Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate.
Social workers:
a. Apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and
b. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies
My Narrative
Social workers understand that the knowledge base of other professionals can also work toward the goal of clients. Social work requires the ability to communicate in a way that exudes empathy and a nonjudgmental standpoint. Social workers must engage clients with empathy and active listening, so that clients feel safe to express needs and goals.
This challenges me to learn how interdisciplinary social work is. It is not a career that can be done alone, but works most effectively with the disciplines of other professionals such as politicians, medical professionals, and other helping careers to collaborate to better serve clients.
I am committed to learning how the organization I work for works as a team. I am committed to understanding the different roles in my company, and how they can assist the goals of my clients.
In the future, I will continue to lead with empathy, not allowing my own viewpoints to overshadow the needs of clients. I will continue to self-reflect, and keep myself accountable to any bias or privilege that can hinder my ability to serve my clients.
School Evidence
SOCW-442-Integrative Seminar II-Case Presentation
I was tasked to engage with a client, and present their case to the class or order to ask follow-up questions that would assist my client. When I met this particular client, I knew that they were the case that I wanted to present on. I was tasked to present the reason for referral, their strengths, presenting problems, cultural background, risk factors, treatment goals, and interventions.
For this assignment, I really grew in my understanding of empathy and reflection. I found that in this case, I was almost brought to tears. When I shared this when presenting the presentation, the professor challenged me to consider why this specific case “struck a cord”. When considering this client interaction, I realized that my empathy was on the forefront of the engagement, and I became comfortable with the seemingly uncomfortable topic of grief.
I chose this project because, unlike previous assignments, this was a real case that evoked emotion in me as a social worker. I was able to collaborate with my field instructor, and grew in my ability to speak to clients who were experiencing grief. Empathy was the biggest skill I was able to practice with this assignment. I also had to self-reflect on why this case caused me to experience deeper emotions. Engagement is my favorite part about the work that I do, and I will continue to develop my love for knowing clients.
Field Evidence
In my practicum placement, social workers do intakes with each new client. The reason for this is that social workers want to create a safe space for clients to be known. I ask them about their hometown, church, hobbies, family, education, and other identifying information so that the client is humanized. I chose intakes for this competency because I had to use all of the social skills I learned previously-empathy, summarizing, and writing case notes. It also requires cultural awareness, to be aware of what questions are best for the client or family.
I chose this to develop my level of engagement because I was very hesitant and even uncomfortable with intakes in the beginning. I was not sure how to convey the importance of it to patients’ families. However, my field instructor was able to explain the importance of humanizing patients, and this is done by asking questions and knowing who they were apart from sickness.
I was able to use the skills of interpersonal communication with intakes. I learned that intakes are not simply a check mark list, but are ways to really connect with clients presently and in the future.
Other Evidence Outside of School and Field
Middle Eastern Club Peace Camp
During my time as the secretary of the Middle Eastern club, I attended a zoom meeting to learn about middle eastern culture in preparation for “Peace Camp” which was an event created by AMFA (Adventist Muslim Friendship Association). This event was intended to be a picnic with AMFA and the Middle Eastern Club. I chose this because I directly used the information I learned from the zoom meeting. I was aware of what the cultural norms were so that I would be culturally aware and competent. I believe that this is incredibly important for Social work practice, knowing who you work with and learning the cultural norms so that you are respectful to who they are.
I chose this event because I learned the importance of knowing who you are engaging with so that the engagement is more meaningful and comfortable for those that I encounter. I practiced self-reflection to know my gaps of knowledge, and practiced respect for people when I abided by those cultural norms.