Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
As a social worker, I have aimed to learn the NASW Code of Ethics and I will persistently seek out ways to integrate these ethical practices into every aspect of my work. I will present myself in such a way that demonstrates my professionalism in the way I speak, the way I appear, and the way I act. Throughout the past year, I have integrated these things so that I can provide quality service to clients. I will utilize my professional skills to constantly present myself as a person who is modest, ethical, mature, and focused on effectively approaching work tasks. It is so much my hope that I can help my clients and those I work with to understand how much I care to give them the best help which they deserve. I will continuously seek guidance and feedback about my efforts from other professionals who similarly abide by the NASW Code of Ethics. I will constantly seek out connections between my practice events and the ethical expectations for social workers. I hope to show to those around me that I am competent and value them based on these things.
PRACTICE BEHAVIORS:
1A: Develop a practice framework for analysis of complex environments, that is ethical, value-grounded, and evidenced-based.
Academic Evidence:In my Advanced Administrative Practice II course, I was asked to explain a personal scenario which I experienced where an ethical dilemma was present in the workplace. I read and analyzed an ethical model—Treviño And Nelson 8 Steps approach to ethical decision-making—and applied the concept to the event I had experienced (cognitive level: application). In this process, I was able to understand how to utilize an existing, evidence-based model for ethical decision-making in order to reach an outcome which integrates values and best protects the stakeholders.
Field Evidence:At my first supervision meeting in the field setting, my supervisor and I emphasized the importance of integrating the NASW Code of Ethics into all of our professional endeavors. Together we reviewed the NASW Code of Ethics (affective level: receiving), I analyzed how the social work values can be incorporated into the education system, and I planned to address these ethical codes in each situation I would encounter in the field setting. Furthermore, my supervisor and I printed off the NASW Standards for School Social Workers to review, discuss, and have on hand in order to apply the guidelines to our work. Throughout our discussions, I have further increased my skills in remembering the ethical codes themselves, and by understanding how they should be integrated into practice.
Other Evidence: At my practicum placement in December, my supervisor and I were asked to move our office to a different location in the building. The new office provided us with several benefits, however, in the first few days I was working I realized a perceived ethical problem: there was a clear window in the room where I met with students which allowed any person walking through the library to see into the space. The NASW Code of Ethics emphasizes the strict need for confidentiality in social work practice, and I believed that this setup caused a conflict for that privacy to be upheld (cognitive level: evaluation). After a discussion with my supervisor, we crafted a plan to address the issue: we would purchase a curtain and strategically place it where it would successfully prohibit outside viewers from seeing in. After seeking permission from the appropriate faculty members, we implemented this plan. Attached here is the journal entry where I describe this situation. Here is a link to the journal entry where I reflect on this experience:Journal Jan 1.
1B: Implement supervisory and self-care strategies that integrate professional strengths, limitations, and challenges.
Academic Evidence: At the start of the Clinical II course, my professor provided students with several self-care activities to integrate throughout the semester on our own time. Two of these self-care activities included breathing and relaxation techniques, and I found them personally useful in helping me to calm down whenever I felt stress come up. In order to effectively implement self-care strategies into my course experiences, I made it a goal to listen to a recording a least once a week when I was finished with working on homework. In doing this, I allowed myself to relax and remove my thoughts from stressful planning. Here is a link to one of the relaxation videos I use in my self-care routine.
Field Evidence: As a school social work intern, my supervisor and I discussed the topic of self-care every week. At my first supervision, we read an article posted by the School Social Work Association of America which addressed the importance and need for self-care amongst school social workers. Together, we made it our goal to incorporate self-care into our work days by going for 30-minute walks in-between seeing students. Also, we each would hold each other accountable to take part in self care at least once a week while we were not at work. In each supervision, the two of us would explain what we did to get quality self-care practices incorporated into our daily lives. Furthermore, each week we would formally hold a one-hour supervision to discuss, analyze, and evaluate our practice experiences, including how each of the situations encountered could be looked at through the lens of a social worker. Below is an image I took as we were about to start our walk in the beautiful morning fog.
Other Evidence: During the time when schools were closed in response to Covid-19, I researched articles written for social work and mental health professionals to aid them during the complex times. I read an article called “Managing Social Work ‘Need Complex’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic” written by Elizabeth Clark. This article touched on the tendency of social workers and similar professionals to overextend themselves in times where they believe there are major needs. The author gave tips on strategies to protect oneself from what is called “need complex,” where a social worker is at high risk of burnout. One of the major points which was made is that social work professionals need to prioritize their own self-care practices, regardless of how pressing the amount of needs might be. After reading and reflecting on this article, I personally chose to form a structure and plan (affective level: responding) for how I would protect my self-care activities and implement the advice described in the article during the times of self-quarantining.
1C: Exhibit commitment to professional growth through continuing education, supervision, and ongoing consultation.
Academic Evidence: This year I was given the opportunity to have a cohort mentor for the Clinical Interventions class. This person is a professor for the School of Social Work who additionally practices as an LCSW. Throughout the course, I aimed to earn new knowledge about group therapy sessions and exhibit those skills by in-class demonstrations and out-of-class video recordings. My professional mentor would oversee my attempts to apply evidence-based skills in a pseudo-session environment (affective level: receiving). On several occasions throughout the semester, this mentor would give me detailed feedback about my strengths and areas of growth as they applied to the course exercises. This mentor would evaluate my abilities to effectively demonstrate the knowledge and skills discussed, and I would respond by applying the feedback throughout the weeks we had together. Here is a link to my mentor’s feedback form which she gave me in response to a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy video demonstration: 20 min Feedback Rachel.
Field Evidence: Over the course of nine months, I was able to participate as a school social work intern for Chickamauga City Schools. My supervisor and I structured our schedules to allow for one hour each week which we dedicated to a formal supervision meeting. In these meetings, I aimed to integrate the NASW Code of Ethics into our discussions, openly analyze the various situations I encountered in work, and reflect on the quality of the practicum experience (cognitive level: application). In order to stay up-to-date on new and relevant education, research, and news, I attended the School Social Workers district meeting at Calhoun High School in February. At this meeting, several professionals were given the opportunity to speak about effective practices which they were implementing into their school systems, and two speakers presented on relevant, evidence-based data which related to experiences of students. Here is an attachment of theSSWAG agenda 2 2020 which I attended.
Other Evidence: In March, I decided to join the School Social Workers Association of Georgia (SSWAG). SSWAG encompasses a vast amount of practicing or retired school social workers in Georgia and surrounding areas. This association provides professionals with the opportunity to collaborate, connect, and share relevant or useful information as it relates to the social work realm. Since joining SSWAG, I have been given the chance to read through articles and access resources which provide me the opportunity to increase my competencies, skills, and knowledge through reading articles or attending events which offer continuing education (affective level: receiving). Here is a link to SSWAG’s website, complete with membership benefits and resources.
1D: Demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills.
Academic Evidence: During the Advanced Administrative Practices course, I had the opportunity to design a program called iCARE, which aims to address the issues of burnout, compassion fatigue, and exhaustion in hospice employees who are constantly working hard to meet the needs of others (cognitive level: synthesis). Throughout this process, I utilized and implemented my skills of clear and effective writing and speaking. I communicated my research findings, plans, and ideas throughout a final program proposal. I displayed my ability to publicly speak and present to a crowd when I talked about the iCARE program in a powerpoint presentation (iCare PPT copy) to my class at the end of the semester. Through this, I was able to expand upon the value of competence as I integrated my knowledge and skills into the process of presenting information to others.
Field Evidence: Throughout my time at Chickamauga City Schools, I was required to both gather important information about students from teachers and faculty members as well as appropriately reach out and communicate information to school administrators and other relevant professionals. On several occasions, I would need to analyze students’ academic performances in order to understand factors affecting their overall well-being. I would send out emails to the specific teachers involved with the student, and I would respectfully and professionally request information in a way which protected the confidentiality of the matter at hand. Also, several scenarios lead me to reach out verbally to school personnel, including the Student Resource Officer, the School Counselors, the Principals, and the Superintendent. As I carried out professional communication amongst these administrators, I was sure to incorporate my skills of effective inter-professional collaboration while I aimed to honor the dignity and worth of the students whom I would be discussing. Here:Email to Teachers is an attachment with a drafted email which models the words I would send out to teachers and faculty members.
Other Evidence: Throughout the past year, I have utilized my skills and knowledge about professionally and respectfully communicating with a variety of people in a wide range of settings. In my practicum setting, in school courses, and at community events I have met with, discussed, and communicated various social work-relevant topics amongst professionals and clients. I have attended several meetings with Unidi-Ed of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute, School Social Workers Association of Georgia, and other professionals and community members in the Chattanooga and Nashville areas (affective level: responding). I have attended Hamilton County school board meetings where I have met stakeholders. I have accompanied clients to court rooms and truancy treatment team meetings. In these events, I have emphasized my capabilities to be competent in communication, and I have incorporated the social work value of service to present myself as an effective professional in this field. Below is a picture of myself and some colleagues at the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute’s Holiday networking event in December 2019.
