Personal Practice Model - Brian C. Wilson, Jr - Department of Social Work University of Minnesota-Duluth

Personal Practice Model

     Brian C. Wilson, Jr.

 Department of Social Work
University of Minnesota-Duluth

INTRODUCTION

        My personal practice model is an opportunity to gain professional self confidence

through identifying and evaluating my current social work knowledge and skills to

further increase my personal model of Social Work practice. Throughout my formal

education, I have been exposed to many bodies of knowledge which have aided in my

understanding of human behavior and social work as a helping profession. I have chosen

the PPM Masters project to express my personal life experiences coupled with formal

education to further develop an individualized style of practice. I also expect this

personal practice model will provide employers with insight into my personal and

professional experiences, in addition to research conducted, theories studied, and other

training.

                                 PRACTICE COMPONENTS

            My practice model is comprised of natural helping skills, learned roles and skills,

guiding conceptual frameworks, decision-making methods, views of practice efficacy,

views of human diversity and cultural competence, and social work values. In terms of

my natural helping skills, empathy, role modeling, and self-sharing have shown through

. most in the field. I come from a childhood environment of poverty, substance abuse, and

domestic violence, as do many of my clients. This commonality enables me to

understand their circumstances and work with them to resolve their issues successfully.

 Lacking any positive role models among a family of seldom-employed drug addicts as a

child, I take special pride in having overcome many obstacles and thus want to serve as a

 beacon of hope for others. Change is always possible, regardless of how dire the

 situation.

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       Coupled with role modeling and empathy is self-sharing. Sharing my personal

experiences with clients has allowed me to connect with them on a deeper personal level.

Although I am not proud of many of the experiences I share, this process also allows me

to establish trust, demonstrating that I am not merely a social worker, but someone who

truly understands their plight. Still, it is important that clients view me not only as a

friend, but also a professional. As such, I maintain professional boundaries and

communicate my responsibilities as the social worker.

       As a generalist, I have a wide range of responsibilities and possess a broad scope

of classroom and field training. Among these prior field experiences is a brief tenure as

Project Coordinator for a program serving homeless individuals and families. This

position called me to supervise five advocates each with a caseload of eight families, in

addition to my own caseload of five families. Many of our clients suffered from mental

illness and chemical dependency, and we worked from a housing first/harm-reduction

model. In short, we would first house individuals and families before initiating the

rehabilitation process. We advocated for clients in nearly every aspect of their lives from

shopping, cleaning, and making appointments, to searching for employment, and

medical, financial, or education resources. As advocates, we also spoke with landlords

to increase our clients' chances of securing housing, in addition to helping program

participants obtain basic housing necessities. My responsibilities included acquiring

these necessities, such as beds and couches, through the generosity of local community

organizations and businesses.

        Andrew Turnell's Signs of Safety: A Solution and Safety Oriented Approach to

Child Protection Casework provides an important guiding conceptual framework for my

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personal practice model. Highlighting practice theories and means of changing behaviors

and conditions, this text outlines traditional child protection paradigms, global

perspectives, case examples from referral to termination, implementation keys to

practice, and how to maintain a focus on safety. Insco Kim Berg's foreword posits that

traditional child protection paradigms have been known to pit child against parent. Berg

demonstrates that the title "child protection worker" insinuates that social workers are

protecting children from their parents. Rather, we seek to reunite and strengthe°: families

with healthy bonds. My fieldwork techniques are profoundly influenced by the

perspectives of Turnell and Berg.

       Similarly, my decision-making methods in child protection have been guided by a

diagram developed by the Department of Health and Human Services focusing on the

safety, permanency, and well-being of children. This diagram reminds social workers

that, first and foremost, children are to be protected from abuse and neglect and safely

cared for in their homes whenever possible and appropriate. Thus, social workers should

administer services to families to protect children while in the home and prevent removal

or re-entry into foster care. Furthermore, protection workers should be concerned with

the timeliness of their assessments and beware of repeat maltreatment within the same

case. Once a safety plan is in place, case workers should assess the potential risk of child

maltreatment. In the event of removal from the home, protection workers must also bear

in mind the permanence and continuity of family relationships in regards to the proximity

of foster care placement, placement with siblings, visits with parents and sibling in foster

care, or placement with relatives. Child well-being concentrates on aiding the family to

enhance their capacity to provide for the needs of their child(ren), this requires protection

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worker visits during which both the child and family participate in case planning.

Ensuring well-being also consists of meeting the educational and physical & mental

health needs of the child. As a child protection worker, I bear in mind this decision-

making methodology rather than solely relying on my intuition or "gut feeling," although

this also comes into play. Combining these decision making methods ensures that I am

making the decision in the best interests of the child I am serving. Without such a

guiding conceptual framework, my decision-making would be adversely affected.

       My views of practice efficacy are based on holding myself accountable for the

decisions I make in the field, learning from mistakes, and seeking feedback from senior

social workers. Working with clients, together we discuss their goals and create a plan; it

is my responsibility to determine if the objectives of the plan are being met. As I

typically work alongside senior social workers in the child protection unit, I gauge my

effectiveness by asking for feedback from co-workers with whom I have been "teaming"

cases. Not only do I observe how senior practitioners work in the field, but in turn, I

offer advice from my own education and experience. Such open communication is also

critical to the social worker-client relationship; clients are often aware when their case is

being mishandled and established goals are not being met.

        Another important aspect of my personal practice model is human diversity and

cultural competence. Despite many differences in terms of gender, age, sexual

orientation, race, ethnicity, cultural background, marital status, social class, religion, and

occupation, I ultimately view human diversity in terms of our many commonalities. For

instance, we all have basic human rights, loved ones, dreams, passions, things we hold

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sacred, and so on. Focusing on what I have in common with clients helps to forge a more

productive relationship.

       My own background is Native American, Puerto Rican, and Caucasian. I am

comprised of three tribes: Oneida, Ottawa, and Blackfoot. I speak English, Spanish, and

Oneida. Within my extended family there are African Americans, Asian Americans, and

Hispanics. My personal experience with human diversity has uniquely impacted my

personal practice model; I understand the historical trauma of multiple minority groups

and grew up in a multicultural family within the dominant Caucasian society. Diversity

and cultural competence are part of my identity, functioning as a multicultural individual

in the "white man's" society. I view professional cultural competence in the social work

field as having a working knowledge of many cultures that are different from ones own.

For instance, if I was a Caucasian social worker working in a predominately Hispanic

area, I would definitely be practicing my Spanish, and inquiring about cultural norms,

celebrations, and if the culture is matriarchal or patriarchal as this would affect how I

would work in the field.

       Social work is based upon a set of traditional values established to advance the

profession: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human

relationships, integrity, and competence. As a social worker I believe that personal

values are just as important as traditional social work values, and many times these

overlap. My personal values include: adaptation, honesty, empathy, leadership,

helpfulness, patience, mindfulness, family, happiness, freedom, culture, physical activity,

social justice and strength. These values have been integral in keeping myself and family

together. In order to keep a family together, we have to be mindful when making

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decisions that will affect all of us. My professional values include: social justice, family,

leadership, adaptation, helpfulness, empathy, honesty, patience, mindfulness, culture, and

strength. Working in child protection, I have to combine these values to best serve my

clients and co-workers. As social workers, we are working for the greater good of the

human race, trying to eliminate human suffering, and end the loss of human potential.

         My values come from the roots of my culture, personal tragedy, parents, and

formal education. While growing up, I suffered child abuse, neglect, and exposure to

drugs and violence at the hands of my parents and extended family, which forced me to

become a strong willed person, and develop a sense of self-reliance. Faced with such

adversity, I manifested the ability to adapt and overcome in any situation. In my

formative years, I developed a thirst for Native culture, which has taught me to be a

leader, and to respect the things around me that I do not control. Formal education has

taught me patience and social justice. Social justice issues intrigued me, learning about

the strife and turmoil other races and cultures faced in the battle for equality aided in my

realization of the delicacy of life and freedom. I believe that all of my values are

compatible with one another which enables me to remain the same in my personal life

and professional life. I do not have to "act" like a social worker when I am at work; I am

simply being myself. Thus far, I have not had a situation where my values have

conflicted with my job. For example, though handling an abuse situation involving a

family member of friend would be awkward, I would handle their case as I would any

other.

                                       INFLUENCES

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       I weigh life experiences and empathy more heavily than any other component of

this personal practice model. As a teenager, I became heavily involved in drugs and

violence, which eventually resulted in a prison sentence which took my personal

freedom. After serving my debt to society, a series of small miracles allowed me to

enroll in college, join the university football team, and begin my social work education.

If I would not have experienced such tragedy on the "wrong side of the tracks" as a

youth, I would not be as dedicated to my family, education, culture, and profession as I

am now.

       My personal practice model is profoundly influenced by empowerment theory,

and I hope to see others operate at their fullest potential, realizing they can accomplish

anything and overcome any barrier. I use my life as an example when I am working with

oppressed populations, making the connections between pain and suffering to unify the

group, focusing on the commonalities. Understanding history of the oppressed group

with which I am working gives me the ability to show them the importance of the task at

hand. I feel that the empowerment approach is vital to working with oppressed groups as

educating and assisting oppressed members of society will increase equality.

        Academic research has also informed my PPM, helping to clarify my

understanding of the effects of historical trauma. Being able to understand my family

history of chemical use and physical & emotional abuse has enabled me to rehabilitate

myself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. While researching the possible

affects of parental incarceration on children, I found Keva M. Miller's article "The

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children: An Emerging Need for Effective

Interventions" (Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, August 2006). Miller

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discusses the increasing numbers of women in the penal system, at-risk children,

implications of parental incarceration, shifts in family structure, economic factors, parent-

child relationships, and how incarcerations impact a child's functioning. I found this

research incredibly engaging and identified within myself where my thoughts and

emotions were stemming from: I was finally able to cope with the historical trauma of my

family.

          In the United States the number of women being incarcerated has climbed an

astounding 400% since 1986. According to Miller, these statistics negatively affect 1.5-2

million children nationwide. Additionally, the article posits that there are up to lO

million children with parents that have a history in the criminal justice system. I can

remember how I felt the day the police took away my mother: angry, embarrassed,

ashamed, and sad. Miller's article has shown me that I was not alone in those feelings;

there are many others that share my pain. Social work has provided me with an avenue to

educate myself, help eliminate child abuse, and aid others in the social justice movement.

          With these increasing numbers of female incarcerations, the scores of children left

behind have been dubbed the "hidden victims" of crime. Moreover, Miller states that the

implications of parental incarceration are difficult to quantify: "it's unclear what effect a

parent's involvement in the correctional system has, but there is evidence to suggest that

children are responding negatively to being separated from their parents" (Miller, p. 2,

2006). In my case, the removal of my sole provider and parental figure resulted in a

portion of my suffering. Although a large portion of my pain and suffering was at the

hands of my mother, we were a family and I love her regardless. I have come to

understand the behaviors my mother exhibited. I was always the first to get hit and

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yelled at; it seemed like my mother focused the majority of her anger towards me. These

behaviors stemmed from her substance abuse and intergenerational trauma suffered at the

hands of her own parents.

       Miller states that "paternal incarcerations have a mild to moderate affect on

family tensions, but a maternal incarceration may have a greater impact, specifically

regarding child placement options" (Miller, p. 2, 2006). Once my mother was

incarcerated, my family structure and economic situation shifted, resulting in a change of

placement for myself, brother, and sister. I was placed with my father, and my younger

brother and older sister were placed with my aunt. I speculate that the reason my mother

treated me differently was because I look exactly like my father, so when it was

placement time, I was placed with my father. Then, my interactions with my brother and

sister were far and few between and our family structure had changed forever. While

working on cases in the field, I keep in mind my past experiences and feelings before

making decisions to place children. Sometimes, having to place children is more

traumatic than leaving them in the home.

       According to Miller, pre-existing parent-child relations are a major factor

determining the degree to which a child adjusts to parental incarceration; the lack of a

parent-child relationship can cause irreparable damage to family bonds. I recall rarely

receiving any communications from my mother while she was in prison and being too

preoccupied with my own life to be concerned about this lack of communication. I was

already preconditioned to hold no negative feelings about a lack of parental involvement

as our normal home environment revolved around us being out of the home until the

street lights came on. We stayed out of the way of my mother. Miller states that the

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condition of the pre-existing relationship before incarceration is important, if positive,

then the relationship should continue to be positive throughout incarceration. In my case

the relationship with my mother was extremely negative and ceased to exist throughout

her stay in the penal system. During the years when her children needed her most, we

grieved our mother as if she were dead.

        In my nuclear and extended family, parental incarceration was a norm. My

maternal grandmother was in prison along with her husband for the sale of illegal

narcotics. Instead of feeling guilt and shame, it was a family norm to be imprisoned-

almost a rite of passage-something I could count on to happen to me, as it did. My own

life mirrored Miller's conclusions:

        maladaptive and contumacious behaviors such as withdrawing emotionally in
        school, truancy, pregnancy, drug abuse, diminished academic performance, and
        disruptive behavior may surface when youths experience emotional and
        psychological problems. Children will seek social cliques that are more accepting
        of them, and unfortunately, often negatively influencing (Miller, pg. 5, 2006).

Reviewing Miller's article helped me to come to terms with my own past. Without this

study, I believe that I would still carry some of the painful thoughts, emotions, and grief

of my youth.

        My PPM has also been vastly influenced by my undergraduate summer internship

at Aro Counseling Services. The facility itself holds unique meaning for me, as I was

first introduced to Aro while fulfilling treatment obligations for mistakes I had made

when I was seventeen years old. Once I had completed my treatment, I was accepted for

a summer internship, and smoothly made the transition from group member to group

facilitator while many former group members had now become clients. Each of the

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group members respected me as a counselor, and I handled any conflicts very

professionally.

       I gained invaluable knowledge from my internship supervisor, Ellen, and hold

great respect for her as a counselor, director, and friend. Ellen believes in a "sink or

swim" philosophy of learning counseling; only a few weeks into my internship, she

encouraged me to take the reigns and facilitate the group the way that I wanted. We had

many informed learning sessions; she nurtured my professional growth, keying me into

specific notions of counseling. Ellen communicated ideas and paradigms in a fashion

that was easy for me to comprehend.

        Aro' s staff consists of a Director who is a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor

(CADC) III, a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), a psychologist on site, master of

social work (MSW), therapist, and additional CADC counselors. When group is in

session, everyone is rehabilitation oriented. Once group is out, the case notes and paper

work begin. When the case notes are completed, reviewed, and signed, the clinic's

atmosphere is jovial. Each of the staff members worked well together and they accepted

me into their various groups and client contacts.

        Ellen's teaching philosophy allowed me to develop a professional counseling

style that was enjoyable for both me and my clients. Throughout my internship, I

developed an educational piece to the rehabilitation process. On Wednesdays, I would

distribute study sheets to prepare clients for a short quiz they would take the following

Monday about commonly abused substances. Nearing the end of my internship, I

developed an evaluation form to provide clients the opportunity to assess my

performance. This internship at Aro truly professionalized me as a social worker; Ellen's

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masterful counseling techniques coupled with her "sink or swim" attitude really pushed

me to break out of my shell and use the information I gained in treatment to help others

rehabilitate themselves.

       For the last five years I have had one special mentor, Doug Kiel. I met Doug the

freshman year of my undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Together, we have created an unbreakable bond. We trust each other with our lives and

rely on each other daily for support. Doug has influenced not only my PPM, but my

entire life. He has been the most significant person in my life. When I came to college, I

had no idea of what college was all about. I was admitted to college to play football, not

because I was some "brainiac." My entire life, I did not care about getting good grades,

reading, writing, studying, or asking questions in class. When Doug and I met, we really

cliqued together. He facilitated my higher education, teaching me how to do everything

that is now important to me such as: research, writing, creating and meeting goals, and

being ambitious. Most importantly, he taught me how to function as a student and not a

criminal. He has cared for me like a brother and I, in turn, care for him in the same way.

To say that he has influenced my PPM is not enough; I owe this man everything that I am

today. Without him, I would have failed out of school my sophomore year and went back

to the lifestyle that was so familiar to me. Doug absolutely created "me" as I am today. I

can easily say that we will be friends and brothers until it is time for us to leave this earth.

        My formal social work education as an advanced generalist consists of theories,

models, best practices, assessment, organizing, social justice, cultural competence,

critical thinking, and diversity. These key elements have crafted my education and new-

found world view. Education has changed my perspective on life; my eyes are now wide

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open, far beyond anything I could have imagined as a child. Formal education has taught

me to think outside of the box and to critically analyze the history of a problem. Before

my schooling, I would not think things through from beginning to end; I would accept

things at face value. Once I understood the cause, I could see the effect, and finally being

able to come to a solution.

                              RANKING OF INFLUENCES

My social work influences are ranked in the following order of importance:

        l) Life Experience

       2) Special Mentors

       3) Practice Settings

       4) Formal Social Work Education

       5) Research

       6) Theory

                                   SPECIAL INTEREST

       Child Protection Services is my area of special interest, which stems from my

own family background. My family did not value the welfare of children very highly. In

my traditional American Indian belief system, children are the foundation of the tribe,

because one day they will be the teachers, doctors, lawyers, and tribal chairpersons who

will be responsible for making the decisions that will affect the tribe and community for

generations to come. I enjoy every aspect of child protection from the report, assessment,

investigation, court proceedings, service plans, placement options, collaboration of

agencies and units, to finally closing the case. Still, though the placement of children is

always in their best interests, it is a traumatic experience for all parties involved.

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       A day in a child protection unit typically begins with a staff meeting to discuss

reports of child maltreatment from the night before. Depending on the severity of the

report, different responses are required. For instance, if a child is in eminent danger, the

worker may be dispatched immediately. Typically, however, we first make face-to-face

contact within an allotted amount of time. There are both positive and negative aspects to

our response time. One negative aspect is that the community-especially estranged

partners-can use CPS as their '"tool" to fraudulently make their ex-partner look bad or

cause them grief. If the estranged partner reports maltreatment, we must investigate.

One positive aspect is that we are a unit looking out for the best interests of the children;

we are responsible for keeping them safe if they are in a dangerous family situation.

       I enjoy the collaboration of multiple units and agencies in child protection. It has

been my experience that it takes police, on-going child protection units, judges, county

attorneys, interns, therapists, and intensive family base services units to work with a

family and make sure the children are in a safe environment. It truly takes a village. For

example, when we are following up on a report of child maltreatment and the situation is

dire enough to warrant the removal of the children, we must obtain a hold, which has to

be signed by a police officer to authorize removal. The officer may not be specifically

trained in child protection; therefore, they are relying on our training and experience to

make the judgment. Once the children are in custody, they are transported to either a

crisis shelter or foster home. Once placed, a petition is created with all of the information

that lead up to the removal of the children before a court proceeding called an Admit/

Deny hearing, where the child's caregivers must appear in court to either admit to or deny

the allegation of child maltreatment. If the parent admits to the allegation, they must

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develop an on-going service plan with a child protection worker to create a safe

environment for their children and get further education on parenting. Once the worker

and court are satisfied that the parent has worked their plan successfully, the children will

be returned and the case will be closed. This scenario is typical of child protection

services, but every case is unique and some may involve: the role of interns, other

agencies involved in the supervision of visits, mental health professionals performing

psychological evaluations, and the parents' willingness to cooperate with CPS. Many

factors and agencies collaborate to ensure the children involved in our cases are getting

the best care and protection possible.

                                 LITERATURE REVIEW

                                Child Welfare and the Law

        In the discipline of child welfare, understanding the laws by which we practice

enables social workers to create safe home environments for children. Theodore J.

Steins' Child Welfare and the Law clearly defines the laws, policies, and judicial

procedures to which child protection workers must adhere. Stein's text has enhanced my

knowledge of how the law co-exists with child welfare. The text begins with an

introductory chapter that defines the law, its sources, how social workers and attorney's

reason, and mentions briefly sources of conflict between attorneys and social workers.

Subsequent chapters lay the groundwork for understanding the relationship of child

welfare and the law. Stein touches on the roles the federal and state governments play in

setting policies for families and children, in addition to illustrating the federal and state

court hierarchies, the differences between civil and criminal court proceedings, and

explaining the binding nature of the court proceedings (Stein, 1998). Stein dedicates

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another chapter to the respective rights of biological parents, foster parents, and children.

In the latter chapters, Stein writes about the participation of social workers in the legal

process, and examines the litigation process. Child Welfare and the Law concludes with

a chapter examining implications for practice, for children, and families. One must not

possess a law degree to understand Stein. Child Welfare and the Law offers a user-

friendly guide to understanding the child welfare and court systems; I personally use this

book to familiarize myself with the prerequisite information relating to child protection

and court proceedings.

                         Signs of Safety & Social Work Treatment

        Andrew Turnells' practice principles in Signs of Safety are closely related to the

problem solving theory of social work practice. Both practices are focused on identifying

issues and then implementing the proper interventions to overcome the situation. For

instance, Turnell insists on discovering family strengths and weaknesses, as does the

problem solving theory. (Turnell, 1999). Working in child protection, a worker must

identify what the parent's strengths and weaknesses are when developing a service plan.

For example, if parents have their children removed, they are in what Francis J. Turner

identifies as an "undesired state" in Social Work Treatment (Turner, 1996). This problem

solving theory is "a systematic, step-by-step thinking and acting process that involves

moving from an undesired state to a desired state" (Turner, pg. 503, 1996). Turnell and

Turner's texts have a common goal: to solve the problems of individuals involved with

child protective services.

                 Advanced Generalist Practice & Cultural Competency

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       The advanced generalist approach to social work dovetails with cultural

competency as both require a generic knowledge base, sufficiency, adequacy, and

capability of practice. Furthermore, both practices are oriented toward social &

economic justice and based in inductive learning. I utilize the advanced generalist

approach because it requires an in-depth understanding of how to apply multiple

approaches to specific, diverse populations, specializing in the ability to work with

individuals, groups, and communities, and being able to intervene on many levels,

choosing the best practice approach to fit the unique needs of each client (Derezotes,

2000). Inductive learning plays a major role in the generalist approach, which aids in on-

going professional self development; an advanced generalist incorporates new paradigms

and best practices into their approach. Two key texts advance similar viewpoints: Doman

Lum's Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding Diverse Groups

and Justice Issues and David S. Derezotes' Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice.

Cultural competence and the advanced generalist approach both require a willingness and

ability to draw on community-based values, traditions, and customs and work with

knowledgeable community members in developing focused interventions,

communications, and other supports.

                          Helping in Child Protective Services

       Helping in Child Protective Services, edited by Charmaine Brittain, MSW, PH.D,

and Deborah Hunt, LCSW, Ph.D. gave me an opportunity to increase my knowledge on a

federal level. This text provides federal outlined goals for children and families, CPS

workers and supervisors, and the community. The Adoption and Safe Familes Act of

1997 (ASFA) required the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a set of

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outcome measures to assess the performance of states in operating child protection and

child welfare programs and to report the results annually to Congress (Brittain & Hunt,

2004 ). This is how we are held accountable for our policies, procedures, and practices in

child protection.

       Goals set for children and families include: children remaining in their homes,

being safe and protected, families being involved in the assessment process; children and

families receiving effective services, and children & families achieving realistic goals and

intended outcomes (Brittain & Hunt, 2004). Goals for CPS workers include: being able

to complete their work, keep scheduled appointments, meet timelines, be knowledgeable,

have access to resources, provide quality services effectively, and use administrative data

for decision-making tools (Brittain & Hunt, 2004 ). Goals for supervisors include:

ensuring that unit workloads are equitable and reasonable, identify and meet workers'

training needs, ensure that children and families are serviced as planned, and focus on

client outcomes during case supervision (Brittain & Hunt, 2004 ). Goals set for the CPS

agency include: being in compliance with the law, workers have a reasonable and

equitable workload, agency defines and monitors program goals and objectives, ensures

that services are effective and efficient, and agency ensures that staff are prepared for

their jobs through classroom and on-the-job training (Brittain & Hunt, 2004). With

Helping in Child Protective Services, my personal practice model was enhanced with the

knowledge of federal guidelines under which county, state, and local agencies must

operate.

                                      INTERVIEWS

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       My personal practice model was influenced by interviewing three MSW

practitioners who have provided me with the perspective of seasoned social workers. I

have gained trust in these individuals by observing and working along side them in the

field. I feel that they are each unique, which has drawn me to them. Furthermore, they

have each graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth's social work program and

practicing in the field for three years or more. I feel their knowledge and time in the field

is invaluable to me as a new child protection worker. Two of my interviewees are similar

in age, and the other is a veteran in the field of social work and the battered women's

movement. Because of their diverse backgrounds, each offered a different perspective on

CPS.

       Methodology for my qualitative interviews consisted of an eleven question tool

that focused on each practitioner's experience from their earliest field experience until the

present. How have their social work standards been influenced? What has prepared

them the most from their educational background? Many other questions concerning

personal mission to start CPS work, influences, what policies and procedures affect them,

and what information they would pass on to a new practitioner in CPS were asked. My

interviews were conducted within a two-day period at our place of work with each taking

nearly thirty minutes. There were many response themes consisting of self-care, Social

Services Information System (SSIS) complications, formal educational classes, and

length of time in CPS. Compiling this information into common themes aided in my

understanding of what goes on in child protection services. I will use this information to

guide me in the decision-making process, structuring my time, becoming savvier in the

field, and understanding human behavior.

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                             ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION

       Analyzing the data revealed common themes. These themes were positive in my

mind, and things I can expect to encounter working in child protection. These common

themes are: number of years in same field, scholarships, formal education, working with

children, self-care practices, difficulty of CPS, freedom within workplace, brevity of case

work, many means to same end, Andrew Tumell's book, and difficulty of Social Services

Information System (SSIS). Each of my interviewees has been in the child protection

unit for three years, although they each have worked in related fields before entering into

child protection. The Child Welfare Scholarship offered by UMD is designed to support

students who are interested in working in child protection during graduate school. The

payback of the scholarship is one to one fort years you accept the scholarship to years

you must work in child protection. All of my respondents have received the Child

Welfare Scholarship in graduate school.

       One respondent had a bachelor's degree in psychology and the other two had

BA's in social work, one from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the other from

the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After two of the respondents graduated, they

began their work with children in hopes of making a contribution to their lives. The other

respondent worked with women and children in the battered women's movement for

fifteen years before she began her work with children and families in CPS. Her

supervisor decided that her work ethic would be utilized better doing child maltreatment

investigations.

        Self care is the theme that each of the respondents emphasized the most; they

each firmly believe in taking time for oneself. They also agree with the statement, if you

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cannot take care of yourself, how could you expect to help others? Two of the

respondents are male and the other is female. The males are very outdoor activity

oriented. For self care they camp, fish, hunt, and mountain bike, often performing these

activities together. The female respondent enjoys spending time with her family,

especially her grandchildren for her self care.

       The respondents highlighted the level of difficulty working in CPS. They made it

very clear by their remarks, "this work is hard, day in and day out listening to the horrible

things that have happened in the community can take a toll on your persona." "Arriving

at a home to investigate a child maltreatment report and finding the children are either

being abused or neglected will make you go home and appreciate your family." The

level of difficulty is clear and the policies and procedures are put in place in order to help

alleviate the level of difficulty encountered. "They create an avenue to work through the

hard stuff."

        Freedom in the workplace consists of being able to move around the office and

relate to other CPS workers, getting an opinion on which we may be having a difficult

time making a decision. It also includes the ability to set your own schedule once you

have established your case load. Being out in the community made each of them feel as

if they were "out making a difference verses sitting behind a desk making phone calls, or

sitting in court all day." Another aspect of freedom in the workplace is the actual

physical benefit of walking, which can double as a stress reliever and self care technique.

        The respondents agreed that they enjoy the brevity of the case work. "We get in

there, do our thing, and then get out. We don't hang around until something happens."

Each case takes a different amount of time depending upon the work, but each

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interviewee agreed that they enjoy moving from case to case. This creates a diverse

caseload. Although CPS has its guidelines, philosophies, goals, and practice procedures,

each respondent believes that there are many means to the same end. They defined CPS

as an art form. Each worker has his or hers own way of reaching the final product, which

is to make a finding or not, transfer the case, or to close the case. With all of the different

information gathering techniques, each finds their way to the end of the case, one way or

another. I believe that each social worker has his or her own personal touch to case work,

influenced by their personal background.

       Each of the respondents highly recommended Andrew Turnell and Steve

Edwards' Signs of Safety: A Solution and Safety Oriented Approach to Child Protection

Casework. The respondents agreed that in their formal education, they each took the

same courses that prepared them for CPS work. The classes were, Child Welfare and the

Law, and Advanced Practice in Child Welfare. This book and classes, highlight different

practice procedures, provides a global perspective, how to work a case form start to

finish, how to develop a cooperative case plan, a focus on good practice, and how to

build a working relationship with your clients. They each felt the book has improved

their personal practice model.

        The Social Services Information System (SSIS) is a data base into which every

social service provider in the state of Minnesota has to report. This system contains an

infinite amount of information about past clients, which is a great resource when new

maltreatment reports come into the unit. The program also contains a database of

existing foster homes, and individuals associated with the county. The respondents

agreed that they spend a tremendous amount of time entering information into SSIS.

23

Every phone call, client contact, and case not must be entered into the system. Each said

that "I could do data entry all day, if I wanted to." They also mentioned that "the system

is good to gain background information on clients that have had prior maltreatment

reports."

       Through my MSW interviews, I learned a great deal about what to expect

working in child protective services. I have gained a new perspective of what it is like to

work in the field for three or more years. According to the interviews self care is the

most important piece of working in CPS, "burn out" is a common work hazard. Formal

education is prevalent in that an advanced generalist practitioner who is looking to work

in CPS should take classes such as, Child Welfare and the Law and Advanced Practice in

Child Welfare. Furthermore, I learned that there are many means to the same end. Each

CPS worker can develop their own style and techniques in working with children and

families. There is no one way to perform services in the field. One must develop a

practice model that suits them best. My most memorable learning attribute is that child

protection is not for everyone and the level of difficulty in Child Protective Services is

high: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. This type of work deals with

chemical dependency, mental health, domestic violence, and neglect. Having the

personal constitution to react appropriately in dire situations is an attribute that I believe I

have obtained from a young age, but have revisited its importance throughout the

interview process.

        My personal practice model and the advanced generalist approach have

commonalities in many areas. For example each focuses on the clients from an

ecological standpoint, come from the same base of skills and knowledge, delve into

24

working with clients' as an individual, couple, family, group, and community. One must

be prepared to intervene at any level. I also posit that both models are grounded in social

justice.

           When I am assessing a client, I look at their situation from a focal point similar to

the advanced generalist approach in that we both look at the client from an ecological

perspective, in multidimensional ways, and as whole persons. A client has friends,

family members, an environment in which they are comfortable, values, cultural norms,

and many other aspects that have to be considered in their assessment. To look at a client

and not consider these other attributes is not really assessing them. Thinking and

working holistically is a common theme that I share with the ecological perspective. The

advanced generalist perspective was designed to include inductive learning processes.

This approach was developed because practitioners found that many of their clients did

not fit into the "box." Therefore they had to develop a new approach to working with

clients that have unique problems and situations. I also believe in changing with the

times; when something is foreign to me and my philosophy, I will work to create an

approach that will be effective work for the client.

                                           SUMMARY

           This document, which constitutes a statement of my own unique approach to

social work practice, contains my self assessed views of seven components of social work

practice: l) natural helping skills, 2) learned skills and roles, 3) guiding conceptual

frameworks, 4) decision-making methods, 5) views of practice efficacy, 6) views of

human diversity and cultural competence, and 7) social work values. I have also

completed a literature review Child Protective Services. To further help me evaluate my

25

personal practice model, I have interviewed three MSW practitioners in CPS and have

related some of their views on social work practice to my own. Finally, I have written

about my understanding of the advanced generalist perspective and also about aspects of

my PPM that need further development as I proceed in my professional career.

       The natural helping skills that I defined are: empathy, role modeling and self

sharing. The skills and roles that I have learned in various educational training

experiences are: advocacy, coordinator, and speaker. The conceptual frameworks that are

most like the advanced generalist approach are: Andrew Turnell's book Signs of Safety: A

Solution and Safety Oriented Approach to Child Protection Casework, and a federal goal

outlining safety, permanency, and well-being. My basic approach to human diversity and

cultural competency is characterized by my ability to see the common themes among one

another rather than focusing on the attributes that set us apart. To help determine my

effectiveness in working with clients I ask for professional feedback from my supervisor

and co-workers. I make decisions by asking my co-workers for input, following my

intuition, and having confidence in my training. The value base, which is the foundation

of my social work practice, is characterized by: respect, loyalty, family, honesty, and

trust. I go about making ethical decisions in my practice by adhering to the code of ethics

created by the National Association of Social Workers. My area of special interest is

Child Protective Services, I have completed a literature review and I learned that there

are many different styles in how the work is completed, and examined how agencies,

units, and court proceedings all collaborate to ensure the safety of children.

        Furthermore, I interviewed three MSW practitioners in child protection to

advance my PPM. Common themes among theme included: working with children,

26

number of years in the field, graduate program and child welfare scholarship, belief in

coursework, practice of self-care, and the ability to have freedom to work case load how

they see fit. Finally, I have used my life experience to develop the way I perform social

work, I keep in mind that I was once in the same position as many of my clients and

made the decision to turn my life around and help others in a good way, instead of

helping others destroy themselves.

27

                                     Bibliographv

Brittain, C.R. & Hunt, D.E. (2004 ). Helping in Child Protective Services: A Competency-
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Derezotes, D.S. (2000). Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice. Thousand Oaks,
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Jones, B.J. ( 1995). The Indian Child Welfare Act: A Legal Guide to the Custody and
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Lum, Doman (2007). Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding
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Stein, T.J. ( 1998). Child Welfare and The Law (Revised Edition). Washington, D.C.:
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Turnell, A. & Edwards, S. ( 1999). Signs of Safety: A Solution and Safety Oriented
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