Research is essential for social workers because it plays a crucial part in improving practice. In other words, when it comes to research, social workers learn more effective strategies in dealing with specific types of clients. For instance, a social worker may want to do research on how effective services are in a specific area for the people that live in that area. Another example of how research can improve social work practice is by looking at the effectiveness of the education in the school system of a school district. A macro social worker that may be involved with the city council may be asked to do research to see if there can be improvements in the academic curriculum of the school district so that children will be able to receive a better education. In the future as a social worker, I plan to use research to help implement better strategies when working with clients who are struggling with specific mental health disorders.
4A – Engage in a review of best practices.
Course Evidence: For my Mental Health Emphasis I class, I typed up a paper analyzing the laws in Alabama surrounding Mental Health after doing some research on the current policies. In this paper, I discussed both the strengths and the weaknesses of the policy. Towards the end of the paper, I discussed some recommendations and strategies that the lawmakers within the state of the Alabama could do improve the policies surrounding mental health. I also wrote a letter to Governor Kay Ivey concerning the issue. I demonstrated a review of best practices by looking at the current practices that the state of Alabama implements currently has regarding mental health and how it can be improved.
Skills: The skills that I implemented for this competency is research, Person-Centered Care and art therapy.
Mental Health Policy Analysis.docx
Knowledge: The knowledge that I implemented for this specific competency came from my Advanced Social Policy I class where I learned about advocacy and pushing for better policies that affect different populations.
Cognitive Process: The cognitive process involved in this competency is that I am helping the pseudo clients in the video solve the specific issues that they are in the group for. I am also demonstrating the specific therapeutic techniques that I learned in the Advanced Clinical Practice II class.
4B – Conduct research that responds to social work practice needs.
Field Evidence: During the day at my field placement, I take some personal time of my own to complete research on the effectiveness of the specific interventions being used at Signal Centers. These specific interventions are Person-Centered Care and art therapy. Doing this type of constant research allows me to learn about which specific skills that I can use with my clients as a future clinical social worker.
Values: The values that I implemented are competence and social justice. The way that social justice applies to this specific situation is that the research that I’m conducting helps to address the specific needs and best social work practice with the disabled population. I’m demonstrating competence by using the research skills that I learned in Advanced Administration I. Also these values apply to where I made constructive criticisms of the current mental health policies within the state of Alabama and also made recommendations that could further improve the policies.
Affective Process: This situation requires me to listen to the caregivers about any specific changes that have been made with the participants who have been regularly coming to the agency.
Theoretical foundation: The theoretical foundation being used for this competency is Conversion theory. This theory is based on the idea that a person has a change of beliefs after going through a specific experience. At my field placement, along with doing research, I was able to personally witness how the interventions of Person-Centered Care and art therapy can be effective when working with people who have developmental disabilities.