Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences may affect their assessment and decision making.
Social workers:
a. apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies; and
b. demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan.
Competency #7 In Practice
Assessment is a critical part of how we practice as social workers. By continually assessing the strengths and needs of the individuals and communities we work with, we ensure that we keep our goals and approaches relevant to the situations we work in. This competency challenges me to integrate assessments into every stage of my work with clients and organizations instead of operating on assumptions of what people are skilled in and what goals they want to work towards. By utilizing assessments regularly, we can ensure that our clients and ourselves have mutually agreed upon goals. I am committed to demonstrating this competency in my practice by identifying the strengths of my clients and reflecting on my bias in the assessment-making process.
Evidence from class work:
My evidence from class work is our Community Pre-Profile Reflection for my groups Community Assessment for Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities. In this assignment, we detail our expectations and what we are planning on looking for as we complete our walk-through of a community as part of a comprehensive assessment project. Our group chose the East Lake neighborhood, and we were able to have some great conversations with key leaders in the community, make observations as we went through the neighborhood, and tour their new community center. This assignment is only one part of a larger project and shows an ability to assess various aspects of a community’s strengths, needs, and resources in a walk-through situation. As a result of this assignment, our group gained valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities facing the East Lake neighborhood and developed a deeper appreciation for and mastery of assessment in community engagement in social work practice.
Evidence from field:
In this Redacted Court Report I summarize several home interviews, phone calls, and a school visit that I completed in working this case. There were also several photos attached to this report that I will not include for confidentiality purposes. I included this particular court report because of the very thorough assessment this report provides. I assessed homes, caregiver competency, and the child’s well-being from a variety of angles. This experience provided me with an understanding of the legal processes involved in social work practice and the importance of thorough documentation in supporting our assessments and using that evidence to recommend positive outcomes for our clients. This court report shows the mastery I developed in assessing housing situations and caregiver safety and summarizing my findings effectively.
Other evidence:
I participated in the Homeless Census point-in-time count. We partnered with the Chattanooga Homeless Coalition to assess the needs and demographic information of people experiencing homelessness in Chattanooga. I went through an online survey with around ten individuals. Asking them questions about how long they have been experiencing homeless and which resources would potentially be helpful to them. Through this opportunity, I demonstrated competency in assessing the needs of individuals and collecting this data to assess the needs of a community. I was able to develop mastery of this competence by actively listening to their stories and utilizing the data collected to advocate for better resources and support for the homeless population in Chattanooga.
