Assignment:
Becoming a Better Practitioner (BBP) Assignment
Monitoring clients' perceptions of the change process and their own improvement is central to client-centered social work practice. It is also a key ingredient in improving the skills and expertise of the social worker. The purpose of this assignment is for you to monitor your work with client systems and use the feedback to improve your social work practice skills. The term "client" here refers broadly to the individuals or groups that you are serving or engaging inclient" here refers broadly to the individuals or groups that you are serving or engaging in change efforts with. If the nature of your work makes it impossible to obtain feedback directly from clients, then you can solicit feedback from another observer (field instructor, colleague, etc.), or from indirect data sources (observing body language, etc.). In any case, you will record this feedback over time (3-5 weeks), along with the changes you make in your practice in response to this feedback. Your descriptions of these changes should be specific and concrete. You will then integrate the numerical data, client feedback, and your practice changes in a final report. In appropriate settings, students may use the ORS/SRS tools to complete this assignment.
Part 1 - Proposed Design
• Practice Setting and Role - (One paragraph)
• Define the 'Client' - who is the focus of your practice efforts?
• Goal statement - What element of social work practice quality would you like to assess in your own work?
• Describe three viable tools/approaches to measure this aspect of quality. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses related to the reliability and validity of each approach.
• Select one approach and define your mark of success (clinical cut-off score, etc.)
• Evaluation Design - Complete the evaluation design worksheet. (Discuss evaluation design in body of paper, include worksheet in appendix).
• Create the measurement form itself (include in appendix).
• (5-pages maximum [not including title page, references, or appendices)
Part 2 - Field Test
After obtaining approval from the professor and field instructor, pilot your evaluation approach once or twice and observe how it works. Submit your notes on Blackboard and present to your consultation groups, receive feedback. Make the necessary improvements and changes to your approach.
Part 3 - Final Report
• Client System Summaries - (client demographic information, presenting concern, primary goal(s) of your work) (1 paragraph each) (3-clients minimum). For students reporting on single contact roles and groups, please provide an overall summary across clients or distinct groups of clients that you worked with.
• Summary of data - Use a combination of graphs and qualitative description.
• Draw conclusions about your practice (did the quality of your work improve, decline, or remain the same?).
• Please describe three occasions in which you allowed client feedback or data to guide your practice (Refer to specific sessions or dates). For each occasion, please describe:
1) What feedback or data you received,
2) how you replied in that moment (if in-person), and
3) What changes you made to your practice as a result of their feedback. Be VERY SPECIFIC here about what was said and what you changed. I need to be able to "see" what you changed. Global phrases such as "I became more sensitive" will not work here. (3 paragraphs)
• Draw conclusions about the reliability and validity of your evaluation design, and discuss changes you would make if you could do it all over again.
• Discuss your own growth as a social worker through this process. What skills and abilities have you developed? Be very specific.
• (9-pages maximum [not including title page, references, or appendices)