CASE ANALYSIS PAPER
Purpose
The final paper and oral presentation are learning exercises that assist you in integrating classroom learning with practicum experiences and provides you with the opportunity to present yourself as a skilled and confident professional.
Directions
The paper must be 10-12 pages long following APA 7th format. Papers must include 5 Peer-Reviewed Journal articles published within the past ten years; any fewer than this and you may lose points. Failure to follow proper APA 7th standards will also result in a loss of points.
First, the paper will focus on discussing entry-level practice in your specific practicum setting. For example, “Child Welfare: A Generalist Approach to Social Work Practice.” The paper is to be written in your own voice and in the first person (referring to yourself as “I”). It should describe your actual work, not a textbook ideal of what social work practice should be.
Following that, each student must select a case they are working on or observing in their practicum. You are asked to describe the case and the work you have done with the client system to-date. If you have done more observing than hands-on work, you can formulate a hypothetical case in order to complete the assignment. You are expected to dialogue with the text (i.e. refer to ideas presented in the text and discuss your thoughts about how those ideas are useful or not useful in your work with the client system identified.)
This aspect of the paper will focus on your client system, your interactions with them, observations with them, and growth over the period of time you have been working with them. You will discuss the ways in which they fit into the agency (or do not), the phases of generalist practice applied to them, an assessment of your impact on them, the relevant concepts/theories, policies you can apply to this case, and lastly a summary and conclusion of your time spent working with the client.
Content areas to be addressed are as follows:
Define What You Understand Generalist Social Work Practice to be and Discuss Your Agency
Define what you understand Generalist Social Work Practice is
Identify your practicum context and the client system(s) served by your agency/organization (e.g. State the name, address, and phone number of the agency and your practicum instructor).
Note the geographical territory served by this agency. What social welfare policies (government rules, laws, or regulations) direct the operations of this agency?
What are the client systems served by this agency? Give general demographic characteristics of the target population.
What is the mission of the agency? Why is this agency needed in this particular area? What social problem does this agency address? What is the social work function/purpose at the agency–how does social work help the agency fulfill its mission?
What evidence do you have of the host agency’s efforts to respond to aspects of their clients’ diversity?
In order to perform as a social worker in this agency, what type of social work skills does one need? Which skills and techniques did YOU use in your work with clients in your agency context?
What ethical issues appear in working with your agency’s client population? (Example: if working with an adolescent, there may be concerns around confidentiality or informed consent.)
Discuss your Client System
Explain why you selected the client/consumer case you are writing about.
Describe the client/consumer. Physical appearance, ability, age, class, gender, physical and mental health status, religious orientation, affect, etc.
Presenting Problem of client/consumer.
Biopsychosocial Assessment, Is diversity / multiculturalism a factor here?
Goals and Objectives for work with this client/consumer
Phases of Generalist Practice Applied to Case
Describe what you have done with the client/consumer and what phase (s) of the helping process you have engaged in with this client?
How effective have you been in engaging the client/consumer? What would you do differently if you had another opportunity in working with a similar client?
What difficulties if any, did you have and/or anticipate in working with this client
How would you say your past experience, values, beliefs, attitudes, fears affected your behavior with this client?
What application of the social work Code of Ethics did you witness, experience, assert during this assignment?
Identify and discuss relevant concepts/theories, policies you can apply to this case.
What relevant concepts/theories, and policies are useful to know about to guide your work in this agency/organizational context, and/or with similar clients?
Summary/Conclusion
What have you learned from your experience in this agency, and in working with this client?
How will you evaluate success or failure in working with clients in the future? What does the research say?
What more would you like to learn in being a social worker?
What connections do you see between classroom learning and your field experiences?
Client Analysis Template Available on BlackBoard
Suggested Resources
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER has an online archive of hundreds of articles that are freely available to you The New Social Worker currently publish three issues per year and also publishes new online articles throughout the year.
The New Social Worker website is: http://www.socialworker.com.
Field Placement
Social Work Ethics
Technology
Social Work Practice (micro/mezzo/macro)
Reviews & Commentary (Books, Movies)
Social Work Careers/Job Search
Education & Credentials
Real World Clinical
Clinical Intersections
Social Worker Self-Care
Social Work Month 2019
Regular contributors include:
Allan Barsky, Esq. (social work ethics)
Elizabeth J. (Betsy) Clark (social work career issues, leadership development)
Stephen Cummings (social work technology)
Jennifer Luna (social work career development)
Erlene Grise-Owens (self-care)
SaraKay Smullens (film reviews and commentary)
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