Evaluate Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
A vital part of social work and maintaining the use of evidence-based practices is evaluating the programs and strategies that we use. This helps us determine to what degree the intervention methods were successful and what changes need to be made in the future to better support clients. As a social worker, I strive to use appropriate evaluation methods to change and improve evidence-based methods for future use with clients.
9.1 Select evidence-based evaluation strategies according to their efficacy with specific client populations.
Course Evidence: In my Advanced Administrative Practice: Program Development class, I got the opportunity to work with 3 other classmates on developing a program proposal to address a need in the Chattanooga, Tn area. Our group focused on the need for a program to help young adults learn skills of professionalism and job training to combat homelessness in Chattanooga TN. A section of the program proposal focused on evaluation methods. Choosing which methods would be most useful and how those evaluations would be completed. To view the full completed paper, click here. To view the section on evaluation methods, scroll to page 34.
Field Evidence: At my practicum, I got the opportunity to have the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Standifer Gap SDA School take the CASEL questionnaire 3 times during the school year to note a baseline, midway data, and end of school year data. The data from the baseline questionnaire helped me develop some focus points in the whole classroom lessons. The midway questionnaire helped me to note any improvement and areas that can continue to be improved on, and the end of school year questionnaire allowed me to note the improvements over the school year and how those are different from the baseline data. The end of school year questionnaire has not been given yet. Once that questionnaire has been completed, the overall data from the school year will be uploaded upon completion.
9.2: Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of practice outcomes across systems.
Couse Evidence: Towards the end of my Advanced Clinical Practice: Individual and Family class, I got the opportunity to look back at the skills I had developed during the semester and evaluate myself, my skills, and look for areas that I could continue to improve on. This assignment allowed me to look at each section of a CBT session and not only show where I could improve but create a dialogue of what I could do differently in the future to provide better quality care to my clients. To view the completed paper, click here.
Field Evidence: During my practicum experience, I was able to co-facilitate and facilitate small groups for kindergarten through 3rd grade. At the beginning of these groups, students were asked to fill out a simple questionnaire to assess their understanding of topics that the small group would cover. At the conclusion of small group, students were asked to fill out the same questionnaire to evaluate their understanding of the topics after going through the curriculum. This data is beneficial to see what growth has occurred, if any, throughout the course of the small group. To view the results of the data from the pre and post questionnaire for kindergarten and 1st grade, click here.
Skills Used: While completing these learning behaviors, I was able to utilize skills of time management, communicating with children, observation, organization, documentation, and critical thinking.
Knowledge Used: Knowledge for this competency was drawn from classes such as Advanced Administrative Practice: Program Development and Advanced Clinical Practice: Individual and Family. Additionally, knowledge regarding homelessness, assessments and questionnaires, cognitive behavioral therapy, and small group curriculums were also present throughout this competency.
Values Present: Integrity was a value that can be seen through this competency in the pre and post questionnaire for students, as well as through developing a program. It is important that the programs and intervention methods we develop, and implement are evidence-based, and trustworthy to provide results. Therefore, it is important to conduct evaluations to ensure that the programs and interventions are truly benefiting the individual or group.
Cognitive Processes Used: Several cognitive processes were utilized throughout this competency such as recognizing the need for evaluation methods, illustrating these evaluation methods in age-appropriate ways that each individual would understand, as well as contrasting the pretests from the post tests and deducing the implications of the intervention methods that were put in place.
Affective Processes Used: While completing this competency, affective processes such as seeking to understand how the intervention methods impacted individuals and groups can be seen. On top of that, other affective processes such as creating evaluation methods and reviewing the results were also used throughout this competency.
Theoretical Foundation: Perceptual Contrast Effect: this theory explains how when making decisions, we tend to make the best decision by comparing and contrasting different aspects of the decision. This is similar in social work with and the importance of evaluation. In order to know if an intervention method is meeting its intended use, we must create methods that compare and contrast the intervention to determine if changes need to be made or if one should decide to utilize that intervention again. Without evaluating the methods that we are using with clients; we have no way of providing evidence that the decision to use those methods are the best decision for our clients.