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Running head: EVALUATION OF PRACTICE PAPER

Evaluation of Practice Paper

Shena Poma
SW 4442
March 7th, 2015

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Evaluation of Practice Paper
Higher Learning Services, also referred to as HLS for short, is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization that is in the infancy stage of agency development. It was established in 2010 by
founder and CEO, Sherita Harvey, MSW. It has been a lifelong dream of Mrs. Harveys to build
her own agency that would eventually service numerous populations and offer several services.
This dream lead her to becoming licensed in social work fairly recently after taking a couple
decades off of school in order to raise a family. She is a proud Wayne State University alumni.
Although, it has proven to be extremely difficult to build an agency up from the ground.
Regardless, her endless determination to accomplish her dreams and help make a difference in
the community, paired with her competitive nature and refusal to quit, have helped fuel her hard
work the past few years. Due to the unique circumstances surrounding my field placement, my
experiences have been vastly different than my peers. For the most part, I would categorize my
work at HLS as macro at this point, therefore, I have had little contact with clients directly.
Practice & Impact
One of A Kind is an after school self-esteem workshop serving young girls at Clintondale
Middle School in Mt. Clemens, Mi. This program is, at the moment, the only program
implemented that has direct connections with clients. I was grated the opportunity to lead this
group, along with one other Wayne State University intern working beside me at Higher
Learning Services. The workshop was a six week program created to assist in the enhancement
of young girls self-esteem, especially with the overwhelming mixed media messages seen today.
The way I evaluated my practice skills with the group was by having a mini meeting with the
other intern afterwards to discuss any strengths or weaknesses each of us may possess, as well as
covering any issues we may have encountered during the session. The method the agency used to
review the impact of the One of A Kind program was by incorporating a simple, yet effective,

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Evaluation of Practice Paper
research technique: administering surveys. The surveys were handed out to each group member
at three separate times: beginning, middle, and end. The reason behind administering surveys at
three separate times was to track progress in the girls responses, ultimately, gauging the overall
impact of the program. Personally, other than using research, I found myself listening to the
groups responses, reviewing the participation rate, observing body language, such as smiles and
hugging, and analyzing the group members demeanor in order to notice the overall impact the
program has had on the girls, as well as evaluating my own practice and impact on each of them.
In regards to the macro side of my field placement, which most of my work would be
categorized, it has been more difficult to gauge my practice skills and overall impact on the
community. Unfortunately, due to certain restraints, the agency has yet to receive an approval for
any level of grants. As I mentioned previously, Higher Learning Services is still in the infancy
stage of development, which has been a major hurdle to overcome in terms of applying for
grants. It appears that majority of the grants we applied for have decided the money would be
better used in a larger, more recognized agency. I understand the fact that major donors would
like their grant money to be awarded to agencies that have already proven to be impactful in
thousands of lives and has already earned the trust of the community and donor. Sadly, this
obstacle is critical in building an agency because it takes a substantial amount of money to
implement programs, services, and providing resources. Besides grant writing, the teachers and
counselors at Clintondale Middle School praising the program and mentors leading the workshop
has been a method of determining the impact on the local community. The school counselor is in
constant contact with the agency and repeatedly reports the positive changes the program has
done for the group members, which has had a trickle-down effect on others surrounding the
group.

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Evaluation of Practice Paper
Skills and Improvement
The skills needed for my current field placement is vast, ranging from life skills and
personal characteristic such as patience and understanding, to specific social work skills such as
grant writing and interviewing. Patience and hard work are absolutely necessary when it comes
to establishing a brand new agency. The program, One of A Kind, as well as future programs in
the process of being developed and implemented, require social work skills such as guiding the
interviewing process and using the program education and NASW guidelines in order to make
judgment calls and remain ethical. Another crucial social work skills needed for my current field
placement is grant writing. I spend a great deal of time writing grants and creating fundraisers in
attempt to fund future programs and projects. The education I have received from the program,
along with dozens of hours of my own research on effective grant writing techniques, have
assisted me in performing this task. Also, the HLS staff has met with outside social workers with
the goal of creating professional relationships, receiving professional advice, and brainstorming
program ideas. Active listening is a strong skill I have been on the journey of mastering during
my time in the BSW program, which has translated in various ways when it comes to field
placement. Not only have I used this simple, yet complex, skill during client interaction, but it
has been useful when meeting with other professionals. Interviewing skills such as empathic
responding, appropriate question asking, summarizing, paraphrasing, furthering, among many
others, have been beneficial in basically every interaction at my placement, whether it be with
clients, co-workers, or incorporated in grant writing.
There is always room for improvement, which is one reason continuing education is
highly suggested, and even required at times. The best way to improve my social work skill set is
by continuing to educate myself. Education does not necessarily have to come from large

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Evaluation of Practice Paper
institutions such as college, but it can come from minor moments in everyday life as well. For
example, learning to be comfortable with asking questions, requesting professional advice from
supervisors, colleagues, and other interdisciplinary fields, observing client interaction and
impact, participating in discussions, active listening to others, and asking for honest feedback are
all ways I can improve by educating myself. Similar to other professional fields, social work is
continuously transforming in attempt to improve the field as a whole. Based on empirical
research, social workers may notice new trends, which results in developing new methods or
building upon theories. It is crucial to keep up with current news regarding the field in order to
increase effectiveness. Along with education, practice is key. As the old saying goes: practice
makes perfect. I found it has been beneficial for me to improve my skills by not only practicing
skills when in the field or at school, but by incorporating it in my everyday life. My goal in doing
so is to become more comfortable with the skills and soon enough it will become second nature
for me.
Population & Field
Since HLS does not cater to a specific target population currently, it is difficult to assess
whether or not the population at my field placement is a good fit for me. However, based on my
experiences leading group sessions in the One of A Kind program, my eagerness of working with
at-risk adolescent or juvenile delinquency has evolved tremendously. Prior to interning at Higher
Learning Services, I briefly considered working with this population, although, my line of focus
was still strictly working with individuals struggling with substance abuse issues. It was not until
I lead this group that I began considering the option of working with adolescents in a much more
serious manner. Before even entering the BSW program, I had my mind made up on the specific
target population I wanted to work with, and quite frankly, I was skeptical than anything could

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ever change that. Shockingly, my mind opened up to other avenues fairly quickly once leaving
the first group session.
I am grateful for the unique perspective I have gained while interning at HLS, although, I
would like to widen my perspective and skill set in the future. I am currently waiting to hear
back from the Wayne State University MSW program for potential admittance, and assuming
that I do get in the program, I will have another opportunity for field placement. Since I have
already interned at a new agency that is mainly macro at this point, I would enjoy switching it up
with a micro oriented internship. I plan to focus on micro practice when entering the field once I
graduate, therefore, obtaining a micro oriented internship would likely be helpful in gaining
further insight on this specific level. Not to mention, gathering experiences and skills from all
social work practice levels will only assist me in becoming a well-rounded professional social
worker. The better-rounded I become in the field, the more career opportunities to which I have
access. As I discussed previously, the experiences at my field placement have opened my mind to
various social work avenues, however, the overall field of practice has not changed. I started the
program with the intention of focusing on micro practice, possibly mezzo in the sense of small
groups, and at this point in the program, I still strongly prefer working on this level. The field of
practice at HLS in not a good fit for me, as a matter of fact, if anything, it pushed me further
away from ever considering working on the macro level. It has also pushed me further from the
notion of building an agency, and even deterring the thought of going into private practice. Since
I still stand firmly on the micro side of social work, when looking at the big picture, being placed
at a mostly macro level agency was likely for the best. Otherwise, it is highly unlikely that I
would have ever pursued working on this level, resulting in an abundance of knowledge I
potentially would have never gained.

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Evaluation of Practice Paper
Ethical Social Work Practice
My experience at Higher Learning Services has taught me about ethical practice in the
field. Not only has it taught me positive ethical practice, but I have witnessed negative ethical
practices as well. Since Higher Learning Services is still in the infancy stage of development, the
agency is working through the unintended consequences that arise. It has been a learning process
and HLS is on the journey of improvement each day. It has been interesting to observe and be
involved in an agency at this stage. As I referenced in the beginning of the paper, my experiences
have been greatly different than my peers. This has neither been good or bad, just different. In
the event I decide to go into private practice, my experiences at HLS will be extremely beneficial
and the resources I have gained in relationships will assist in providing professional advice on
the proper steps to take to increase likelihood of success and eliminate room for errorThe agency
CEO, Mrs. Harvey, is involved in a separate private practice from HLS, which focuses primarily
on micro level interactions with clients directly. In effort to educate myself, I have asked various
questions regarding her experiences and ethical issues she has encountered. These stories have
increased my knowledge of ethical social work practice. Lastly, through my field placement, I
had the opportunity to attend a supervision meeting for newly graduated social workers. During
this experience, I learned a great deal about ethical social work practice, as well as putting my
knowledge of the field to the test by participating in a social work jeopardy game. With each
correct answer, we were awarded a small prize. Questions that are typically categorized as
easier were awarded with candy, while harder questions were awarded with larger prizes
such as coffee mugs, planners, and lotions. To my surprise, I ended up with the most overall
prizes, and even more shocking, I earned most of the larger scale prizes as well. As the only
current BSW student, surrounded by several MSW graduates, I felt personally proud and it

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cemented the social work knowledge I have gained through field placement and college courses.
Values and Ethical Development
The NASW Code of Ethics is a guide for social workers to which we are mandated to
adhere. This extensive guide dives into the expectations for social workers and their practice. It
recalls the policies and procedures relevant to the field. Throughout this manual, social work
principles, values, and ethical standards are specifically stated. The BSW program has drilled
this manual into the students memory by incorporating it in numerous course assignments. The
NASW Code of Ethics is powerful resource for potential and practicing social workers to refer to
when presented with an ethical dilemma.
My supervisor, Mrs. Harvey, has also made it her mission to cement these guidelines in
each of the interns memory. She enforces and reinforces the information by asking questions
regarding situations and acknowledging experiences at the agency that relate back to various
ethical standards or values found in the Code of Ethics. At times, she goes as far as organizing
role plays for the other intern and me in order to observe our responses and provide feedback for
us. More importantly, witnessing other professional social workers and the ways they handle
situations has helped me in developing my own social work values and ethics. Observing others
has inspired me to improve upon my own values. For example, Miss Andrea, a social worker
specializing in pregnant woman in need, inspired me to continue working on unconditional
respect and patience. She is not employed by HLS, but she affiliated with certain projects we are
working on and meets with us frequently. Another member of the meeting was not exactly
upholding her social work oath by ignoring certain aspects of the NASW Code of Ethics. As an
intern, I was concerned with speaking up myself. In all honesty, I felt uncomfortable with the
comments made by this other social worker, and I was displeased with the way she carried

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herself and lack of approachability. It was apparent that she viewed herself as better than us, and
by the way she talked about her clients, it sounded to me that she thought she was better than
them as well. Luckily, Andrea spoke up about the other persons remarks, but it was the way she
did it that inspired me. She never came across as disrespectful and her body language remained
calm, open, and expressive. Her tone of voice remained soft and uplifting. She remained patient,
and she acted in a manner that avoided conflict, while still speaking up about the issue at hand.
The NASW Code of Ethics discusses numerous ethical standards that the other social worker
ignored, such as respect (2.01), discrimination (4.02), client confidentiality (1.07), social and
political action (6.04), and commitment to clients (1.01). Andrea upheld her oath, specifically
demonstrating her knowledge and commitment to the field by following code 2.11, unethical
conduct of colleagues. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, Social workers should take
adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of
colleagues. Which is followed by, Social workers who believe that a colleague has acted
unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible
and when such discussion is likely to be productive (NASW, 2015). My development of values
and ethics in continuing to develop as I progress on this educational journey. My field placement
has been a major motivator in my transformation.
Conclusion
In summary, my field placement has impacted my entire life and the lessons I learned
throughout the process have been monumental. Higher Learning Services, a non-profit
organization in the infancy stage of agency development, has provided me with key insight. I
have had the opportunity to lead a group, which opened my mind to alternative social work
avenues than I had previously considered. HLS cemented my thoughts on remaining on the

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micro level practice path. I have developed various professional relationships, and my supervisor
has mentored me in becoming the best social worker I can be. Throughout my field placement, I
have witnessed inspiring values and ethical dilemmas. Overall, I am grateful for my unique
internship experiences and I truly believe this experience has shaped me not only as a social
worker, but as a person as well.

References:
Nasw, (2015). Code of Ethics, National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved by
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp