Discussion 1: Treatment Evaluation

Many social work students dread taking research classes. They often view the courses as unnecessary to be a good social worker when, in fact, the opposite is true. How do you really know that your interventions are working, unless you evaluate them? As a social worker it is essential to identify in a quantifiable manner whether a treatment is helping the client or if it needs to be abandoned for another approach. In the past, social workers depended on recognizing a client's progress through their own observations. Today, with a significant push both in the field of social work and among insurance companies to provide evidenced-based practice, social workers now are expected, more than ever, to evaluate their practice. Selecting the proper measurement/evaluation tool, based on the clients' presenting concerns and treatment goals, will provide the evidence-based practice that is expected by the field.

For this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources, including the course-specific case studies. Select either Abdel or Pedro from the course-specific case studies provided and search the Mental Measures Yearbook database to identify potential scales that could be used to evaluate the treatment. Select one of the scales you identified and consider why it might be useful in evaluating treatment. Finally, think about the validity and reliability of that scale.

Note: The course-specific case study you select should differ from the case study you selected in Week 6.
Post by Day 3 a description of the scale you might use to evaluate treatment for the client in the case study you selected and explain why you selected that scale. Be sure to reference the case study you selected in your post. Finally, explain the validity and reliability of that scale.

Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Read a selection of your colleagues' posts.

Discussion 2: Management of Planned and Unplanned Termination

Ending a client relationship can be just as difficult as ending a personal relationship. In fact, while much of the literature addresses when to terminate, a more significant topic is the feelings that surround termination. Depending on the client and the length of treatment, saying goodbye can be hard for both of you. As a result, you should prepare for termination and the feelings surrounding this step of the GIM process early in the client-social worker relationship.

While you generally anticipate that successful treatment will lead to the eventual termination of the client relationship, there are a variety of other reasons for why this relationship might come to an end. There might be a set number of sessions the client's insurance will allow, or maybe the end of your internship is quickly approaching. Maybe termination results from the unexpected, like a new job, an illness, or the client leaves without notice. Regardless of the cause, you and your client must be prepared for the end of your working relationship. Not discussing termination can result in uncomfortable feelings, including anger and disappointment for the client.

As the social worker, you might feel disappointed about not being able to see the treatment through to completion. Even when termination is a planned event, clients might respond with anger, increased silence, missed sessions, or early termination. If they feel positive about this next step, they might express feelings of satisfaction and pride, with an appropriate amount of sadness about losing this relationship. While you are involved in a purely working relationship, you may be surprised at how many emotions or what types of emotions might surface for both of you when terminating the relationship.

For this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources. Consider potentially positive and negative feelings that you, as a social worker, and the client might feel regarding the termination of a therapeutic relationship. Then, think about how you might assist the client with the potential negative feelings. Finally, reflect on how you might help yourself with your own potentially negative feelings.
Post by Day 4 a brief description of two potential positive and two potential negative feelings that both you, as the social worker, and the client might feel, regarding the termination of a therapeutic relationship. Then, explain a skill you might use to assist a client with the potential negative feelings. Finally, explain how you might help yourself with your own potentially negative feelings.
Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Read a selection of your colleagues' posts.

Discussion: Academic Values and Professional Ethics - A Comparison

The first sentence of the Preamble to the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers states that "the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people..." (NASW, 2008). This statement very much aligns with the Walden University mission that as an institution "...provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change" (Walden University, 2013). Social workers are often called change agents as they address the needs of marginalized and oppressed groups, by enacting change on many different levels. How might Walden University's mission and vision compliment the social work code of ethics? How might you be able to meld the two together to become your own social change agent?

For this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources. Consider the similarities between the NASW's social work core values and Walden's mission and vision. Then select either the Pedro case or the Debra case and identify a potential ethical dilemma from the case you selected. Consider the decision you might make in response to that dilemma and reflect on how the Walden Mission and Vision as well as the NASW ethical standards might influence your decision. Finally think about how the mission and vision and values might inform your role as a social change agent.

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the similarities between social work core values and the Walden Mission and Vision. Describe the potential ethical dilemma you identified from the course-specific case study you selected. Then explain the decision you might make in response to that ethical dilemma. Include an explanation of how the Walden Mission and Vision and the principles you selected from the NASW ethical standards influenced your decision. Finally, explain how the mission, vision, and values might inform your role as a social change agent.

Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Read a selection of your colleagues' posts.

Discussion: Social Change

Advocacy might conjure images of speaking at a congressional hearing or soliciting petition signatures at library entrances. Yet, social workers engage in advocacy as an agent of social change in numerous ways. The scenarios presented in this week's introduction are examples of three types of advocacy:

• Case advocacy-When a social worker addresses the lack of services, or resources at the micro level, educates the client about available resources and programs, or fights for clients' rights.

• Legislative advocacy-When a social worker addresses a policy gap at the macro level, and provides information and suggestions to legislators, in order to close that gap.

• Community advocacy-When a social worker represents the needs of a community at the mezzo level by engaging in group-oriented activities, such as holding a town meeting to educate the neighborhood about a particular issue they are facing.

Another type of advocacy, not represented by the earlier scenarios, is agency advocacy. For example, you might conduct agency advocacy as a social worker when you identify a gap in services at your agency and pursue additional services for a particular population the agency serves. Or, you might pursue a change in current policy that you deem to be unfair to some of your clients.

How do you envision becoming an agent of social change through the use of advocacy?

For this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources. Think about whether advocacy is a vital aspect of social work. Then, consider what section within the NASW code of ethics requires advocacy of social workers. Finally, search for a local, state, or federal legislative website for a pending law that relates to an issue and a population that social workers encounter. Consider the importance of passing this legislation to the population, to the community, and to social work practice.

Post by Day 4 an explanation of whether you think advocacy is a vital aspect of social work. Be sure to reference this week's readings to support your position. Then, explain what section within the NASW code of ethics requires advocacy of social workers. Finally, describe the pending law you selected and explain why its passage might be important to the population effected by the issue, the broader community, and social work practice.

Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Read a selection of your colleagues' posts.

Required

• Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

o Chapter 8, "Evaluation, Termination, and Follow-Up in Generalist Practice" (pp. 289-329)

• Walden Mental Measures Yearbook Database

o Note: Search this database in the Walden Library for assessment measures you might use to evaluate treatment in Discussion 1.