Written Assignment: Comprehensive Case Assessment & Presentation-

You are the only social worker in a rural community and are employed by a multi-service community action agency. You may be asked to work with individuals, families, small groups, and local organizations as part of your position description. Beginning at a system level of your choice (individual, small group, community and organizational perspective), create a scenario in which you engage and assess a client and begin the problem-solving process from a generalist perspective. You may use your imagination to create this case or draw on a real case you've read about in the newspaper, but keep in mind that you must stay within the parameters of this course to demonstrate your understanding of generalist social work practice.

Some guidelines for developing your case:

1. Specify the population involved (race, gender, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, or other special circumstance). All cases should be rural. How do you deal with the case demonstrating sensitivity to this population? What effect does prejudice or discrimination have in the case, in particular, in your engaging this client?

2. What values and ethical issues are involved in the case: Are there value or ethical dilemmas? How would you deal with these? Be specific.

3. What are some relevant facts in the case and what information do you need to develop in fully assessing this client?

4. What are some feelings you might have in this case, in working with this client?

5. Explain how you use the skills covered in this class to engage, collect data, assess and plan goals for the client.

6. How will you involve multiple systems in this case? For example, if your client is a group of Hispanic pregnant teens in a rural area of Fayette County, what other systems might be involved? How might you intervene or engage other systems, such as individuals, families, organizations, or the political system to help?

7. What social problems are demonstrated in your case (e.g., poverty, discrimination, lack of education, etc.)?

8. What policy implications are raised in the case? How can you influence policy at the organizational, community, or societal level?

9. What practice principles or implications for social work practice will you employ in this case?

10. Describe your intervention plan including relevant theories and theoretical frameworks that inform your intervention decisions.

Your case should be written up in a well-organized paper of approximately 10-15 pages, cite all sources, including relevant texts, journal articles, and interviews with practitioners. At least six empirical based journal articles in areas of practice at the individual level must be attached as an annotated bibliography (not included in the 10-15 pages). Each student will provide a brief (10 minute) presentation scheduled the last day of class.