Category: Social Work

Introduction>>>When you attend the intensive portion of the
Skills Lab in Week 4

Introduction>>>When you attend the intensive portion of the
Skills Lab in Week 4, you will meet colleagues and Instructors from the entire
Master of Social Work program. Some may be familiar to you from other courses,
including the cohort in this course. You may also be traveling for the first
time to a city you have never visited, be away from your family and community,
or be overwhelmed by what seems like a daunting, immersive experience.
You will not be alone.
This Discussion introduction, similar to your other courses,
allows you to make connections with the students in this section and share your
expectations for the exciting weeks to come.
To upload your media to this Discussion thread, refer to the
Kaltura Media Uploader area in the course navigation menu for more information
about how to upload media to the course.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing
this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post a 3- to 5-minute video introducing yourself to the
class. Please include:
Your name
Your geographic location
Your thoughts, expectations, and anticipated challenges for
this course
Other background information you would like to share with
your colleagues and Instructor
Your expectations for the Skills Lab online class
One question you have about the intensive component of
Skills Lab
References:
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of
ethics of the National Association of Social WorkersLinks to an external site..
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Document: Social Work Competencies—MSWI

Three key supports, with detailed examples, schoolsocial workers can provide to

Three key supports, with detailed examples, schoolsocial workers can provide to maximize impact, remove barriers, and unleash the academic potential of students scholars 

Write about your current understanding of implicit bias using complete sentences

Write about your current understanding of implicit bias using complete sentences in paragraph form to respond to each of the following prompts:
Share your thoughts about what implicit bias means
Share your thoughts about how implicit bias specific to family constellations/roles/values/cultural practices/etc. can serve as a barrier to therapy clients feeling supported and held in the therapeutic relationship.
Share any implicit biases specific to family constellations/roles/values/cultural practices/etc. that you are already aware that you are holding.
Complete 5 or more of the implicit bias test measures that are listed below and linked to here. Complete the measures and save the findings.
Transgender IAT
Sexuality IAT
Choose either Disability IAT or Weight IAT
Choose either Religion IAT or Native American IAT
Choose one of Skin-Tone IAT; Age IAT, Gender-Career IAT; Gender-Science IAT
Write a reflection paper based on your experience of completing the 5 or more implicit bias test measures.
Share your perception regarding the value and validity of implicit bias tests such as the ones you completed for this assignment.
Share your initial reactions to the findings for each of the tests that you completed.
Share the specific steps that you will take to respond to any bias that was revealed through these tests and/or to ensure that your future work with families is grounded in cultural humility.

Additional Information to Guide Your Approach to this Assignment:
Examples of implicit bias specific to family constellations/roles/values/cultural practices/etc. may include bias related to race, gender, sexuality, ability status, social class, parental age, religious affiliation, citizenship status, interracial relationships, interfaith relationships, polygamy, single parent homes, substance use, parentification of children, homeless status, houseless/unhoused status, division of labor between parents, division of labor amongst children, multigenerational homes, economic security, health and wellness practices in the home, and many more. In thinking about implicit bias, remember to consider the cultural values that have been normalized in U.S. society both historically and in our current day. Generally speaking, our implicit bias will show when we are confronted with ways of life that we view to be outside of our individual and/or societal conceptualization of “normal.”
Cultural humility refers to an attitude of openness, curiosity, and respect that extends to individual client experiences, as well as culturally based perspectives and worldviews. Cultural humility presupposes cultural comfort and prioritizes respect for others as well as an egalitarian mindset that sheds any sense of superiority (all-knowing) over clients. This provides the basis for the counselor’s open and curious stance as it relates to the exploration of self and others, and the recognition of the space that exists between the two. To adopt a stance of cultural humility is to communicate respect in regards to client identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
(Note: This assignment should be completed by writing a comprehensive essay and must include proper APA 7 formatting (title page, in-text citations, references page). Your essay should consist of at least 4 paragraphs: intro paragraph, paragraph responding to questions posed in step 1, paragraph responding to questions posed in step 3, closing paragraph. You do not need to include a header or footer for this assignment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy attempts to modify thoughts and actions by influenc

Cognitive-behavioral therapy attempts to modify thoughts and actions by influencing an individual’s conscious patterns of thoughts. Cognitive-behavioral family therapy emphasizes the interactions among family members.
To prepare for this discussion, complete the Module 5 Readings and Video.
http://www.afcbt.org/
Initial Post
Please address the following:
Evaluate the pros and cons of the cognitive-behavioral approach.
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of AF-CBT. Locate one scholarly research article that reports findings about CBT approaches and summarize what you learned. How can you apply what you learned to your work with diverse families?

You are assigned to Earned Income Tax Credit student in the Social Welfare Polic

You are assigned to Earned Income Tax Credit student in the Social Welfare Policy and Services Sections. Each student will research their assigned policies and write policy backgrounders. The purpose the backgrounder is to give you an understanding of the general process of policy analysis and to create a useful resource on important social welfare and other policy in the US. You can see other backgrounders in the discussion section, and these may be useful to you in the future. 
Policy topic is 
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Each policy backgrounder is a maximum of four single-spaced pages including references. You may or not write your name on the policy backgrounder, as you wish. You may be as creative with the design as you wish.
Each backgrounder must include the headings that are bolded. The other questions are just to guide you. Make sure you follow the rubric and use the bolded headings:
Problem that necessitates the policy
What is the problem that this policy is designed to solve?
Why does it matter?
Facts and statistics about the problem specifically
Policy description
Describe the policy in its entirety (but succinctly)
Use bullet points
Who benefits, when, how, how much, how often, etc.
History of the policy
Brief history of how the policy came to be
Arguments in favor of the policy
What do those who favor this policy say about it?
Why is this a good policy?
Arguments against the policy
What do those who oppose this policy say about it?
Why is this a bad policy?
Policy evaluation including statistics – this is where you say whether this is good, bad, indifferent, inadequate, excessive, etc.
Policy recommendations
What should we do about this policy?
Change it, end it, expand it?
Note that this is a very brief paper, so you must present the information in a concise manner.
Note 2: You must use the headings in bold. The questions under the bolded headings are placed here to help guide your thinking – do not include the questions in your paper.
You will submit three drafts of the policy backgrounder (there are three assignments, one for each draft and the final), but I will only grade the final draft. I will give your comments on the first and second draft so you may do an excellent job for the final draft. The final draft is graded on a rubric that is made. Also submit your final version in the appropriate discussion board. 

How should the government intervene or is the government the problem with discri

How should the government intervene or is the government the problem with discrimination of the disabled . If yes, how. If no, why?

Submit a 6- to 10-page paper that includes the following:
Complete a biopsychoso

Submit a 6- to 10-page paper that includes the following:
Complete a biopsychosocial history of the person you interviewed by completing the Psychosocial History document.
Assess the challenges/needs and strengths of the client based on the completed Psychosocial History document.
Choose an individual to interview in order to obtain the necessary information to write a comprehensive psychosocial history.
Use the Psychosocial History document found in the Learning Resources to conduct the interview.
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, Jr. G. H. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 9, “Understanding Families: Family Assessment” (pp. 359–379)
Chapter 10, “Working with Families” (pp. 384–414)
Document: Psychosocial History(Word document)
Document: Bachelor of Social Work Student Handbook (PDF)

Pakistan
Male
28
Rural
28 N x 68 E
As part of this week’s work, we will begin ou

Pakistan
Male
28
Rural
28 N x 68 E
As part of this week’s work, we will begin our Global Village exercise. You will have the opportunity, this week, to begin study about the member of the Global Village whom you will be assigned to represent. The concept of the Global Village is as follows: If the entire world were represented by a global village of 100 people, what would that village look like? Some estimates suggest that about 20 of the people would live in China; 13 would live in Africa; and about 5 would live in the United States. About 13 would be malnourished, and about 15 would live on the equivalent of U.S. $1.00 per day or less. We will replicate, to the extent possibly, the Global Village in our class. Fortunately or unfortunately, we don’t have 100 people in our class. However, we have adapted a list of 34 people, each of whom represents 1/34th of the world’s population. Your instructor will assign to you one of those people, and will represent them in this week’s class discussions. You will report about your subject’s life circumstances in this week’s Discussion. Furthermore, the research you do to support your Discussion post will serve as the basis for your Human Rights Reflection paper. The Policy Brief is the major assignment for the class, but the Human Rights Reflection paper is also a significant course assignment. For now, look for a message from your instructor about your subject assignment. Then, use the information provided to conduct a web-based search for information about what the life circumstances of someone situated similarly to your client would be like. Utilize the latitude and longitude to learn exactly where your subject lives. You could even try to use Google Earth to take a look at the region. Here are some kinds of information you might try to learn about your subject:  
Name (identify a name common in your subject’s context) 
City and country of residence (you know the country – use latitude and longitude to look up closest cities) 
Ethnicity 
Religion / beliefs associated with religion. Also clothing / nature of dress. Does this subject face religious persecution? 
Diet / food access / access to clean water. Does your subject have adequate food and clean water?
Education. How much education can your subject expect to have access to? What can be known about the quality and cost of that education? 
Shelter / what home is like / access to running water and hot water / access to electricity. Also whether the subject lives with immediate family only or extended family and how decisions are made within the family. Does your subject have safe shelter?  
Life expectancy. Also, if adult, number of children the person will likely have 
Language 
Annual income in US dollars 
Occupation and age when work started 
Nature of communication with others 
Nature of transportation used, also whether the person can travel independently 
Access to healthcare 
Population density and pollution 
Potential impact of climate change on the person’s environment 
Websites that might prove helpful: 
State.gov – Countries & Areas 
CIA World Factbook
National Geographic Travel (use search function) 
UN News 
World Bank Open Data 

Respond to two colleagues:
Share an insight gained from viewing their video post

Respond to two colleagues:
Share an insight gained from viewing their video post.
Ask a probing question or share a resource your colleagues
can use to further their growth in cultural competence and humility
Victoria Elizabeth Hilt
Good evening, colleagues,
When I initially recorded my video, there were many aspects
of my identity I considered. I discussed my experiences with where my family is
from and our ethnic heritage, being Irish American. I also discussed my
identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, being transgender, and using
they/he pronouns. I briefly discussed some of the discrimination I have faced
as a result of this aspect of my identity, such as being an educator in Florida
and being forced to use my dead name and birth pronouns. I also discussed my
strong faith conviction.
An aspect of my identity I would include now is my
disability, as well as being neurodivergent. As I continue to work in
exceptional student education, the students report that seeing an adult who is
also neurodivergent benefits them, providing them with a better educational
experience. I previously hated using the word “disabled” to describe
my physical ailments; however, I have begun to draw power from acknowledging
that aspect of my identity.
This course is the most spectacular course I have taken thus
far. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are something I am passionate about,
especially as it is being banned in Florida. My family has always called me
their “political protester” and “social justice warrior,”
which I wear as a badge of honor. I continue to embrace it as I consider a
career in mezzo social work practice, striving for policy change rather than a
career in therapeutic counseling. I acknowledge the benefits but also
acknowledge where my talents and passion lie.
This course taught me that education never ends, especially
regarding cultural humility. I must continue learning about other cultures to
support those in my community best. The Privilege for Sale activity is one in
particular that stood out to me. Though it focused on privileges heterosexual
adults have, this activity could be reworked to discuss topics of race, gender,
ability, and much more.
I continue to search for ways to engage in self-care. I
enjoy painting and baking primarily and spending time with loved ones. I also
can now state when I need to take a time-out, and, as such, I am taking a leave
of absence next quarter to regroup and focus on improving my mental health so I
can continue to help others. I am disappointed to be taking a leave of absence,
but I understand it is what my mind and body need now.
References:
Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. S., & Lechuga-Peña, S.
(2021). Diversity, oppression, and change: Culturally grounded social work (3rd
ed.). Oxford University Press.
Reply
DESMOND ALTON STEVENSON
Dear Class,
As we approach the end of the quarter, I want to express my
sincere appreciation for every one of you. It has been an absolute pleasure
learning from all of you, and I am grateful for the unique perspectives and
insights that each of you brought to our discussions.
Reflecting on my journey as a cultural being throughout this
course has been truly transformative. Under the guidance of Professor Alisha
Powell, I’ve had the opportunity to delve deep into my multicultural
background. Originally from Zimbabwe and South Africa before moving to the
United States, my cultural identity has been profoundly shaped by these
experiences. Initially, adjusting to a new country posed challenges in
navigating my cultural identity. However, through our engaging discussions and
course materials, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for how my diverse
background enriches my perspective on diversity and social justice. For
example, Marsiglia, Kulis, and Lechuga-Peña’s book “Diversity, Oppression,
and Change: Culturally Grounded Social Work” underscored the importance of
valuing diverse cultural backgrounds in social work practice, resonating deeply
with my own experiences. Learning to embrace my multicultural identity as a
strength has empowered me to advocate for inclusivity and equity.
Reflecting on topics related to diversity, human rights, and
social justice has evoked a range of emotions for me, including nostalgia,
curiosity, and determination. Having firsthand experience with systemic
inequalities, I understand the emotional toll of confronting these issues.
However, as discussed by Tatum in “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting
Together in the Cafeteria?” I’ve come to recognize the importance of
acknowledging and processing these emotions. Connecting with peers who share
similar experiences and engaging in self-care practices that honor my cultural
heritage have been crucial in maintaining my well-being throughout the course.
Looking ahead, I am excited about how this course will
inform my journey as a future social work practitioner. With a deeper
understanding of diversity, human rights, and social justice, particularly
within the context of my multicultural background, I am committed to advocating
for marginalized communities and promoting social change. Leveraging the
knowledge and skills gained from this course, I am eager to contribute to
creating a more equitable and inclusive society. I extend my heartfelt
gratitude to Professor Powell for her guidance and support throughout this
incredible journey.
References:
Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. S., & Lechuga-Peña, S.
(2021). Diversity, oppression, and change: Culturally grounded social work (3rd
ed.). Oxford University Press.
Tatum, B. D. (2003). The complexity of identity: Who am I?
Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? (Rev. ed.). Basic
Books.

Instructions
You will watch and submit your reflection to a movie from the list

Instructions
You will watch and submit your reflection to a movie from the list provided. If you have other ideas for movies,
please let me know.
Analysis of Your Chosen Movie ( Only from movie list)
As you watch, think about these ideas to help explore some themes (you do not have to discuss these, they
are prompts to help you establish the themes you want to write about):
• Are social work values depicted – e.g., think dignity and worth of the person, social justice, and the
importance of human relationships?
• Are there implications of societal structure, politics, and power dynamics?
• Are there connections to social welfare issues of poverty and issues of access?
After watching the movie of your choice write a 2-5-page paper (excluding title and reference pages) that:
• Identifies 3 primary themes that you observed as you watched.
• Provides specific examples for each of them.
After you have identified the 3 themes and discussed them with examples, respond to these prompts:
• How do you feel your worldview shaped your interpretation and analysis? What things in your life and/or
experiences shaped how you viewed the movie?
• How did your worldview influence the themes you identified? Why are the themes you chose what you
were focusing on as you watched?
• Did you approach the movie and or assignment with specific biases? We all have biases based on our
life and history, what are yours? How do they influence what you see in different situations?
End with a paragraph that answers this question:
• What thoughts do you have about the use of qualitative research in practice?
You must include at least 2 professional references.