we asked our group members what they thought of the intervention and what they thought of the facilitation. I have also included our case notes from the group sessions to detail how the group sessions went.
This evaluation gave a different perspective on how other perceive how the intervention(s) and facilitation was. The feedback given encouraged adjusting and refinement based on suggestions and cooperation, which is a key component of social work environments.
I chose this assignment because having cooperation and collaboration is beneficial for all group members and facilitators alike when working toward common and agreed upon goals.
Field:
This assignment was a reflection zoom meeting that we completed after the D.E.EP. Retreat to evaluate what could be improved upon for further D.E.E.P. Retreats. We discussed primarily how to market this event to have more student leaders from Southern attend and have a desire to attend this event. We also discussed how we can better discuss topics of diversity and inclusion that are relevant to the times of when the retreat takes place.
This assignment helped me in skills in being able to articulate what my own evaluations were but also how to structurally incorporate what others evaluations were from their experience. Being a part of the planning for this retreat, it was important to gain knowledge of how to evaluate such an event. I also was a part of creating the application for the next D.E.E.P. Retreat.
I chose this because evaluation was completed through a reflection period that allowed others to express their thoughts of how they thought it went, what they would have liked to see, and how they could be of use to support the next DE.E.P. Retreat.
Further Evidence:
EmpowerED Peer and Self-Evaluations
This evaluation was from my communities and organizations class. We used an evaluation that is similar to a 360-degree feedback where we received feedback from multiple sources like supervision, and peers This evaluation tool was used to evaluate how our pseudo non-profit (EmpowerED) did in accomplishing our mini-grant proposal. This evaluated members of our non-profit, the work completed, and self evaluation.
This assessment developed my knowledge of what to look for to improve upon in a non-profit setting and recognize the good that did happen in our formation of our mini-grant. Things like: Organization, formation, and being time-sensitive to our goals.
I chose this because this was an evaluation that examined what was done in the process of creating the mini-grant and how I could improve as a contributor in my future practice when working with others.