Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
As a competent social worker, I am committed to maintaining ethical and professional behavior and recognizing personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. I will use evidence-based information to ensure I have a current understanding of the social work ethical standards and stay updated with relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. I will continuously seek supervision from another social worker to maintain integrity, strengths, limitations, and challenges while being aware of how my personal experiences and affective reactions may influence my professional judgment and behavior. I will be a part of the National Association of Social Work to stay current with topics and studies. Even when personal challenges and life circumstances arise, I will maintain self-care strategies to keep well-minded to serve clients.
Evidence of Practice
While attending Southern Adventist University and studying for my MSW, I engaged in a variety of activities that helped me to develop and master this competency.
1.1 – Develop a practice framework for analysis of complex environments, that is ethical, value-grounded, and evidenced-based
Course Evidence: During Mental Health Practice in Social Work Core Concepts, a couple of our assignments involved reviewing literature and developing organizational charts on different evidence-based therapy techniques/approaches. When deciding which therapy approaches to use, I reflected on multiple methods I have heard of and picked two that I am interested in learning more about the approach. I decided to create organizational charts on ART and DBT therapy. The organizational charts display synopsis of the therapy approach process. Each organizational chart includes the diagnosis that each therapy can be used to treat a client. You can view the ART organizational chart here and the DBT organizational chart here.
1.2 – Implement supervisory and self-care strategies that integrate professional strengths, limitations, and challenges
Field Evidence: During my practicum at Compassion House, INC. I was asked to create a class covering stress. I recognize stress and how it relates to self-care. It is important for everyone from all walks of life to be aware of the importance of self-care to help prevent health complications, compassion fatigue, or burnout. I did not realize how much I lacked in providing self-care to myself until I started my MSW journey. Since I realized stress and self-care as my weakness, I have been committed to improving my self-care and awareness of stress; I have used that to help inform others, including the adolescent substance abuse group participants. You can view the PowerPoint here.
1.3 – Exhibit commitment to professional growth through continuing education, supervision, and ongoing consultation
Field Evidence: Through my practicum experience, I was able to attend a training for Adults Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse. The course is “Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children.” The course detailed educational information with testimonies and an interactive class to learn and develop additional skills to help increase my knowledge while working with adults and children. Also, I gained an understanding of possible identifiers, prevention tools, and the protocol when working with a child who reports sexual abuse. The Certificate of Completion can be viewed here.
1.4 – Demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills
Course Evidence: Course Evidence: While taking the Group Psychotherapeutic Skills course, I completed a 20-minute video of myself conducting a group lesson. During the video, I presented a session from an Anger Management group that I created a PowerPoint to go along with an evidence-based course I previously facilitated. I provided a visual PowerPoint during the recording and explained each section. This video demonstrates my oral skills by explaining each slide and written communication through the PowerPoint for the group members to understand Anger Management. The video can be viewed here.
Social work knowledge used: I applied the information I gained from my courses and the suggestions I received during my supervision.
Social work values present: While working on contributing towards professional growth and demonstrating professionalism, I used the social work values of competence and integrity.
Social work skills presented: I utilized oral and written skills and self-reflection.
Cognitive processes: This competency required using knowledge by remembering and relating material from courses, supervision, and field experience and then applying the material to the evidence as the cognitive process.
Affective processes: This competency required responding as my willingness to learn and responding with material as the affective process.
Theoretical foundation: Social Learning Theory is the theoretical foundation that relates to me while being a Southern Adventist University student and applying the information learned in courses and field experience to develop into a professional.
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
-Mother Teresa