Intervention
After assessing a client, social workers must be able to identify, analyze, and implement appropriate evidence-based strategies. This ongoing process must be an interprofessional collaboration and agreed upon with the client. In conjunction with all competencies, I am committed to continuously updating my intervention methods to meet the needs of my clients.
Practice Behaviors:
8A- Implement clinical evidence-based interventions with individuals, families, and/or groups
Course Evidence: I collaborated with my peer to create a case conceptualization on a client who is experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. In this case conceptualization, I reviewed the client’s past history and present problem to initiate a plan for treatment. One of the suggested interventions that was implemented was active scheduling. This intervention required the client to schedule intentional physical activities into her agenda to help her look forward to something. This intervention supported her by alleviating her depressive symptoms and elevate her mood. Her outcome of this intervention can be seen on slide 25. The client had shown improvement within 6/18 CBT sessions.
On slide 18 of this presentation, you will see the plan for treatment and the specific CBT strategies used to support the plan.
On slides 21-23, you will see the breakdown of how each CBT intervention will be implemented in the client’s treatment.
Click here to view the Case Conceptualization presentation.
Field Evidence: In the state of Georgia, children who are under 16 years old fall under the education compulsory law. School attendance is mandatory for the majority of students in the system so, it is important that social workers can apply early intervention methods to improve engagement and attendance. One intervention I used to prevent truancy is Attendance Review Team Meetings. Teachers, social workers, and other influential school personnel collaborate to meet with the student and parent to discuss the attendance concerns. Once the concerns are discussed, a plan is introduced that is culturally responsive and evidence-informed. Most of these plans included referrals to mental health organizations in the community in attempt to decrease the lack of school engagement. I have led several of these meetings throughout the year and have referred many students to resources in the area.
Below is the Attendance Review Team contract for Calhoun City Schools.
8B- Integrate macro-level evidence-base strategies with organizations and/or communities
Course Evidence: In the course Advanced Administration Practice: Program Development, I collaborated with my peers on a group project that focused on building a program that would address a social issue in a specific area. We chose to focus on addressing the lack of teen pregnancy resources in Tunica, Mississippi. To meet this need, we developed a program proposal to integrate macro-level interventions. We supported these interventions with evidence-based strategies and skills learned in throughout this course.
To read about the interventions in the project, refer to pages 20-23
Field Evidence: In Dalton Public schools and Calhoun City schools, social workers are responsible to give input on possible changes to the attendance policies along with effective interventions. In Calhoun City schools, I met with the social workers to develop a simplified attendance policy powerpoint. This is so parents have an easy way to navigate and educate themselves on the most updated policy. For example, on slide 5 of the PPT, the attendance email is provided for each school. This allows parents to conveniently send their parent or medical notes to the attendance office. I am currently working with the Family Engagement Coordinators on making a Spanish version of this presentation to cater to one of our biggest populations. Identifying the need in the community and addressing it with a macro-level strategy of using a multidisciplinary approach was helpful in creating an inclusive PowerPoint. The development of this PowerPoint, integrated the perspectives of the need from social workers and Family Engagement Coordinators which engage with families in different ways.
Click here to view the Attendance Policy PPT.
Skills Used: I used the skills, collaboration, critical thinkings, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Knowledge Used: I used knowledge from the Calhoun City school’s attendance policy, learned behaviors from my field instructor, Advanced Clinical Skills class, and Georgia state law.
Values Present: Competence, service, dignity and worth of a person.
Cognitive Process Used: For these tasks, I supported, distinguished, and outlined information to complete these learning activities.
Affective Process Used: For these tasks, I resolved, noticed, and follow information to complete these learning activities.
Theoretical Foundation Used: The social desirability theory is present in this competency. This is because groups tend to follow each other when completing tasks. Students may find themselves influenced by others and change their behavior. As a social worker, I need to endure that I empower others to stand their ground and be who they desire to be along with reaching their goals.