What is your own understanding of the “ability to live life without certainty, but with an expectant open-heartedness” in terms of friendship and do you concur that it is the ethical approach to cultivating true friendship? If not, based on what you learned in this course, what is?  

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In our reading this week, we learned more about some of the philosophers’ perspectives on how to cultivate that fertile ground for engaging in meaningful friendships. Many philosophers seem to agree that friendship is not about being knowledgeable or following a specific prescription for being a true friend. Vernon’s summary of Socrates’ position entails the following:

Then the individuals have the opportunity not only to learn about the limitations of the beliefs that they hold true but also about the flaws in their character and the vulnerabilities of their temperaments. These are, after all, far deeper sources of delusion than mere rational confusion (p. 255).

In a similar vein, Vernon interprets soul friendship in the light of John Keats “negative capability” as the “ability to live life without certainty, but with an expectant open-heartedness” (p. 254).

In this week’s reading material, the following philosophers discuss their views on this topic: Socrates, Plato, Emerson, Aristotle. Make sure to incorporate their views as you answer each discussion question. Think about how their views may be similar or different from your own. In at least 350 words total, please answer each of the following, drawing upon your reading materials and your personal insight:

  • In your own understanding of the ethics of friendship, to what extent do you personally value the ability to learn about the limitations of your beliefs, the flaws in your character, and the vulnerabilities in your temperament? Do you consider this an obligation of the friend? What is your own understanding of the “ability to live life without certainty, but with an expectant open-heartedness” in terms of friendship and do you concur that it is the ethical approach to cultivating true friendship? If not, based on what you learned in this course, what is?

Cicero (2014).  De Amicitia – On Friendship (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_cic_friendship.htm

Vernon, M. (2010). The Meaning of Friendship. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Post a description of the steps you would take to address the situation in an ethical manner. Justify your response with evidence from the Readings.

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Discussion 1: Title Protection and Licensure

When one pictures a doctor sitting at her office desk, it seems natural to imagine multiple diplomas on the wall nearby. The notion of doctors displaying their credentials seems indisputable when one considers the importance of professional credibility in instilling trust in patients.

Just as medical practitioners are responsible for achieving and maintaining proper licensure, so are social work professionals. Those who receive the title of “social worker” have met the criteria developed to demonstrate proficiency in meeting the demands associated with the profession.

For this Discussion, research the criteria for assuming the title of social worker in your state or country. Consider benefits offered by title protection and maintenance of licensure standards. Also think about the challenges that title protection and licensure standards may pose.

By Day 3

Post a description of strengths and challenges associated with title protection and licensure. Describe two strengths and two challenges.

Discussion 2: Ethical Questions

Although students of social work have not yet satisfied the criteria to earn the title of “social worker,” they are bound by the same ethical requirements as titled social workers. Social workers regularly face ethical issues of varying magnitude, and social work students may as well. Some issues seem obvious, while others may emerge in subtle ways.

For this Discussion, select one of the following scenarios. Consider the dilemma described, and imagine how you might feel if you found yourself in a similar situation. Think about the ethical obligations you would have as a social worker or social work student.

Scenario 1

You are a social worker in a public health department providing services to pregnant women. As part of your duties, you provide parenting education, support, and connection to community resources, and you follow up with the families and their newborns for six months after birth. Ms. C has been a client of yours during two pregnancies in the last three years. She has a 15 year-old, a nine year-old, a three year-old, and a newborn. On this day, you are making a routine visit to Ms. C, who lives in an older mobile home in a rural area of the county. You take with you a newly hired social worker who is in training. When you arrive at the house, you find that it is clean and the two older girls are busy doing their homework. The three year-old is playing, and Ms. C is feeding the baby.

During the visit, the new social worker asks Ms. C whether she is looking for work. When you discreetly ask her about birth control, the social worker remarks, motioning to the 15 year-old daughter, “You better get her on birth control if you do not want more babies around here.” Ms. C does not respond to the other social worker, instead maintaining her focus on you. You can tell that she is bothered by the remark about her daughter.

Scenario 2

You are at lunch with some of your social work colleagues at a mental health center. While you are eating lunch, one of your colleagues says, “So, none of you can beat my morning. I had a borderline in my office who was definitely off her meds. She kept jumping out of the chair and spinning around the room and she was talking really fast about having a baby and being pregnant. I did not even try to deal with her. I called the Access Team and it took them half an hour to get to my office. The whole time I am watching her spin around, and I cannot help but laugh. They took her for an evaluation, but that was the craziest woman.”

By Day 4

Post a description of the steps you would take to address the situation in an ethical manner. Justify your response with evidence from the Readings.

Discuss either how one of the relationships in your film is maintained by the characters or discuss reasons that the relationship in your film will end (or likely end.) Be sure to discuss aversive communication behaviors that the characters display (if relevant) and provide specific examples. 

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In this paper, you will examine several central theories of interpersonal communication and apply them to the film of your choice. The focus will be on how communication is used to initiate, maintain, and terminate relationships, and will cover several theories of each stage. The film will serve as a vehicle for learning about interpersonal communication and relationships. You will analyze what the film has shown about the ways people relate to one another.

You are expected to write a 3-5 page analysis of the film. DO NOT go under 2 1/2 half or over 5  pages. Your analysis should include 3 different sections:

  1. Theories of Relationship DevelopmentChoose two of the theories of relationship development discussed in your book and discuss your film illustrates these theories. Give several examples that illustrate each, and be sure to explain why you think these theories are particularly relevant to the film you have chosen.
  2. Models of Relationship DevelopmentChoose one of the models of relationship development discussed in your book and explain how it is illustrated in one of the relationships found in your film. For each stage in the model, you should define it and give an example from the film.
  3. Theories of Relationship Maintenance Discuss either how one of the relationships in your film is maintained by the characters or discuss reasons that the relationship in your film will end (or likely end.) Be sure to discuss aversive communication behaviors that the characters display (if relevant) and provide specific examples.

You will need an introduction and a conclusion in this paper and include examples that you found to be the most enlightening, controversial, or even possibly incorrect. You will be expected to discuss what individuals did, what happened, and why. Relevant communication theory and text material should be introduced for each example. You should write this paper as if you were going to demonstrate your expertise and knowledge to an individual that has little or no knowledge of communication theory. That “pretend reader” should learn a lot from reading your paper.

This is not a review of the film you have chosen, and should not include several paragraphs/pages of dialogue from the movie. After reading your paper, I should be able to understand your analysis from an interpersonal communication theory perspective—not someone who just watched the film and wrote about it. Your goal should be to demonstrate that you understand the theories discussed in your book.

The paper should be 3-5 pages (typed), 1 in margins, double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font, with no cover pg required. You must cite the course textbook using MLA formatting (Links to an external site.).  When saving your document, include your last name and the assignment, and save as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx).

Describe two social issues related to the course-specific case study for Claudia that inform a culturally competent social worker.

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Week 3: Assessment of Children

It is essential to obtain a strong knowledge base on the relevant assessment tools used specifically with children. Assessment tools historically have been created and tested primarily on adults, more specifically Caucasian adult male subjects. Children, similar to people with disabilities or those from various ethnic backgrounds, are often ignored in research protocols. In turn, the assessment tools used with them tend to be mere replicas of those created and tested for adults. It has become clear in the social work profession as well as other disciplines that we have not paid close enough attention to the unique needs and experiences of children. It is imperative to recognize the importance of using evidence-based assessment tools that are tailored specifically for children. Children quickly develop emotionally, physically, and psychologically, and the assessment tools used with this population must be sensitive to their developmental process. Further, a child’s physical, emotional, personality, and psychological development is strongly impacted by his or her environment. Taking an ecological perspective, understanding a child’s experience within his or her home and surrounding environment, will help to identify the level of support and safety. This knowledge will help guide one’s treatment plan and intervention.

Learning Objectives

Students will:
  • Analyze assessment tools for children
  • Analyze the importance of using multiple tools for assessment
  • Analyze the ecological perspective of assessment
  • Analyze the importance of cultural competence in clinical practice

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ace

Woolley, M. E. (2013). Assessment of children. In M. J. Holosko, C. N. Dulmus, & K. M. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 1–39). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

McCormick, K. M., Stricklin, S., Nowak, T. M., & Rous, B. (2008). Using eco-mapping to understand family strengths and resources. Young Exceptional Children, 11(2), 17–28.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Working With Children and Adolescents: The Case of Claudia (pp. 15–17)

Note: Depending on your concentration, you may not receive a case study book until a later term. Therefore, if you did not receive a copy of Social Work Case Studies: Concentration Year in your previous course, use the linked PDF provided here. If you did receive the book referenced above, you may find the cases there or use the PDF.

Optional Resources

Use this link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.

Discussion: Assessment Tools

Assessments are an integral part of the planned change process. During this part of the process you will accumulate, organize, and review the information you will need to begin the planning and intervention phases of treatment. Content and information are obtained from multiple sources (the child, family members, school personnel, etc.) and in various forms (interviews, records, and observation). It is essential to collect data in a comprehensive manner—understanding the presenting problem from an ecological model that seeks to gain insight into the concern on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. Focusing on a multilevel approach to a client’s concern and taking into account the environmental factors that contribute to the presenting problem distinguishes social work from other disciplines.

By Day 3

Post a description of the importance of using multiple evidence-based tools (including quantitative, open ended, and ecologically focused) to assess children. Explain how each complements the other in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the young client’s concerns and situation. Then, describe the use of an eco-map in assessment and explain the different systems you will account for in your assessment of a child.

Support your posts with specific references to this week’s resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two colleagues with your views on what makes this form of assessment specific to social work.

Support your responses with specific references to this week’s resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:
Week 3 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

To participate in this Discussion:
Week 3 Discussion

Assignment: Cultural Competence

As with all areas of the social work process, cultural competence is essential when engaging and assessing a child’s concerns. Being culturally competent includes understanding the unique needs of your client and asking how those needs can be fulfilled. Using an empowerment perspective treating clients as experts on their lives and their needs is essential. Not only does this establish your commitment to being culturally sensitive and aware, but it will enhance the therapeutic relationship. While it is essential to learn and master social work skills and techniques to be a successful practitioner, another significant indicator of a successful intervention is the relationship a social worker builds with his or her client. Some research suggests that the quality of the therapeutic relationship will account for 30% of the clinical outcome of the treatment (Miller, Duncan, and Hubble, 2005, as stated in Walsh, 2010, p. 7). Exhibiting a dedication to learning about a client’s culture, history, and current environmental factors exemplifies a social worker’s desire to build that client–worker bond.

For this Assignment, read the case study for Claudia and find two to three scholarly articles on social issues surrounding immigrant families.

By Day 7

In a 2- to 4-page paper, explain how the literature informs you about Claudia and her family when assessing her situation.

  • Describe two social issues related to the course-specific case study for Claudia that inform a culturally competent social worker.
  • Describe culturally competent strategies you might use to assess the needs of children.
  • Describe the types of data you would collect from Claudia and her family in order to best serve them.
  • Identify other resources that may offer you further information about Claudia’s case.
  • Create an eco-map to represent Claudia’s situation. Describe how the ecological perspective of assessment influenced how the social worker interacted with Claudia.
  • Describe how the social worker in the case used a strengths perspective and multiple tools in her assessment of Claudia. Explain how those factors contributed to the therapeutic relationship with Claudia and her family.