Chord

Throughout my journey of discovering my role and beginning my work in the field of social work, I have slowly begun to unravel and mold the type of professional I would like to be. While shadowing, supervision, schooling, and in my own personal experience I am forming the way I would like to be. It is important to keep in mind the way one communicates, responds, and places boundaries with not only our clients but with colleagues. Starting the relationships on good terms is important because this…

As with most agencies, T. Medina agrees that the main goal at Mark Twain Behavioral Health is providing good quality services. She states that her agency provides services like, PSR groups or Psychosocial Rehabilitation groups, medication management, community support, managing case work, and addressing physical, as well as mental health (personal communication, September 27, 2016). This list of services might include encouraging socialization with peers, linking clients to services such as…

On my second day at clinical I observed an interaction between a client and two Occupational Therapists (OT) that really emphasised the importance of ‘capacity building’ and how it facilitates ‘empowerment’. A community OT was assessing the client for a new assistive mobility device. During the assessment the community OT directed all his questions to the Gage OT and never specifically asked the client about what she needed or required from the new piece of equipment. The community OT acted like…

During this week at my agency, I indulged in the following activities which includes; attending the team meeting, observed, sat in for intakes, med-checks as well as carried out a family therapy session. The first client scheduled for this week did not show up for session, but her mother called the agency stating that she forgot their appointment and rescheduled. On the other hand, my young client who is diagnosed with ADHD showed up for intake with her mother. Even though the agency already…

Role Play Reflection Before doing the video, I became somewhat anxious at the thought of being on camera; knowing that I was going to be evaluated did not help my anxiety at all. After all, I am an introvert; even at that I love listening to people talk about their life’s experiences, and love to help them resolve their issues whenever possible. This is one reason I am looking forward to learning more about the social work field. I have always been careful at how much advice I offer a person;…

Explain your understanding of the rationale for this EBP model. My time as a case manager, in a harm reduction program for homeless veterans has allowed me to have weekly sessions with a client for over two months now. The client is an Army vet with a history of substance abuse secondary to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In my effort to asses the client’s mental health on a weekly basis, I took notice in how the Feedback Informed Intervention (FIT), provided a unique opportunity for me…

• This week at the Crisis Center was a bit uneventful compared to the previous weeks since I have started. I participated in a Residential Emergency Shelter Check In on Thursday, September 15th with a client who had not had any previous contact with the agency. The client, Amy*, had recently been in abusive situation with her boyfriend and was seeking out a safe place to stay. The client completed the intake with a volunteer over the phone and was approved for shelter by an approval staff…

In this role play, the counselor did a great job probing the client for more information and details in order to develop a deeper understanding of what the client was saying and meant. Anytime the client was vague or even unclear,it allowed the counselor to seek a better understanding by simply asking questions such as “what exactly did you mean by your boss is only harshly demanding of you at work” or “could you tell me more about the situation”, in order for the counselor to gain…

The critical elements of Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be remembered using the acronym OARS, which stands for: open ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summarizing (HeartFoundationAust, 2012). With the first element, opened ended questions, they help the client disclose more about themselves and helps the therapist gauge the client’s willingness to change. For example the therapist might ask “What would you like to change about your life style? (HeartFoundationAust, 2012)” The…

Assignment #1 Engagement Strategy When first meeting with a client, it is imperative to establish rapport, as well as engaging the client. In order to build rapport, a social worker must create a safe and welcoming environment in which the client feels accepted, understood, and respected. The most important moments of the relationship between the social worker and the client often happens at the beginning of the relationship, the initial contact (Birkenmaier, Berg-Weger, & Dewess, 2013,…