As a social worker, I strive to follow a practice framework influenced heavily by the NASW Code of Ethics, research, and evidence-based practices. I will continuously refer to these core elements as I continue my work in the field. I find it essential to further professional growth through regular supervision, consultation, and educational opportunities. A professional demeanor, competency, genuineness, warmth, open-mindedness, and critical thinking skills are necessary. Self-assessment to acknowledge and regulate potential biases when working with clients is also important to me. Additionally, I will practice self-care strategies to keep myself healthy to assist my clients better, manage compassion fatigue, and avoid burnout.
1.1: Develop a practice framework for analysis of complex environments, that is ethical, value-grounded, and evidence-based.
Course Evidence: For my Advanced Administration: Administrative and Leadership Skills course, I analyzed a case study using the application of Trevino and Nelson’s Eight Steps to Ethical Decision Making. These eight steps help guide an individual through the decision-making process based on a personal and professional assessment of the complex situation. This evidence-based approach to ethical decision-making allows social workers to focus on values and integrity in otherwise difficult scenarios that often occur in the field.
Field Evidence: I created a Therapeutic Visitation Training for my practicum placement at Omni Visions Foster Care. You can click on the link or easily view this recording under the Special Project tab of my site. This training was an evidence-based approach to facilitating court-ordered therapeutic visitation for foster youth and their biological families. The training covered social issues, as well as the tendency for foster care professionals to discriminate towards biological families and how these factors affect the outcomes of reunification for families. This training provided a framework to navigate the complex nature of foster care with an ethical, value-grounded, and evidence-based practice. Some evidence-based practices to utilize while facilitating therapeutic visitation included motivational interviewing, parent-child interaction therapy, play therapy dimensions model, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy.
Additional Evidence: Attending the Partnership 5th Annual Leadership Conference in 2020 provided me with evidence-based tools and professional administrative practices to be a leader in the social work field. The conference hosted many diverse leaders from the community that shared their expertise in their specialized fields. There were also many panels that gave the opportunity to collaborate on ethical and value-grounded plans to improve the cultural awareness and treatment of minority citizens in Chattanooga. This conference allowed me the opportunity to learn more about the critical race theory and the different approaches professionals take to incorporate it into their practice.
1.2: Implement supervisory and self-care strategies that integrate professional strengths, limitations, and challenges.
Course Evidence: I created a Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Presentation geared towards foster care professionals during my Trauma and Emergency Management: Emphasis Foundation course. This PowerPoint presentation includes definitions, empirical research, implications for practice, and helpful resources concerning vicarious trauma and self-care for foster care professionals. The constructivist self-development theory discusses how vicarious trauma is related to both the painful and traumatic experiences shared by clients and the social worker’s cognitive schemas and expectations of self and others. Social workers are at a high risk of vicarious trauma when working closely to help clients process trauma. Defining and understanding vicarious trauma is helpful for me to start prioritizing self-care and my mental health in order to stay healthy enough to serve my clients.
Field Evidence: I made a Presentation Recording of my Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Presentation listed above to make it readily available to all of the staff at Omni Visions since many of my practicum colleagues often struggle with finding a healthy balance to combat the risks of vicarious trauma. I sent an agency-wide email that included the presentation link, as well as resourceful handouts.
Additional Evidence: The Compassion Fatigue Training I completed in 2020 helped me better understand the physical, cognitive, and emotional warning signs of both compassion fatigue and burnout. The Compassion Satisfaction – Compassion Fatigue (CS-CF) model shows how positive and negative factors may result from helping others and the importance of balancing compassion satisfaction and fatigue to help avoid adverse outcomes such as burnout. The responsibilities of complex case management in the foster care field put me at high risk for compassion fatigue and burnout, so I value self-care and scheduling time to keep myself healthy.
1.3: Exhibit commitment to professional growth through continuing education, supervision, and ongoing consultation.
Course Evidence: I completed a CITI training course during my Advanced Administration: Program Development class. The training focused on essential elements involved in ethical research practice, including consulting peers and superiors, confidentiality, and regulations concerning participants. During my professional growth as an advanced practitioner, I will utilize and conduct research that meets the needs of the social work field. I will use the knowledge learned from this training to approach clients, research, and research participants professionally and respectfully. I also spent a substantial amount of time analyzing and reflecting on a group therapy session completed in my Advanced Clinical Practice course. The Clinical Video Transcription Paper provided the transcription of the dialogue, critical thinking skills, and improved interventions and skills that could have been more efficient. I was also able to better understand my strengths and areas needing improvement while administering cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy.
Field Evidence: I attended the Department of Children Services Foster Care Conference to further my professional knowledge of therapeutic foster care practices. I also received weekly supervision from my field instructor and clinical director during my practicum. Supervision allowed me to gather insight into therapeutic interventions as I grow as an advanced practitioner.
Additional Evidence: I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend many social work-related training courses during my advanced MSW year. You can view these training certificates under the Certificates tab. I also joined a supervision group led by a seasoned LCSW that has over 20 years of experience working with at-risk youth. I will continue this supervision group biweekly as I enter the Level 3 Therapist role at Omni Visions.
1.4: Demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills.
Course Evidence: During my Advanced Administration: Administrative and Leadership Skills course, I was able to collaborate with a group of other students to create a nonprofit organization for youth aging out of Tennessee foster care. Our nonprofit organization, RISE, offered an independent living program that included stable housing for these young adults aged 18 to 21. I demonstrated professional oral and written communication skills by writing and recording a RISE fundraising speech to be used when meeting with potential donors.
Field Evidence: I demonstrated professional written skills by keeping detailed documentation of all client interactions during my practicum. Written documentation included SOAP Case Notes and treatment plans. I followed the Omni Visions Guidelines for all recorded documentation. I also spent a substantial amount of time preparing professional documentation for an agency audit. Documentation is vital for the continuity of care for clients, as well as ensuring eligibility for funding and services for the government contract agency. My professional oral skills were also apparent in all interactions with clients, colleagues, supervisors, and training presentations.
Additional Evidence: I completed a paper on the benefits and critical components of Self-Disclosure within the helping relationship for my Advanced Clinical Practice course. Self-disclosure is a sensitive issue as a professional practitioner and the paper enlightened me to various types of situations that could lead to disclosure.