MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY PRACTICE LEARNING PLAN EXAMPLES Listed below are sample activities for each competency on the Learning Plan. These examples were developed by students and field instructors in training and practice settings, so some of them reflect specific practice contexts. Students and field instructors may use these to stimulate ideas for individualized learning plans in a variety of settings. None of the listed activities are required. Competency 1 Assessment Student will be able to demonstrate use of an advanced knowledge base to develop comprehensive assessments of client systems, including organizations, communities, and societies. PB 1: Review organizational charts of related agencies. PB 1: Assess structural effectiveness of agency in regard to providing services to specific client systems. PB 1: Assess the organization s constituency, stakeholders, and/or membership according to generational differences. Assess the impact of generational differences on growth and sustainability. PB 1: Write an assessment of an agency, a department, a community, a neighborhood, etc. PB 1: Assess the potential for an income-generating social enterprise in the low income community of Five Points. PB 1: Develop a resource map of a community or neighborhood. PB 1: Interview clients and personnel from other social service agencies to see how the organization is perceived. PB 1: Attend Latino Task Force and Centro Hispano meetings to assess how the organizations function, group dynamics effectiveness of policies and procedures, and impact on the community. PB 1: Develop an assessment of the homeless population in Knoxville, including demographics, services available and utilized and local/state/federal guidelines that inform policy and service provision. PB 1: Conduct an assessment of a county for a green collar workforce initiative. PB 2: Attend interagency task force meetings and board meetings and discuss with field instructor the social and economic context for client service. Assess structural effectiveness of task forces, boards, etc
PB 2: Review statistical information, literature and research, and how it applies to population. PB 2: Develop a description of the cultural identities of clients, including the effects of discrimination and oppression to use in a needs assessment for a grant. PB 2: Develop a resource map of the community served by the organization. PB 2: Attend Board of Directors meeting with Executive Director and discuss the social and economic context for agency services. PB 2: Analyze the access of the immigrant community in regards to education, health care, housing, and employment. PB 2: Identify the cultural identities and value systems of target populations receiving organizational services. PB 2: Assess the barriers faced by Latinos seeking resources for programs. PB 2: Identify culturally-related disparities in access to mental health treatment. Competency 2 Intervention Student will be able to use the steps of evidence-based practice to select and implement strategies of program development and change. PB 1: Utilize research about drop-out prevention programs to guide and inform the members of the drop-out prevention committee about possible evidencebased interventions. PB 1: Student will conduct research to identify culturally relevant evidencebased methods of community organizing. PB 1: Research evidence-based methods of program and policy development to reach a more diverse client population. PB 1: Read, evaluate, and summarize literature regarding evidence-based interventions to use when working with adolescents who are part of the LGBTQ community who have mental health problems. PB 1: Review literature and identify evidence-based strategies for mentoring, gang prevention, and delinquency prevention and use the information to made recommendations for program development. PB 1: Identify research related to needs of persons with low vision and recommend evidence-based programs and interventions to agency staff.
PB 2: Do research and provide information to those involved about cultural relevancy of community gardening. PB 2: Student will analyze and articulate the cultural relevance of programs and interventions by obtaining feedback from Hispanic youths and parents. Synthesize this feedback with results of research on best practice program models for children of Hispanic immigrants in the US. PB 2: Research evidence for the efficacy and cultural relevance of telephone help lines. Competency 3 Policy Student will be able to analyze agency, local, state, federal, and international policies that impact clients and articulate strategies for development and change. PB 1: Analyze local, state, and federal policy in relation to client population. PB 1: Analyze a specific agency policy for effectiveness and impact on clients PB 1: Research the Hearth Act of 2009 and examine its implications for work with the homeless population. PB 1: Examine policy and procedure for an agency program and compare to required federal regulations and legislation related to programming for the client population. PB 1: Analyze the Dream Act and its projected impact on the immigrant population in Tennessee. PB 1: Analyze health care policies and availability of low/no cost health care services in Knoxville. PB1: Analyze at least three administrative policies for clarity, consistency, and equity. PB 2: Make recommendations for policy changes to increase clarity, consistency and equity and/or for development of new policies to cover policy gaps. PB 1: Analyze federal policies impacting green collar job creation, specifically the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Analyze state policies that relate to environmental protection and workforce development, specifically the TN Green Jobs Act. Examine local development plans and resolutions that impact members of the Jackson, TN and Madison County, TN communities. PB 2: Use the information to inform school social workers and community organizations that advocate for this population.
PB 2: Work with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition to advocate for passage of this act. PB 2: The student will create collaborative relationships with other organizations and professionals that share an interest in local, state, federal policies that pertain to the agency s client population. PB 2: Advocate for change of a discriminatory policy at the agency or community level. PB 2: Develop a policy and procedure manual for an agency program. PB 2: Work with colleagues and task instructor to identify policies that can be changed and individuals who can be influenced through community organizing. PB 2: Participate in the Homeless Coalition advocacy committee and work collaboratively with committee members to advocate for policies that affect the chronically homeless population. PB 2: Together with members of the Latino Task Force, advocate for change of the policy that requires people to have a social security number in order to open a utilities account with KUB. Competency 4 Leadership Student will be able to effectively use leadership, team building and management skills to promote program development and change. PB 1: Student will discuss leadership and organizational theory related to solvency during difficult times with agency executive director and chief financial officer. PB 1: Research supervision models appropriate to not for profit organizations. PB 2: Collaborate with other interns and a local agency to create a culturally relevant Open House for Hispanic families to inform them of services provided by the agency. PB 2: Student will seek grants and other financial resources to support agency programs. Student will attend Tennessee Arts Commission Grant Panel. PB 2: Student will work with staff and volunteers to implement new program initiative. This will include researching funding opportunities and writing a grant proposal.
PB 2: Student will present to staff at weekly meetings specific tasks and timelines to promote program and policy development related to services to a specific client population. PB 3: Attend meetings of boards, coalitions, task forces, advocacy groups, etc. to build professional relationships with members and identify opportunities for partnering in advocacy. PB 3: Work with other organizations that address the needs of the Latino community, including Centro Hispano, TIRRC, and Latino Task Force to advocate for client rights. PB 3: Research and compile information on methods to met needs of client populations that are currently underrepresented in agency services. Competency 5 Ethics Student will be able to demonstrate ethical and professional conduct in accordance with the NASW and IFSW Codes of Ethics and consistently use reasoned strategies to resolve ethical issues. PB 1: Look at IFSW Code of Ethics and compare and contrast with NASW Code of Ethics. PB 1: Actively participate in monthly team meeting and explore ways to ethically resolve conflicts between the NASW Code of Ethics and the host agency s requirements. PB 1: Develop an ethics training module to be used with agency staff, including role play scenarios. Present the training at least once. PB 1: Identify ethical or unethical situations in the office and at meetings and discuss how to resolve them. PB 1: Research the IFSW Code of Ethics and articulate how it applies to migrant farm worker families in the practice setting. PB: Identify specific strategies of ethical reasoning and select one to apply to an ethical problem or dilemma. PB 2: Reread the NASW and IFSW Codes of Ethics. Discuss one section of the code per week in supervision. PB 2: Discuss the impact of personal values on ethical practice. Identify and discuss in supervision specific situations in which personal values may conflict with social work values.
Competency 6 Program Evaluation Student will be able to use multiple methods to evaluate program outcomes. PB 1: Create tracking measurements for each program to show short and longterm community impact. PB 1: Student will work with agency staff to develop a strategic plan with measurable program goals and outcomes. PB 1: Assist a community organization in establishing measurable program goals and develop a strategic plan to meet those goals. PB 2: Student will research program evaluation designs that are appropriate for assessing effective social work practice in programs that relate to early childhood education and youth development. PB 2: Student will assist with existing program evaluation methods, including the annual self-assessment. Student will critique existing methods and help to create new tools/techniques to enhance program evaluation. PB 3: Conduct a needs assessment for a proposed program or service. PB 3: Conduct focus groups and staff surveys to inform development of training programs for agency staff and volunteers. PB 3: Develop a method to evaluate outcomes for the photography project appropriate to client system ages and culture. PB 3: Create a volunteer exit survey to better understand reasons that volunteers end their service. Competency 7 Advocacy Student will be able to advocate for human rights, social and economic justice, and access to services at multiple system levels. PB 1: Attend an advocacy group or community coalition meeting (e.g., NAMI, Coalition to End Homelessness, TIRRC, etc.) and discuss with the members their perspectives on unmet client system needs. PB 1: Interview frontline/direct service staff regarding their experiences with gaps in client services and unmet needs. PB 1: Student will conduct an analysis of unemployment rates and how groups of individuals are affected by unemployment.
PB 1: Work to identify patterns of discrimination with residents of permanent supportive housing. PB 1: Identify unmet needs of the Latino population in Knoxville. PB 1: Research the need for a teen sexual health clinic in Knoxville. PB 2: In collaboration with immigrant service agencies, the student will develop a comprehensive plan to advocate for client needs through supporting legislation such as The Dream Act. PB 2: Student will work with local Latino Task Force to learn about issues that impact Latino immigrants in East Tennessee and work with these groups to advocate for rights and services. PB 2: Analyze and create a strategy for local government to incorporate Fair Housing laws in their review of property uses. PB 2: Develop a presentation for staff that highlights unmet needs, gaps in services or instances of discrimination and provides strategies for advocacy at multiple system levels. PB 2: Student will identify needs for advocacy in all agency service areas and will work with colleagues to develop and implement at least one strategy for advocacy. Competency 8 Professional Development Student will be able to assess his/her professional knowledge and skills in the field setting, identify deficits, gaps, and areas of growth, and develop a plan for ongoing selfassessment and change for career-long learning. PB 1: Student will identify formal and informal opportunities for enhancing Spanish-speaking and writing skills and developing a broader range of cultural competencies with additional immigrant cultures. PB 1: Student will develop a paper defining one s theoretical approach to current and future practice and present at the end of year to agency staff. PB 1: Student will list activities within agency to address strengths/areas of growth. PB 2: Student will complete a written self-evaluation to discuss in the final supervision session.
PB 2: Student will develop a two-year written plan for continuing education in professional social work practice.