Case Study Response Assignment Instructions
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to assess how a social work student’s personal history can impact them as a professional – both positively and negatively.
Many of us have stories of our own, of suffering or difficulty that prompted us to pursue social work as a profession. These experiences can present both valuable assets and challenging obstacles. It is essential that we can cultivate a habit of self-reflection, so we can process those experiences and manage our own values, attitudes, beliefs, biases, emotions that may be connected to those experience and serve our client’s best interests. We must achieve a level of healing before we can capably serve others as a helper.
This process of self-reflection and self-correction is key to developing as a professional. In fact, this is so essential that the Council on Social Work Education has identified professional and ethical behavior as one of the nine core competencies for every social worker. Your willingness to engage in a continual process of seeking and incorporating feedback into your own growth process is essential. This ensures that clients are served well and is critical for ethical practice. Please do not hesitate to discuss these matters with our faculty or inquire about available resources. Our goal as a department is to help each of our students develop as a whole person to be the best social workers they can be. You will find that this journey of growth continues throughout the social work program and one’s career.
Instructions
For this assignment, you will consider how a fictional student’s personal history could enhance her effectiveness as a social worker and how it also can create challenges. You also will reflect on your own history. Be assured that the purpose of this exercise is to facilitate reflection so feedback and resources can be provided to assist students in their growth journeys.
1) Review the materials in the course module regarding ACEs.
2) Read the Case Scenario Mia for Case Study Response Assignment item, the Esaki & Larkin (2018) article entitled Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among Child Service Providers, and the What’s in the ACEs Quiz? document, all found in the Case Study Response Resources section.
3) Complete the ACES quiz as if you were Mia and calculate her ACES score.
4) Write a 1000-word response to Mia’s case, responding to the following prompts. Your paper must be in APA format, with an appropriate title page. No additional references outside course materials are necessary. Include the headings listed below. Conform to the formatting of the Case Study Response Template to write your paper. Be sure to demonstrate an understanding of concepts from the readings, especially the Esaki & Larkin (2018) article.
a. Mia’s Score: What is Mia’s ACES score? Briefly explain, providing justification for the score. (200 words)
b. Asset: Identify ONE way that you think Mia’s history could be an asset to her as she seeks to serve children at risk. Justify your response. (200 words)
c. Challenge for clients: Identify ONE possible negative implication for Mia in terms of how her history could impact the quality of services she could provide to her clients (i.e. assessment or intervention) and explain. Be sure to demonstrate an understanding of concepts from the readings. (200 words)
d. Challenge for Social Work Student: Identify ONE possible negative implication for Mia herself – her own thoughts and/or feelings and explain. Be sure to demonstrate an understanding of concepts from the readings. (200 words)
e. Implications for me: Reflect on your own life experiences. Select ONE life challenge. How do you think that experience can be a valuable asset and how could it present potential challenges (either impacting your clients or yourself). Identify at least one asset and one challenge and explain. Be sure to demonstrate an understanding of concepts from the readings. (200 words) I WILL FILL THIS SECTION IN
f. References: You must cite from the Esaki & Larkin (2018) article multiple times within your paper. This and any other sources used must be cited in-text and within a references page in APA format.
Academic Integrity:
All assignments are designed to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their own knowledge and competency in application of that knowledge. Please note that your assignment may be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool, and other sources. The LU Academic Dishonesty policy applies to all assignments, including discussions. Using any material without giving appropriate credit to the author through proper citation is a breach of both academic and professional integrity and will result in sanctions according to the policy.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
