Fall 2022 SOWK 486 Class 14 Weekly Email
Email sent on to SOWK 486
I hope that you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! We don’t have in-person class, but there is some online work. We also have any extra credit assignments due due this Sunday.
What You Will Learn
Due to the Thanksgiving Holidays, we do not have an in-person class this week, and our focus is to be introspective about our personal growth and development. We have spent the rest of the semester discussing how we can support, affect change, and understand our client’s needs. This week, I want to have us turn inward and consider how we do that for ourselves. The following are the objectives I have for you this week.
- Be introduced to the concept of the wounded healer
- Consider gratitude as a type of self-care
- Consider what you can do to enhance your own personal growth as you go through school
Unit Assignments
Read/Watch
A-01: Class Participation and Engagement
For week 14, we are just having class online this week and I am giving you the opportunity to respond in a couple of forums. My hope and expectation is that you spend some time being introspective this week and write about it. There are 3 forums open for you to participate in, you don’t have two write in all three of them, but at least post two replies across any of the three of the forums (feel free to post more if you are interested). The following are the three forums:
- First, there is a forum to be able to your own Personal Development and Education and what are things that you have done or want to do to improve yourself.
- Second, is a forum to discuss the reading and concept of Considering the Wounded Healer and Practice
- Finally, there is a forum regarding Taking on Perspective of Gratitude
A-05: Extra Credit Assignment Options
The faculty for this course offers students two different opportunities for extra credit. The first is a smaller assignment for evaluating your own communication style and use of empathetic conversation through a reflective paper. The second is a more intensive research paper looking into evidence-based assessment practices or generalist practice intervention for social workers. These assignments are extra credit and not mandatory.
Assignment 5a: [Extra Credit] Empathetic Communication Self-Evaluation Reflective Paper
Meta: Points 25 pts (5% of total grade in extra credit); Deadline Sunday 11/27/22 by 11:55 PM; Completion via My Heritage Assignments as a file upload in General Assignments Assignment 5a: Extra Credit Empathetic Communication Self-Evaluation Reflective Paper or the assignment and rubric as a PDF.
Purpose: The Empathetic Communication Self-Evaluation Reflective Paper provides an avenue for students to self-reflect regarding their communication style and the amount of empathetic communication they participate in.
Task: Students will write a reflective paper that is 500 to 750 words in length. They will consider their use of empathic language in their daily life and how they can be more empathic.
- Report on what your communication patterns are.
- Discuss what empathetic communication patters look like.
- Plan for what you could to improve your empathetic communication.
Success: Students will submit a paper demonstrating strong academic writing and self-reflective skills. Papers are graded according to the Reflective Paper Rubric. Feedback will be provided with final grades which are due by the instructor no later than 12/14/22 at 5:00 PM.
A-05b: [Extra Credit] Evidence-Based Practice for Assessments or Generalist Practice
Meta: Points 50 pts (10% of total grade in extra credit); Deadline Sunday 11/27/22 by 11:55 PM; Completion via My Heritage Assignments as a file upload Assignment 5b: [Extra Credit] Evidence-Based Practice for Assessments or Generalist Practice or a PDF Version of the Assignment and Rubric.
Purpose: The Evidence-Based Practice for Assessments or Generalist Practice Paper allows students to dive into the literature on social work best practices for engaging with individuals. This task allows for students to demonstrate knowledge of practice behaviors they will need as future social workers.
Task: This paper is a review of an evidence-based assessment practice or generalist practice intervention for social workers. The paper should be written in APA format both regarding the use of strong academic writing along with proper formatting. The paper will include an introduction, history of the given assessment or intervention, description of the implementation of the intervention, and strengths and limitations of either the research or the intervention itself. The paper should be approximately 1,250 to 1,500 words in length. An abstract is not necessary for this paper but may be included.
Success: Students will submit a paper that demonstrates academic skills of describing research found in peer-reviewed journal articles. They will be able to demonstrate scientific writing skills. Grades will be assessed using the APA Research Paper Rubric. Feedback will be provided with final grades which are due by the instructor no later than 12/14/22 at 5:00 PM.
Unit Resources
In thinking about being introspective, I want students to consider gratitude. There is a powerful YouTube video that I am including as an assignment this week by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, titled An Antidote to Dissatisfaction.
There is also a journal article by O’Connell et al. (2018)that can provide some good context to the use of gratitude in a counseling setting.
In considering the concept of the wounded healer, I want people to read the article by Newcomb et al. (2015).
Make sure you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Reference
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019). An antidote to dissatisfaction [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/WPPPFqsECz0
Newcomb, M., Burton, J., Edwards, N., & Hazelwood, Z. (2015). How Jung’s concept of the wounded healer can guide learning and teaching in social work and human services. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 17(2), 55-69.
O’Connell, B. H., O’Shea, D., & Gallagher, S. (2018). Examining psychosocial pathways underlying gratitude interventions: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(8), 2421-2444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9931-5
To Do Lists
- Read Newcomb et al. (2015) and O’Connell et al. (2018)
- Watch Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019)
- Post at least two replies across any of the forums: Personal Development and Education, Considering the Wounded Healer and Practice, Taking on Perspective of Gratitude
