The Social Work Skills Workbook
Chapter 1
(Introduction)
1. As you reflect thoughtfully about the content and implications of this chapter, what are your initial reactions to the wide range of challenging roles, responsibility and functions undertaken by professional social workers?
Answer:
My initial reaction to the wide ranges of challenging roles, responsibility and function undertaken by the professional social workers is that it very different from what I had thought. A social worker needs to examine the whole situation of the client to effectively help them but the worker also has to be aware of the many solutions that could come to solving the problem. I anticipated that social worker can easily fix the problem within a couple of section but after reading this chapter I have developed a fuller understanding of what responsibilities and functions of a social workers.
2. Consider the lengthy array of knowledge, values, attitudes, qualities and abilities identified as essential for effective social workers. Which of these will be the most challenging for you? Why?
Answer:
The most challenging of the skills discussed above for me would most definitely be that of authenticity. I will find it difficult to “relate to others personally” within certain situations. Those individual who have raped or molested I hold much digest for and to be genuinely authentic would be very difficult. I have a strong desire to help people but it will be very hard for me to deal with these individuals but I am willing to work hard in changing this attitude.
3. Anticipate that you will need to commit several hours of focused study and practice each week in order to learn the skills addressed in this book. What will you need to do in order to ensure that you have the necessary time and motivation?
Answer:
To ensure that I will develop my skills as a social worker I will commit several hours on practicing the skills with family and friend and use the different stratigiesto help them in their lives. I will attempt to acquire certain skill from my placement through supervision by my field instructor and through the different cases and individuals that I will meet. I will ensure that I have time because I will use these skill in every area of my life which will in turn will motivate me to continue my quest to help those in need because I will be able to see the results through my school work, my placement experience and my daily life. This will encourage me to strive for the best result possible which will help more than just me but all those around me.
Chapter 2 (Professional Integrity)
Exercise 2-1 Integrity
1. What does the professional integrity mean to you and how does personal integrity relate to professional integrity?
Answer:
Professional integrity means to be honest towards the client. Co-worker, supervisor etc. It is being able to keep promises and commitments to those around you. Profession and personal integrity relates to each other because in each of these aspect you need to hold yourself to a high standard of morality in your life professional and personally but also you need to live your life honourably.
2. Would a social worker student ever be justified in lying to a professor? Would a social worker ever be justified in lying to a supervisor? A client? A judge?
Answer:
If you lie in any circumstances than you can keep on justifying every lie that your make. So personally there is never any excuse for lying, not to a professor, judge, supervisor, client or even your family. Once you start lying it just a continual cycle, thus though who trust you and need to believe the things that are being said will always question you creditability the most crucial aspect within any career.
3. As a social work student, you certainly sometimes experience feelings of stress and pressure when faced with the numerous demands and deadlines. You may occasionally be tempted to cheat in some fashion, perhaps by plagiarizing a paper or lying to a professor to obtain an extension. How do you deal with such temptations?
Answer:
Even though pressures to cheat, lie plagiarize are all around, I have never been tempted to do so. Personally, I feel that you need to take responsibility for the numerous demands that are asked of us. So that the hard work and countless all niter will pay off in the end because I will know that the grade that I obtain I achieved on my own.
4. Suppose you served on a peer-review jury for a fellow social work student who was caught cheating on an exam. The evidence is overwhelming. There is no doubt that the cheating was intentional. What should happen to that student?
Answer:
I believe everyone deserve a second chance. I believe the student should be reprimanded but not expelled from the university. The student should receive a failing grade and not have the opportunity to re-do the exam. The embarrassment and failing grade will be punishment enough for that student to learn their lesson.
5. Suppose you serve as the supervisor of a social worker who is responsible for overseeing the welfare of abused and neglected children placed in foster care homes. What would you do if you discovered that the social worker fraudulently reports make twice-weekly visits with each child when the truth is that most children receive visits about once every two to three months and some children had not been visited in more than four months? How would your decision about what to do be affected if (a) the children were all safe and healthy or (b) one of the unvisited children died as a result of abuse by the members of the foster family?
Answer:
In the social work profession we are responsible for peoples live and neglecting the well-being of children or any individual need to be dealt with. First I would report the social worker to the Ontario College of Social Workers, so that this incident would be perminately place on their record. Secondly, I would fire the social worker because it is clear that they can not handle the work load and it is putting children at risk. No matter the situation if the kids were healthy or ended up dying, as a supervisor you need to take control of the situation and warn other not to make the same incompetent mistake.
Exercise 2-3 Critical Thinking and Lifelong Learning
1. How much and what kind of a “critical thinker and lifelong learner” are you?
Answer:
Throughout my life I have strived to be a lifelong learner. I have learnt from my past mistakes and failures. In additionmy past successes and achievements. As well I have and always will be learning from others... If this quality were to be lacking it would almost be as if you would almost be as if you would be stagnated.I would categorize myself as a novice with regards to critical thinking.
2. Why might critical thinking and lifelong learning be more important for social workers during the 21st century?
Answer:
Lifelong learn is very important in the 21st century because there are always examination and explanations for different behaviours, discovering new ways the treat clients, furthermore social workers have developed new techniques with the practice of social work. Without the ability to lifelong learner social workers would be providing an injustice to the people they serve. Critical thinking is more important to social workers in the 21st century than ever before because the social work profession is not black and white. There are many situation the need a deep analysis the uncover the hidden problem .Social workers need to determine the array of areas that need to be examine to truly help the client..
3. Suppose you decided to become a proficient critical thinker, what steps might you takes to do so? What steps might you take to become a more effective lifelong learner?
Answer:
The steps I would take to become a more proficient critical thinker is to examine the past and present case studies and literature to fuller broaden my knowledge on the different skill and techniques used to help individuals. The steps I would take to become a more effective lifelong learner is I would continue to learn from my own mistakes, I would attempt to take risks with regards to my personal life but also with my profession life as a social work (e.g. Apply for a promotion, even though I might need a lot of training to actually be successful within that position). I would attend seminars, courses, workshops and read books, newspaper and magazine article to understand the changes that are occurring within our society.
Exercise 2-4 Family Genogram
1. What role or roles did you play in your family? At the present time, what role or roles do you tend to play in family or family like relationships?
Answer:
The role I play and have always played within my family was that of the peacekeeper. I hate confrontation, arguing and I feel that the atmosphere is less chaotic when there is peacekeeper to settle thing when peoples emotions gets away from them.
2. How was affection expressed in you family? At the present time, how do you tend to express affection?
Answer:
Affection within my family has always been a way for us to express our emotions to one other. Growing up with hugs and kisses on the forehead and cheek was a tradition before ever leaving the house. Saying ‘I Love you’ was a way for us kids to know that we could turn to are parent if we needed anything. Hearing I love you on a daily basis helped produce high self-esteem, confidence and the knowledge that you would always be coming home to a loving family.
3. How were feelings such as anger, fear, and joy expressed in your family? At this point in your life, how do you express these feelings?
Answer:
Anger fear and joy were expressed differently within my family. Growing up in a religious family we were never to knowledge fears but only pray to God for his help to overcome. Anger is a part of life, people get upset by comments, or acts made by individuals but we believed walking away and cooling off before having a discussion was a better for all parties involved. The way joy was expressed is through laughter, excitement, hugs and tears of happiness. Joy is always the best feeling to share with the members of your family. These feeling are still being expressed in this manner.
4. How were people (especially children), educated, guided and disciplined in your family? Who performed these socialization functions? Today, how do you attempt to educate or influence others?
Answer:
Within my family we were shown right from wrong; to respect others and to understand the values we were taught. We were guided to be our own people, not to following others, so we can take responsibility for our own mistakes. By doing this we would become content with who we are and who we would become. As for discipline, we were never spanked; we lost privileges according to our wrong behavior Our parent we able to take the time and teach us how to be productive member of society and by them doing this we are able to contribute to the community in many ways.. Today I attempt to influence and educate others through explaining the importance of being your own person. By achieving this goal you can accomplish great things.
5. How did you family reflect its ethnic and cultural identity and heritage? How do you?
Answer:
The way my family expresses their cultural identity is by traveling to the different areas my family came from. Speaking of the tales of the migration to Canada, and the courage and strength these people held. Carrying on traditions such as celebrating specific holidays, eating certain food performing rituals. I believe that keeping your cultural identity alive is an important part of life and I express my heritage by traveling to the homeland of my ancestors and carrying on specific tradition that are important to me.
6. What is your conception of the ideal family? How does it compare with your actual family experience?
Answer:
An ideal family contain characteristic of respect, love, caring individuals, who are able to speak their mind and be their own people. It is the differences in family member that make life interesting and I believe that my ideal family is my own. Because from the time I was born I have always felt love and care for and that is something I will treasure always.
Exercise 2-4 Eco-Map
1. Which relationships in your current situation enhance your energy level? Which deplete energy?
Answer:
My current relationships that enhance my current situation are my volunteer experience. I volunteer with Hospice of WindsorEssexCounty and I enjoy every minute of it. After my Grandfather died of Colon Cancer I began to volunteer for them because they were very supportive in my family’s time of need. Being able to give back to the community and help those in need of comfort and assistants really enhances my energy level. The relationship that depletes my energy level is that of my part-time job. I work at “Please Mum” and there is so much competition for sales and backstabbing that I am just drain by the time I leave work. I dread every minute accept the pay cheque.
2. How does your social situation affect the physical, intellectual, and emotional energy you have available for use in critical thinking and lifelong learning activities, service to clients, and other aspects of your social work roles?
Answer:
My personal social situation help me as a future social worker because within my life I feel supported, loved and energized which help with regards to critical thinking and lifelong learning activities.
3. What would you consider to be the ideal social situation? How does it compare with your current situation?
Answer:
The ideal social situation would contain respect, understanding and empathy. For a social situation to contain these elements it enables an individual to feel safe and comfortable within their environment. My ideal social situation and my current situation are very similar but I wouldn’t change a thing because you can learn a lot from social situation and grow into a better individual.
4. Given the nature of your present social situation, what kinds of clients and what issues would you be likely to elicit strong emotional reactions?
Answer:
Due to my current situation I would show a strong emotional reaction to those individuals who do not have a strong support system. Those individuals who are lacking a caring understanding and honesty relationship with their family and friends and are forced to discover life on their own make feeling of sorrow develop within me. I feel sorry for those who are unable to feel the love and caring feeling that an individual has the right to experience.
5. What changes in your current social situation might enhance the psychological, emotional, physical, cultural, spiritual, and social resources needed to provide high quality social work services to clients?
Answer:
Due to the way I was raise I have always shown others respect and support in any way I could. By being taught this at a very young age I will be able to provide a high quality of social work services to my client because I will be willing to explore and understand where the client in coming from. I will ensure that respect is always shown to my clients so that they will feel comfortable and confident enough in me to help them.
Exercise 2-4 Critical Events
1. What events or experiences in your life were “turning points” that led you to change directions or alter the course of your lifetime path?
Answer:
The event that leads me to alter of change my life path was that of my Grandfather’s death. I was unsure of what I really wanted to do with my life; I use to change career ideas from one day to the next. After my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer it was only a few month later that he past away. After seeing first hand the supports that Hospice and CCAC offered my family made me realize that I wanted to help those going through the same situation. So I decided that working with palliative care patient will enable me to remember my grandfather but also encourage those dying to hold on the live life to the fullest.
2. Look ahead ten or fifteen years. Assume that you continue along in your current life path. What significant events or experiences do you anticipate? How might those affect you?
Answer:
As I continue down my current life path I anticipate graduation with a BSW and working in palliative care. In a few years I tend to go back for my MSW and hope that one day I will obtain my PHD and be able to teach University. I will be married and have a couple kids and offer my children the same support and unconditional love my parent gave me.
3. Consider your critical-events timeline in relation to the roles and responsibilities of social workers. What do you see as the implications for you and your career as a social worker?