Please save this document to your computer so you can complete the required sections (include your name in the file name – e.g., Toni.Waters-microskills.docx). Your task is to identify the skills demonstrated by the social worker (in the middle column) and to critique the skills used (in the right-hand column). Analyze one row at a time. In the critique column, you should identify the strengths and limitations of the skills demonstrated, and provide alternate responses for any social work responses with significant limitations or problems (i.e., dysfunctional behaviors such as giving advice, being unclear, inappropriate self-disclosure, demonstrating disrespect, demonstrating lack or low levels of empathy, sounding inauthentic, stacking questions, not responding accurately to the client’s content [incongruence], inappropriate interpretations, breaches of the NASW Code of Ethics [cite the specific standard breached], does not fit with the assessment phase, or asking closed questions when they are not appropriate). Do NOT identify skills or alternatives for the client’s responses, just for the worker’s responses. Please also answer the questions related to client strengths, client diversity, and the intervention plan. This assignment is to be done individually (please do not consult with others; address any questions to Dr. Barsky). When you are finished, please upload this document to the Microskills assignment space on CANVAS.
Situation: The social worker is conducting an assessment interview with Luisa, a 42-year-old woman who recently separated from her husband, Marco. Luisa was born in Florida. Her parents are from Puerto Rico. Luisa was in a car accident two years ago, causing paralysis in her legs. This is a second interview. They have already discussed confidentiality and the social worker has developed a trusting work relationship with Luisa.
| Transcript: | Skills Demonstrated | Critique of Skills Demonstrated (given that this is supposed to be an assessment interview using a client-centered approach) |
| SW: Good morning, Luisa. When we met last week, you said that you were recently separated and that you wanted help adjusting to life as a single person. | ||
| Luisa: (looking down at the ground) I feel so alone. | ||
| SW: I think that for you, it’s important to start dating as soon as possible. | ||
| Luisa; Estás loco? [translation: Are you crazy?] | ||
| SW: [nods head up and down. Pauses 12 seconds to allow Luisa to think] | ||
| Luisa: I’m not ready to start dating. I was married at 20 years old. I can’t imagine dating again. I’m too old. | ||
| SW: My apologies. I should not telling you what to do. Perhaps we can start over. We agreed that the purpose of today’s session would be to do an assessment, to get a better understanding of your current situation and what concerns you may have. | ||
| Luisa: OK. That sounds better. What would you like to know. | ||
| SW: Perhaps we can start by talking about your family. Who are the important people in your life? | ||
| Luisa: [smiling as she speaks]. I have two grown children, Gabby and Ronaldo. They are kind. They are respectful. They are the joy of my life. | ||
| SW: Sounds like you haven’t had much happiness in your life. Is that true? | ||
| Luisa: I’ve always enjoyed my children. The only reason that I stayed together with Marco for so long was because I wanted to be a good role model for my children. I wanted to show them how to be an honest, loving person, and also how to stay together as family, through thick and thin. | ||
| SW: What were some of the problems with Marco? Why did you leave him? Why didn’t you leave him sooner? | ||
| Luisa: Marco and I were married at a very young age. We weren’t very mature. I don’t think he ever matured. He was like a little boy. | ||
| SW: Little boy? | ||
| Luisa: He liked sports. Soccer, baseball, tennis… if he wasn’t playing, he was watching it on TV. He hardly ever helped me with the children, or with the house. | ||
| SW: Do you still love him? | ||
| Luisa: Yes, I suppose so. | ||
| SW: He sounds like a fun sort of guy. I’d like to meet him. | ||
| Luisa: You can have him. I know I said I love him, but I think he’s been having affairs throughout our entire marriage. | ||
| SW: Mmm-hmm… (gestures with hand to continue) | ||
| Luisa: I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Why did I pretend nothing was wrong all these years? | ||
| SW: It sounds like you knew all along that he was having affairs, but you felt it was important for your children to keep the family together. | ||
| Luisa: That’s true. Also, I was raised Catholic. I couldn’t even talk to my parents about the possibility of divorcing Marco. Marriage is for life. [eyes gaze upward] | ||
| SW: Sounds like your religion is very important to you. You look pensive. What’s wrong? | ||
| Luisa: I thought religion was very important to me… but I’ve been questioning my religion recently. | ||
| SW: What are some examples of how you’ve been questioning your religion? | ||
| Luisa: Prayer, I guess. I have prayed that Marco would change, that we could somehow find a way to make our marriage work. I’m not sure that prayer has provided any answers. | ||
| SW: Prayer seems to provide you with some peace and solace. | ||
| Luisa: I’m not sure anymore. | ||
| SW: How is your relationship with your daughter, Gabby? | ||
| Luisa: Gabby and I are very close. Everyone thinks that Gabby is a mini-mi. | ||
| SW: So you have an enmeshed relationship with Gabby. Am I hearing you correctly? | ||
| Luisa: Enmeshed? | ||
| SW: Enmeshed means having diffuse boundaries. It’s as if you each feel each other’s feelings. If your daughter is anxious, you feel anxious. If your daughter is sad, you feel sad. | ||
| Luisa: Oh my gosh. Is that what’s wrong with me? |
- Based on the transcript above, identify two client strengths that are relevant to working with Luisa. [2 sentences]
- Identify one diversity group to which Luisa belongs. Identify one scholarly resource on this diversity factor. Describe specific ways in which the information from this resource could inform the social worker’s assessment and intervention with Luisa. [8-10 sentences]
- Identify one problem that Luisa has identified. Translate that problem into a need. Provide a brief intervention/treatment plan that includes one goal, one objective, and two or three action steps that you and the client could take address the identified need [4-6 sentences or bullet points].
- References (list any references that you cite in APA format)
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Accurate classification of skills demonstrated in the transcript:
- Accurate recognition of strengths and limitations in the critique of the skills demonstrated in the transcript (for ethical breaches, identify specific standards in the NASW Code of Ethics that were breached):
- Demonstration of positive alternative worker responses to correct limitations and problems of the original interview:
- Accurate identification of two client strengths:
- Accurate identification of one relevant diversity factor:
- Ability to apply readings about diversity to the client situation portrayed in the assessment interview:
- Logic, clarity, and feasibility of the treatment/intervention plan:
Grade: % ( )
