As a social worker, I will actively evaluate any intervention, communication, or process involving individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. I understand and value the feedback that others provide in my effort to understand and critically examine the results that were achieved for individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities. I also value objective data that will illustrate for me quantitatively any progress on behalf of constituents that was achieved. I believe that data speaks to us of successes and failures that can be valuable for effecting better social work practice going forward. I will also seek out qualitative feedback from constituents in order to determine what methods were helpful in my practice with clients and which were less effective. I recognize the importance of evaluating both processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. I understand theories of human behavior and the social environment and use this information in evaluating outcomes. Evaluation tools that are culturally relevant, reliable, and valid will be used as applicable, including process or formative evaluation methods and outcome-based or summative evaluation methods.
9.1 Selected Evidence-based Evaluation Strategies According to their Efficacy with Specific Client Systems
Fieldwork Experience: One form of evaluation that we utilize to determine the efficacy of our strategies for client systems includes pre and post-assessment verbal queries regarding treatment plans from a strengths-based perspective. When clients respond that they are pleased with the strategies and treatment options proposed by our team, we feel confident that the strategy is one that affirms the client’s right to direct their care from a strengths perspective. Further, it means the strategy has a greater likelihood of being accomplished since the client or patient is on board with the proposed strategies. Additionally, if a patient is returning to our facility, we can review notes regarding prior visits in order to determine whether the patient’s condition is the same as last time, has diminished, or has increased. This is valuable source of evaluation, but, of course, no notes can be disclosed in a public format due to HIPAA. Below is an example of selecting an evaluation strategy, the CAGE assessment and Substance Abuse Survey, to determine the level of severity that my patient was experiencing and to review that information together to determine a treatment option. In this case, it was best for the patient to remain inpatient, after we received the recommendation from the provider.
Comp. 9.1 Fieldwork Journal Entry
Coursework Experience: In SOCW 617 Advanced Clinical Practice: Group Psychotherapeutic Skills we evaluated one another’s mock group therapy dialogues in a collaborative manner consistent with professional development of skills in a secure setting with a professor overseeing the process. Evaluations were kept confidential, but the specific client systems and treatment interventions centered on the topics we had studied that semester, including group therapy, incorporating spirituality into therapy based upon the patient’s beliefs, understanding the role of the group leader, incorporating strengths-based approaches, respecting culture, operating in the here-and-now, and using group therapy to promote change. Our sample group dialogue is below, but the assessments were not public.
9.2 Evaluated the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Practice Outcomes Across Systems
Evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of outcomes across systems occurs daily at my internship and makes a difference in the service that patients are able to experience. Some of the efficiency and effectiveness experienced is due to the experience or inexperience of the employee and some of the efficiency and effectiveness is due to environmental constraints that the practitioner has no ability to augment is simply at the “mercy” of in terms of service provisoin.
Fieldwork Experience: In my field practicum, I was able to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the Telemental Health program as it relates to various systems and successful service provision. This was accomplished after tallying successful telemental health encounters and grouping unsuccessful encounters into specified groups. The negative factors impacting the telemental health program were put into a Power Point presentation and shared with supervisors, while an after-visit questionnaire was developed for the organization to consider its utility in sending out to patients after their visits have ended for feedback. The spreadsheet that stored the data is listed here, as well.
Telemental-Health-Outpatient (2)
TeleHealth – Video-BH – Sheet1
Coursework Experience: In SOCW 618 Advanced Administrative Practice: Program Development we had evaluation methods in place to evaluate our employees and volunteers in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness, understanding that their performance was directly related to the mock organization that we created.
Pages 37-41 in document below:
FPCN-Organization-Proposal-Final-Paper (1)
Additionally, we completed an evaluation of our program in SOCW 612 in order to determine the effectiveness of our ability to meet the needs of our community through our program. That evaluation is listed below:
Knowledge: The knowledge that I incorporated in this competency includes the knowledge of HOW TO EVALUATE outcomes, HOW TO LOCATE APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENTS, and HOW TO ASSESS IN AN ETHICAL AND APPROPRIATE MANNER given the assessmnt types desired.
Values: In order to complete this competency, I had to reflect upon the values of DIGNITY AND WORTH OF PERSONS, COMPETENCY, and SERVICE. Each person holds dignity and worth as individuals with whom we interface. That value directs us to see individuals for whom our service is appropriate and for whom competent service is a must. Assessments are conducted, because I value knowledge as to whether outcomes were appropriate or should be changed for my patient or future patients given similar circumstances. Assessments illustrate that knowledge is progressive and each individual responds differently to interventions.
Skills: This competency requires me to LOCATE ASSESSMENTS, CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS, CREATE ASSESSMENTS, and then DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF INTERVENTIONS EMPLOYED. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS were also employed, as well as COMPUTER AND COPYING SKILLS, as needed.
Cognitive Processes: In the completion of this competency, I had to SELECT or GENERATE assessments in order to DETERMINE THE EFFICACY of the interventions employed. I then had to ASSEMBLE results and ILLUSTRATE results in a format that could be interstood and allow for knowledge to be gained.
Affective Processes: This competency required that I FOLLOW THROUGH with an assessment and NOTICE progress or FOLLOW TRENDS that the assessment was showing me. Finally, I had to DEPICT the results in a format that could be understood and appreciated by the receiver of the information.
Theoretical Foundation: The theoretical foundation that was most useful in this competency included the SYSTEMS THEORY, as consideration is made as to how all aspects of a client’s life impacted the results that were found in evaluation of the client as well as all the systems that were involved in the implementation of the assessment used.