Becoming a Better Practitioner (BBP)

Becoming a Better Practitioner (BBP) Assignment (40 points) Monitoring clients’ perceptions of the change process and their own improvement is central to clientcentered social work practice. It is also a key ingredient in improving the skills and expertise of the social worker. The purpose of this assignment is for you to monitor your work with clients and use the feedback to improve your social work practice skills. The term “client” here refers broadly to the individuals or groups that you are serving or engaging in change efforts with. Specifically, you will use the Outcomes Rating Scale (ORS) and the Session Rating Scale (SRS) (Duncan, 2010) on a regular basis (5- 9 weeks) with 2 or more clients this semester. Administering the scales over time is critical to observing client progress and your own skill development. Administering the scales to more than one client is necessary in order for you to consider the impact of client characteristics on your effectiveness. Using the ORS/SRS Recording Form, you will record data from these two instruments and takes notes about clients’ feedback in relation to their scores (including quotes when possible). You will also record the changes you make in your practice in response to this feedback. Your descriptions of these changes should be specific and concrete. You will then integrate the numerical data, client feedback, and your practice changes in a final report. Modifications can be made to adapt the scales to diverse practice settings (see Appendix A: Modification for BBP Assignment). You can also choose an alternative measurement tool with prior instructor approval. The main body of the final report should be no more than 6,000 words and should include the following: Part 1 (5 points) Due Week 5 1. Introduction to field setting and your role (2 paragraphs). 2. Client Case Summaries (client demographic information, presenting concern, primary goal(s) of your work) (1 paragraph each). For students reporting on single contact roles and groups, please provide an overall summary across clients or distinct groups of clients. 3. Completed SRS/ORS Recording Form (at least once for your clients). Only the form needs to be submitted and not the SRS/ORS scales themselves. It can either be handwritten or typed. (See example Appendix B: Sample ORS/SRS Recording Form) 4. Optional: Include a thorough description of all modifications that you intend to make to the measurement tools or evaluation process. Part 2 (35 points) Due Week 14 5. Summary of Data a. Combined SRS and ORS graphs for each client. For single-contact roles, compare scores across two or more “types” of clients over time (e.g., children vs. adults, cancer patients vs. mothers in ICU, men vs. women). b. Visual interpretation of graphs (2-3 sentences). c. Interpretation of clinical cutoff scores and Reliable Change Indices (RCI). Alternative cutoffs and change indices must be developed and described if scales are modified. (2-3 sentences) 6. Practice Decision: For each client, state whether you feel the client has deteriorated, remained the same, improved only slightly, improved a great deal, or achieved all treatment goals. Draw your conclusions based on the pattern of the clients’ ORS scores and comments. Further, state your recommendation for continued services. How do you think services should proceed? If the scales are modified, alternative criteria for determining client change will need to be developed and described. (1 paragraph) 7. Please describe three occasions in which you allowed client feedback to guide your intervention (Refer to specific sessions or dates). For each occasion, please describe: 1) What feedback the client gave you. 2) How you replied in that moment. And 3) What changes you made to treatment/services as a result of their feedback. Be VERY SPECIFIC here about what was said and what you changed. I need to be able to “see” what you changed. Global phrases such as “I became more sensitive” will not work here. (3 paragraphs) 8. Conclusions regarding the evaluation processes a. Barriers: What factors made the evaluation process difficult (e.g., client, agency, personal)? (1 paragraph) b. Process: How did using these tools impact your relationship with your clients? Include both positive and negative impacts. (1 paragraph) 9. Briefly, discuss your observations of your own practice during this semester. Consider the following (1-2 paragraphs): a. Your ability to ‘read’ your clients b. Your ability to make changes to your approach in response to feedback. c. What skills and abilities have you developed this semester? Be very specific and concrete. Scoring Rubric: Part 1 will be graded on a scale akin to the rubric used for Competency Assessments. Part 2 is divided into 5 points (numbered 5 through 9). Each of the five items will be awarded up to 7 points, for a total of 35 points available for Part 2. The scores for Parts 1 and 2 will be combined for an overall grade on this assignment.