1. SOCW 6000 week 7 A.Posted discussions by students week 7 Respond by Day 6 to at least two colleagues who wrote about two criteria that are different from yours. In your response, suggest an additional example to support each of your colleagues’ criteria. Julie Braley RE: Discussion - Week 7 Collapse Top of Form Competence includes knowing and abiding by the NASW Code of Ethics. The competent social worker knows the six values (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence) and their ethical principles (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They know them, but also understand and practice them. They also know, understand and practice the Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to clients, colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession and to the broader society (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They are comfortable enough with the Code of Ethics to know when they need to reach out to a mentor, to ask for clarification in a sticky situation. They have the strength to uphold the Code of Ethics and to confront a colleague when their actions are in question. Competence means working within the boundaries of what you know and are licensed to practice. This also includes acknowledging when you do not know enough and need to pass a client or duty on to another that is better qualified. As a licensed social worker, you are able to perform certain tasks. There are other tasks that you cannot ethically perform until you are a licensed clinical social worker. The competent social worker knows what they are capable of doing and what they are not. National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp Bottom of Form 2. Danielle David RE: Discussion - Week 7 Collapse Top of Form      Competence in social work means to abide by your regions Code of Ethics as well as upholding the law to the highest professional degree. Competent practice protects the integrity of the social work profession and the rights of our clients to appropriate and beneficial service. It also means that as social workers, we have the responsibility to use critical thinking and decision making skills to properly assess and utilize all resources available for the betterment of our unique clients. To do this, a social worker must be conscientious and aware of his or her own barriers to competence in order to overcome them. An example of such a barrier can include lack of experience with a particular group, or the acknowledgment of personal bias to be set aside for the sake of their practice. I think that it is important to realize that social workers are diverse, and will inevitably come across potential challenges to practicing competently. These are the situations which determine a social workers ability to commit to their profession ...

1. 1. SOCW 6000 week 7
A.Posted discussions by students week 7
Respond by Day 6 to at least two colleagues who wrote about
two criteria that are different from yours. In your response,
suggest an additional example to support each of your
colleagues’ criteria.
Julie Braley
RE: Discussion - Week 7
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Top of Form
Competence includes knowing and abiding by the NASW Code
of Ethics. The competent social worker knows the six values
(service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person,
importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence)
and their ethical principles (National Association of Social
Workers, 2008). They know them, but also understand and
practice them. They also know, understand and practice the
Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to clients, colleagues,
in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work
profession and to the broader society (National Association of
Social Workers, 2008). They are comfortable enough with the
Code of Ethics to know when they need to reach out to a
mentor, to ask for clarification in a sticky situation. They have
the strength to uphold the Code of Ethics and to confront a
colleague when their actions are in question.
Competence means working within the boundaries of what you
know and are licensed to practice. This also includes
acknowledging when you do not know enough and need to pass
a client or duty on to another that is better qualified. As a
licensed social worker, you are able to perform certain tasks.
There are other tasks that you cannot ethically perform until
you are a licensed clinical social worker. The competent social
worker knows what they are capable of doing and what they are
not.

2. National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics
of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from
http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
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2. Danielle David
RE: Discussion - Week 7
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Competence in social work means to abide by your regions
Code of Ethics as well as upholding the law to the highest
professional degree. Competent practice protects the integrity of
the social work profession and the rights of our clients to
appropriate and beneficial service. It also means that as social
workers, we have the responsibility to use critical thinking and
decision making skills to properly assess and utilize all
resources available for the betterment of our unique clients. To
do this, a social worker must be conscientious and aware of his
or her own barriers to competence in order to overcome them.
An example of such a barrier can include lack of experience
with a particular group, or the acknowledgment of personal bias
to be set aside for the sake of their practice. I think that it is
important to realize that social workers are diverse, and will
inevitably come across potential challenges to practicing
competently. These are the situations which determine a social
workers ability to commit to their professional role and conduct
themselves in a ethically competent manner.
Two specific criteria that define competence in social work
are as follows: continuous research on evidence-based practice
and "limiting professional practice to areas of demonstrated
competence" (Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of
Ethics, 2005). In her interview with Jonathan Singer, Danielle
Parrish mentions the importance of looking for research to
guide your practice (Singer, 2011). When Singer asks whether
or not the finding a lack of research in a particular area still

3. constitutes as conducting evidence-base practice, she agrees.
The social worker is still engaging in competent practice
because they took the initiative to look. When no research is
found, that in itself provides the social worker with valuable
information: there is a gap in the research literature that needs
to be addressed critically, and other methods will be necessary
to suit the needs of the client. Not finding any literature is more
competent than not looking and blindly servicing the client with
no guiding information.
Along the same line of thought, it is important for social
workers to only practice within their area of concentration and
demonstrated competence. To illustrate this, it would be
inappropriate for a social worker with 15 years' experience in
policy and administration to begin providing Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for youth struggling with
depression and anxiety. Despite being trained on the generalist
intervention model, social workers develop specialized skills
which may or may not fall in line with another social workers
concentration. To practice competently, the social worker in my
example would have to refer her client to a social worker with
demonstrated experience in CBT.
References
Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of
Ethics (2005). Retrieved from:
http://casw-
acts.ca/sites/default/files/attachements/CASW_Code%20of%20
Ethics.pdf
Singer, J. B. (Host). (2011, March 9). The process of evidence-
based practice: An interview with Danielle E. Parish, Ph.D.
[Audio podcast]. In Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from
http://socialworkpodcast.com/2011/03/process-of-evidence-
based-practice.html
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B. posted discussions SOCW week 7
Respond by Day 5 to at least two colleagues who selected a

4. different course-specific case study from the one you selected
and explain any insight you gained from having read your
colleague’s post.
1.Christina Burns
RE: Discussion 1 - Week 7
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As a social worker it is important to understand the assessment
process when working with clients. In order for a client to
receive the most appropriate and beneficial interventions and
services, the assessment process must be taken seriously and be
done thoroughly. In the case of Abdel, a middle aged regugee,
the assesment process was critical in his succuess in his new
found home of the United States. Abdel spoke English as well
as four other languages fluently. He also had a bachelors degree
in theology from his home continent of Africa. He escaped his
home country due to him being punished for his political views.
He spent 12 years in a refugee camp prior to coming to the
United States. He lost his wife in the process and his physical
as well as mental health deteriorated. He is new to the United
States and requires assistance to be successful where he now
resides (Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014).
Thinking from the perspective of Abdel's social worker it would
be important for me to look through the micro, mezzo, and
macro lenses of Abdel's world to get a clear picture of his
present daily life, his goals, and his needs that will help him to
reach those goals. Kirst-Ashman and Hull describe the
assessment as a "puzzle with a goal of understanding the person
in the environment" (2012, p. 166). I would have to put the
pieces of the puzzle together looking at Abdel as an individual,
the close people in his life, and the overall environment that he
is in. I would first recognize all of Abdel's strengths. Abdel is
educated, determined, and hard-working. These are all amazing
qualities that will work in Abdel's favor.
When assessing what Abdel needs as an individual, I would
have to ask him direct questions about his emotional, physical,

5. and financial stability. I would ask him if he was meeting
people in the community. It is important for him to feel
involved. If he was having trouble meeting people, I could
allocate some social groups for him so that he could feel a more
connection to his new environment. I would also ask him
questions about his health. It would be my responsibility to
ensure that he understands the process so that he could get
medical attention. I would also ask questions about his financial
state. I would use the socio-economic empowerment assessment
to do so and determine what services he would benefit from
after (Hawkins & Kim, 2012).
I would also ask questions about the environment that Abdel
was living in on a daily basis. His environment has a direct
impact on him and his success in the United States. I would ask
if he had any type of support system here in the U.S. A support
system can be critical for some client's success. I would also
ask him questions concerning the current neighborhood he was
living in. Some example questions would be as follows: Is there
a church that practices your faith? Is there a school that
interests you to further your education? Where could you go in
your neighborhood to socialize? The discussions based on these
questions would give me information to use in my assessment of
Abdel's needs. I would do my best to obtain as much
information as possible when doing the assessment so that
Abdel could reach his full potential of using social services.
Hawkins. R. L., & Kim, E. J. (2012). The socio-economic
empowerment assessment: Addressing poverty and economic
distress in clients. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(2). 194-
202. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Kirst-Ashman, K., & Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding
generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning
Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.).
(2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore,
MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital
Source e-reader].

6. 2. 3 days ago
Kimberly McRae
RE: Discussion 1 - Week 7
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Pedro is a 58-year-old, Dominican male that is living with HIV
and Hepatitis C. He is married to his second wife and is the
father of three sons. His first wife contracted HIV/AIDS from
him and later died from the disease. His youngest son got the
disease through vertical transmission and died before his 19th
birthday. Pedro is reluctant to participate in counseling because
he has had several social workers and he sees them as not
helpful.
Since Pedro is Dominican, I would need to know how
his culture influences his views on counseling, social norms
and his view on family. I would also need to know what Pedro
expected of me as his social worker. I would need to not what
Pedro's goals were and how he wanted me to assist him with
reaching his goals. I would like to know how the deaths of
Pedro's first wife and youngest son affected him. I would ask
him about his relationship with his two older son's and what
other family support he has. Since Pedro is Christian, I
would need to know hoe his religious views impact his life.
Pedro is not currently taking medication to treat his Hep C so I
would ask Pedro what was his reason for not taking the
medication. I would also try to determine if Pedro and his
family needs some financial assistance. I would also want to
know if Pedro has a good understanding of how to get his
medication and the proper steps to take when dealing with
Medicare and ADAP.
Kirst-Ashman, K., &Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding

7. generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning
Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD:
Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-
reader].
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8. Christopher Genther
RE: Discussion 1 - Week 7
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Pedro, a 58 year-old Dominican man who has been diagnosed
with Hepatitis C as well as HIV. Pedro has been married twice
and has three children, all boys. He is currently married to his
second wife; he lost his first wife who died when she contracted
the HIV infection from Pedro. Pedro’s youngest son also fell
victim to the disease and died at the age of 18 years-old.
The first thing I think I would need to ask/know when meeting
with Pedro is why he was coming to me in the first place. I
think it is crucial to know what a client is wanting to get out of
the sessions or meetings. Without knowing what their
expectations are you really don’t have much direction and
probably won’t be very effective when trying to help. When
working with Pedro, I think it would be important to have a
good knowledge of the disease and how the treatment plan
works. I would want to ask him about the decisions he has made
about his treatment plan so ensure that it’s the best course of
action. I would imagine that Pedro is feeling a sense of guilt
and blaming himself for the loss of his first wife and youngest
son so I think I would like to know his perspective on their
deaths. I would ask questions like why he thought they lost the
battle to HIV but he hasn’t and how that makes him feel.
Having a good knowledge base on the disease I think would
help shed some light on this and maybe help him see that it
wasn’t his fault. Another think I would need to know is more
about the Dominican culture, in order to remain culture
sensitivity. In addition, another thing to ask him about would be
how the family unit functions with his disease and after the
death of the mother and brother/son.
I think the best way to handle this type of case if on a micro
level. This seems to be a very personal situation and I think
working with Pedro in a one on one setting. I think by having
meetings one on one with clients it allows them to feel more

9. comfortable when sharing information, and takes away the fear
of being judged by multiple people. Pedro has already shown
signs of not really wanting to be involved in counseling so I
think it would be important for him to feel comfortable in
sharing so he can hopefully get more out of it than he has in the
previous attempts. Also, because this experience has affected
his family, I think it would be a good idea to get them involved
at some point so Pedro has a good support system during the
healing process.
Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD:
Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-
reader].
Discussion 2 week 7 SOCW 6101
Respond by Day 6, to at least two colleagues by explaining two
social work skills you might use to overcome the challenges
your colleague described when working with mandatory and
involuntary clients.
1. Christina Burns
RE: Discussion 2 - Week 7
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Often, as social workers we will be given the task of working
with clients that are hesitant to the process. Involuntary or
mandated clients may pose some challenges and require some
extra thought on the social worker's end. According to
de Jong & Berg, " work with mandated clients is most likely to
break down at engagement" (2001, p.12).
The engagement step of the process is critical when working

10. with involuntary clients. Kirst-Ashman & Hull describe
involuntary clients as potentially being angry and hostile (
2012, p. 85). It is important that clients have buy in to the
process so that they can be successful. If they are being forced
to receive services they may be resentful and not willing to gain
from the help that you are trying to give them.
It is important that social workers cooperate with these types of
clients. They should feel listened to and that their feelings
matter. Often, mandated clients can feel attacked and gained up
on. They need to feel empowered and that they have choice in
the process. Social workers should take a solution-based
approach with these clients and focus on what they want to gain
from the situation. Workers should co-construct plans with their
clients and let them make their own choices so that they can
have trust in what they are doing.
For example, in the case of Hernandez family, a couple was
referred to child protective services due to allegations of child
abuse. They did not agree with the decision and therefore were
upset about having to participate in the process. The father was
especially openly hostile ( Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014).
In a case such as this it is important that the worker work with
the client's strengths, remain calm, and establish short term
goals (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012).
Many of the same principles, techniques, and methods are the
same for voluntary and involuntary clients. As for any client,
voluntary or involuntary, it is imperative that they be looked at
as an individual and their own specific needs be assessed. There
is no one size fits all for any client and it is necessary that
social workers engage with them in the way that is best for
them.
References
de Jong, P., & Berg, I.K. (2001). Co-Constructing cooperation
with mandated clients. Social Work, 46(4), 361-374. Retrieved
from Walden Library databases.
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding
generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

11. Plummer, S. - B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014).
Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: Laureate International
Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
2.
Kimberly McRae
RE: Discussion 2 - Week 7
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In the case of the Hernandez family, the social worker may face
challenges with getting the clients to actively participate during
sessions. When clients do not think that there is a problem the
may not be willing to work towards finding a solution. The
Hernandez's believed that their form of punishment was
acceptable because that was how they were punished as
children. Another challenge a social worker my face is that the
clients will not participate in the treatment plan. Clients may
not show up for session or be angry during sessions. During the
session, The Mr. Hernandez was very angry and did not want to
participate in the sessions. Some clients that are mandated to
attend counseling may feel like they are being attacked for
something that they believe is acceptable behavior. They may
feel that the social worker is looking down on them.
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding
generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Plummer, S. - B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014).
Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: La
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