Respond to two colleagues:
- Discuss how you would use the data collected by your colleague to guide the next step in the planned change process or to inform future work with clients.
1-REB-
I previously worked with a Hispanic woman in her late 40’s. She was profoundly deaf with mild cognitive impairment and limited communication because her family had taught her their own version of signed language. She was living with her sister at the time and her support team was having meetings to discuss the possibility of residential placement and what level would be most appropriate.
The person served had been eloping and it was not safe for her to continue living with her older sister; Her sister was not able to provide appropriate supervision.
I would have focused on the independent living skills she did have and referred her to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Center (DHHSC) for assistance in improving her communication skills. I also would have tried to work with her to identify the trigger for elopement and either reduce the trigger or teach her skills to replace elopement. I would also have recommended an independent living coach work with her on community navigation skills.
To measure the effectiveness of these interventions I would assess her communication skills at the beginning of any work with DHHSC and then again after about 6 months, I would track the frequency of elopement and her behavior and demeanor while out of the home. Lastly, I would have the independent living coach track progress on specific independent living skills and safety goals.
The instruments used to measure progress would be tracking tools developed by the programs intended to serve her population. These individual assessments are adapted to the individual’s abilities and SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and are designed to be strength-based. The analysis of elopement and the assessment of independent living skills are built into the services provided. A formal assessment rubric for communication skills would have to be developed by the service provider and care team.
2-ASHM-
eflect on your fieldwork or other professional experience and identify a case where it would have been beneficial to employ resiliency theory. Describe the case in 2 sentences.
I recall working with an African American male juvenile that was referred for diversion services at the PCSU (Portsmouth Court Services Unit) for fighting in school. This gentleman and his family informed that he is typically a good kid but made a wrong decision. He continues to get good grades and stays out of trouble.
Describe the presenting problem in one concise sentence.
This youth was at risk of receiving criminal charges but was able to effectively complete the diversion program and avoid recidivism despite his environmental factors.
Describe an intervention you would implement to promote resiliency.
Resilience as it relates to social work may broadly be understood as doing better than expected in the face of adversity (Turner, 2017). During the intake assessment I try to focus on the client’s strengths to empower them. Strength based approach is an intervention that can help promote resiliency. By focusing on his future goals, we can overcome any past mistakes. Resiliency explores the positive factors that can help youth overcome the negative effects of risk exposure, such as mental distress, problem behaviors, and outcomes (Zimmerman, 2013).
Identify an instrument from the Smith-Osborne and Whitehill Bolton’s article that would be appropriate when employing a single-subject design to evaluate how effective the intervention is in increasing the client’s level of resiliency. Explain why you selected the instrument.
The instrument from the Smith-Osburne and Whitehill Bolton’s article that would be appropriate when employing resiliency is the Resilience Skills and Abilities Scale (RSAS). Characteristics include skills and attributes that resilient people use in stressful situations, including rapid responsivity to danger, precocious maturity, dissociation of affect, information seeking, relationships, positive projective anticipation, decisive risk-taking, conviction of being loved, idealization of aggressor’s competence, cognitive restructuring of painful events, altruism, and optimism and hope (Jew, 1999). I chose this process because it can be effect with helping the social worker identify any stressors. The tool is cost effective and works well with adolescents.
