Agency Learning Goals
Distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom
- Discuss the information from the peer-reviewed articles with the supervisor
- Participate in supervision sessions
- Examine agency reports
- Point out the differences between the information obtained from different sources
- Define what sources are better to use in particular situations
Analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation
- Examine and analyze a guide for these practices
- Identify confusing areas
- Discuss these areas with the supervisor
Demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, and colleagues
- Complete required documents
- Respond to emails and phone calls/messages timely and professionally
- Analyze the best practices of effective communication maintained by the rest of the personnel
- Point out several communications patterns that can be advantageous in the workplace
View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants
- Ask for help and advice from other personnel
- Engage other professionals in learning
- Discuss with them different learning opportunities available in the workplace
- Develop a plan for their possible future utilization
Analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being
- Review the manual
- Identify those policies that are confusing
- Think of the way they affect social well-being
- Develop several personal policies to improve social well-being
- Address them to the supervisor
Continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services
- Check the availability of updated material and report on them
- Attend conferences and team meetings
- Investigate client charts and think of the changes in the client population
- Consider why these changes are observed and how they can influence adoption practices
- Discuss personal ideas with the supervisor
Substantively and affectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Review client charts
- Discuss particular cases of adoption with the supervisor
- Observe client sessions maintained by other professionals and the supervisor
- Analyze organizations and communities that are served
- Think of the way they differ and how it affects adoption
Personal Learning Goals
Practice personal reflection; self-correction to assure continual professional development
- Make notes in the reflective log
- Reconsider professional behaviors and develop personal feedback
- Consult a supervisor to obtain additional feedback
- Point out the way self-correction will be maintained
Attend to professional roles and boundaries
- Review the manual to define professional roles and boundaries observed currently
- Inform clients of the personal position and the power available within the organization
Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication
- Follow the policies of the social services system and perform all steps of complex processes according to the organizational guideline
- Dress up and communicate following social norms and agency rules
- Think of the way these norms and rules are followed by the rest of the personnel
- Discuss how the adherence can be improved (if needed)
Use supervision and consultation
- Interact with clients to define similar experiences
- Discuss the feelings
- Think of the assistance that may be required by clients and define several particular cases
- Focus on the clients and the way they behave
- Try to identify when they feel uncomfortable and require some help or reassurance
- Help clients in practice, explaining the information they find confusing or difficult to understand
Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power
- Analyze peer-reviewed articles to define cultural differences
- Point out the influences of different cultures on the way they affect privilege and power
- Examine client charts
- Define how their cultural background can affect their chances of adoption and its outcomes
- Define the client’s privilege and power and develop a plan to enhance them
- Focus on some professionals in the agency
- Gather background information about their culture
- Examine previous events and make notes of the current ones to see how their cultural structures and values influence privilege and power
- Think of personal culture and its effect in the same manner
- Discuss personal considerations with the supervisor
Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups
- Define personal values with the help of several tests/questionnaires
- Consider possible biases based on those values that may occur while performing personal duties
- Think of the way they can be eliminated
- Develop a plan and discuss it during a supervision session
Professional Learning Goals
Advocate for client access to the services of social work
- Provide several referrals in the framework of post-adoption planning
- Think of a couple of real cases of adoption that faced some issues
- Point out how these issues could be eliminated if there was a professional who advocated for clients in another way
Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work Statement of Principles
- Review the code of ethics and underline the most critical standards that can enhance decision-making
- Based on the code of ethics describe how conflicts should be resolved
- Learn about a particular aspect of the provided service and its implication on practice
- Discuss differences and similarities of what was learned in class and placement
- Think of the reasons for these differences and define what should be done to align theory and practice for the future students to avoid these issues
Tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts
- Discuss how to implement ethic principles in practice
- Think of the situations when ambiguity can be experienced
- Define those ethical principles that should be used as a guide to resolving conflicts
- Consider the possibility of exceptions and address it to the supervisor
Recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences
- Complete client assessments
- Define the client’s differences in the framework of their life experiences
- Develop a list of key points that should be practiced to appreciate diversity and reduce the influence of personal judgments
- Make notes on what can be learned from a diverse client population
- Define several situations from personal life experiences and think of the way they could be affected by diversity
Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination
- Gather epidemiological information regarding the topic
- Assess several clients to reveal the situation within the community
- Develop a plan to eliminate oppression and discrimination
Use research evidence to inform practice
- Summarize and critique peer-reviewed articles
- Point out the best practices discussed in them and think of their utilization
Critique and apply knowledge to understand person and environment
- Prepare a plan to get to know information about clients and their environment
- Assess clients to ensure that they are ready to adopt a child and can find a common language with him/her (focusing on some case)
- Choose some theory and consider how it applies to a client
- Discuss your work with the supervisor
Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
- Point out those interpersonal skills that are critical for practice
- Define how and when they should be used
- Address clients, using them
Collect, organize, and interpret client data
- Examine client chart
- Interview a client
- Prepare a review of the obtained information
- Interpret findings with the focus on the client’s opportunity to adopt a child
Assess client strengths and limitations
- Examine client chart
- Point out one’s strengths and limitations considering adoption opportunities
- Think of the ways one’s strengths can be advanced and limitations eliminated or at least minimalized
- Discuss this plan with the supervisor
Help clients resolve problems
- Interact with clients and ask them about possible issues or misunderstandings
- Offer several ways to solve them
Facilitate transitions and endings
- Examine client charts of those clients who will not require services soon
- Develop a plan to minimalize cooperation step by step