Giannone-Evaluation of Practice

Wayne State University SW 4442 Laura Giannone 004321864 Evaluation of Practice Paper

Giannone-Evaluation of Practice

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is Michigan's public assistance, child and family welfare agency. This agency in particular focuses mainly on child welfare and provides services that are required by state law to help individuals and families. The child welfare system serves some of our nations most vulnerable and troubled children and families. The goal of child welfare services is to provide an array of prevention and intervention services to children and families. Through DHS, my internship entails working with foster care reunification. The central focus that is stressed through this

process is that children are usually best looked after within their family and we, as the workers are entitled to make this happen as best as we know how. Through my experience so far, I now identify myself as a professional social worker and have learned to conduct myself accordingly. I have applied social work ethical principles to guide me in my professional practice. I have also engaged in diversity and difference in practice, as well as evaluating individuals, and families in their environment and community. I have familiarized myself with the foster care culture as well as the community and gained an understanding on ethical standards. I have also become more knowledgeable on the importance of social workers ethical responsibilities to clients and

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colleagues, as well as social workers ethical responsibilities in practice settings, such as home visits and supervised visits, and their responsibilities as professionals in court or in the office. Throughout my internship at DHS I have developed an array of skills that has helped me grow not only as a social worker but as a person as well. I have been given the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people that for me has opened my eyes and allowed me to gain a different perception on certain aspects of life and how people function. I have gained many insights from my supervisor and the social workers I have shadowed over the past six months but mainly it is the experience I have gained from working with the clients that has taught me the most. The clients have taught me most of what I know now opposed to what I knew before starting at DHS. This experience so far has shined a major light on culture awareness. I have become more aware of my own values and biases, which has helped me better work with clients. I am learning the impact of culture and diversity on a persons perception of their world and have tried to take all perspectives in to account. I am continuously acquiring a growing knowledge base about clients cultures that can be applied to practice and am considerate and appreciative of their differences. I am learning

Giannone-Evaluation of Practice

the nature of oppression and social diversity as they apply to various groups. Currently I am supervising family visits which have helped me develop an array of skills from my experience alone. Working amongst different people has assisted me on gaining a better understanding on other cultures and their expectations. This has also helped me better interact with the clients as well. I can only hope that my culture awareness and knowledge continues to flourish throughout this experience to better myself and most importantly the people I encounter on a daily and professional level. In my opinion I believe that one of the most effective skills we can obtain, especially as social workers are to listen and observe before taking affirmative action. I can say with confidence that this is a skill that I proudly portray. By listening and observing I am able to gain much more knowledge and insight about my clients. It is much easier to help someone when obtaining these skills so that we can gain a better understanding of who they are and where theyre coming from. It is amazing to me how much people are willing to open up to you, when they realize you are willing to listen to them. Over time I have come to learn that it is all about how we present

Giannone-Evaluation of Practice

ourselves to our clients. The more approachable we are towards them the more openly communicative they will be with us. Being that I have been given the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people I have been privileged enough to experience different behaviors, beliefs, and backgrounds that are portrayed by these clients. It is extremely important to pay close attention to all aspects of the person themselves and their problem/s, whether it is something that is verbally stated or what has happened under the surface. As a social worker I find it to be crucial to take all information that is given to us and read in-between the lines in order to understand the situation at its fullest. The more respectful and the less invasive or intrusive I come across, the more information I have been able to attain and the more relationships I have been able to develop with the clients. I have learned that in this line of work boundaries are an essential skill to have and to be aware of. There are different levels of boundaries and different comfort zones that vary with each and every individual. It is our job as social workers to

familiarize ourselves with those levels of comfort that our clients may portray so that we can approach them in the most respectable manner.

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Creating a comfort zone with our clients allows us to build a report which then allows us to get much closer in gaining insight on how to hopefully help them. These clients want to talk to someone; and they want to be heard, by listening and being respectful we give them those opportunities. The more experience I gain at my internship the more familiar I have become on picking up on particular behaviors and mannerism. Working with various groups of people has opened my eyes to many different possibilities. People tend to behave according to different norms and have different expectations. While dealing with group dynamics and processes, I am learning how to make adjustments according to the unique background of the people I am helping. I have learned to think in new ways about human behavior, attending not only to the individual but also to the dynamics between all people involved. I have also gained a different perception and ultimately a new found respect on what diversity really is and what it has to offer to society. It is important to learn to look at the bigger picture of how each persons actions fit within a larger context of his or her world, as well as that of the group. Also, to be aware of their reasoning and rationale behind why they got where they are. With that being said it has become easier for me to gain a better understanding of the components and dynamics of client systems in order to help infer problems.

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A lot of the cases I deal with are extremely unfortunate and dont always end up having the outcome wed hoped for but even with that being said there are still positive aspects to look at with every case. I am learning to train myself, with

help, to try and look at every situation I deal with and take something positive from it. I am trying my best to learn how to turn work on and off and not allow it to drastically take a toll on me so that it doesnt affect my family and other relationships I obtain. This is a skill that I struggle with constantly and I believe with time I will eventually be able to develop this skill. I understand that with this line of work there is never going to be a clear cut solution which can be hard to accept at times, but I am in understanding with that and am trying to adapt as best as I know how. With time my skills continue to develop and I continue to become a stronger social worker and a stronger person as well. I absolutely love what I am doing and hope to continue working in this field. The client's I have worked amongst have taught me much more than I could have ever imagined. I've had the opportunity to work with some incredible people and I feel extremely fortunate for that. Each day I learn more and more from my clients and from the experience I gain while working

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with them. At this point my only hope is that my clients have learned half as much from me as I have learned from them.