Psychology Final Grad Level

COU 605 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric

Overview Final Project I is the creation of a family case conceptualization. As a counselor, you will work with a variety of populations including families, couples, and children. In order to effectively counsel families, couples, and children, a strong theoretical knowledge of family systems must be present. Each systems theory views clients, their issues, and goals through a unique lens. To build a firm foundational knowledge in family systems, you will need to choose a theory that aligns with your personality, views, and values and that also works with the clients. When choosing a systems theory and working with clients, it is essential to assess and address all legal, ethical, and multicultural considerations that might impact the clients and you. By working with any legal, ethical, and multicultural considerations, you will build a strong, mutually constructed relationship with the clients and ensure that you and the clients are both protected from harm. In this project, you will be tasked with applying a systems theory of your choice to a complex family counseling situation via Bongo as you watch and interact with the family in the video Of Rocks and Flowers: Dealing With the Abuse of Children. The chosen theory will be your guide as you describe how you would apply it and intervene with the family to help them reach their goals. As you assess the dynamics of the family system, you will address the legal, ethical, and multicultural considerations that are pertinent and could potentially impact the family and you. You will practice elements of the final project at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. The final product will be submitted in Week Eight. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Apply appropriate systems theories in a professional counseling setting to inform case conceptualization

 Justify professional decision-making as it relates to ethical and legal considerations in counseling a family

 Assess complex situations for how they affect the family system and individual interactions within a professional counseling setting

Prompt Your family case conceptualization will be a Bongo interaction between you and a family unit that you are working with. You are responsible for presenting the systems theory that you have integrated into your personal approach to counseling to your clients and describing to them how the theory will influence your work with them. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Theory

A. Describe the systems theory that informs your own counseling philosophy and practice. B. Explain to your clients why this theory is appropriate to use in their specific circumstance.

C. Explain to your clients how you will use the theory in your work with them. II. Considerations

A. Describe any ethical considerations that are presented in the case. Include how you plan to address these considerations. B. Describe any legal considerations that are presented in the case. Include how you plan to address these considerations. C. Describe any multicultural considerations that are presented in the case. Include both your clients’ cultural considerations and your own in your

response. III. Complex Situations

A. Using systems theory as a guide, describe any indicators of complex situations that are presented during the session. B. Describe how the identified complex situations are affecting the family system and interactions. C. Explain to the clients how you plan to approach the complex situation, including the goal of the approach.

Deliverable Final Submission: Family Case Conceptualization In Week Eight, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project I Rubric.

Final Project I Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your family case conceptualization should be a recording submitted using the appropriate Bongo activity. Note: You will be allowed one attempt to answer each of the questions. You will have a minute to read and answer each question. Your video submission will be private between you and the instructor.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Theory: Informs Philosophy and

Practice

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of the influence of systems theory on counseling philosophy and practice

Describes the systems theory that informs your personal counseling philosophy and practice

Describes the systems theory that informs your personal counseling philosophy and practice, but description is cursory or lacks cogent connections

Does not describe the systems theory that informs your personal counseling philosophy and practice

10.64

Theory: Appropriate

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of appropriate use of systems theory with clients scenarios

Explains to clients why the selected theory is appropriate to use in their specific circumstance

Explains to clients why the selected theory is appropriate to use in their specific circumstance, but explanation is lacking in detail or illogical

Does not explain to clients why the selected theory is appropriate to use in their specific circumstance

10.64

Theory: How

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of how to use systems theory in a counseling session

Explains to clients how the theory will be used in working with them

Explains to clients how the theory will be used in working with them, but explanation is illogical or lacking detail

Does not explain to clients how the theory will be used in working with them

10.64

Considerations: Ethical

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a nuanced approach to addressing ethical considerations

Describes ethical considerations that are presented in the case, including a plan to address these considerations

Describes ethical considerations that are presented in the case, but description is cursory or does not include a plan to address these considerations, or plan is illogical

Does not describe ethical considerations that are presented in the case

10.64

Considerations: Legal

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a nuanced approach to addressing legal considerations

Describes legal considerations that are presented in the case, including a plan to address these considerations

Describes legal considerations that are presented in the case, but description is cursory or does not include a plan to address these considerations, or plan is illogical

Does not describe legal considerations that are presented in the case

10.64

Considerations: Multicultural

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a nuanced approach to addressing cultural considerations

Describes multicultural considerations that are presented in the case, including both the clients’ and the counselor’s cultural considerations

Describes multicultural considerations that are presented in the case, but description is cursory or illogical or does not include both the clients’ and the counselor’s cultural considerations

Does not describe multicultural considerations that are presented in the case

10.64

Complex Situations: Indicators

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of how systems theory defines indicators or complex situations

Describes indicators of complex situations that are presented during the session, using systems theory as a guide

Describes indicators of complex situations that are presented during the session, but explanation is cursory or illogical or does not use systems theory as a guide

Does not describe indicators of complex situations that are presented during the session

10.64

Complex Situations: Affecting Family

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response makes cogent connections between behaviors of a family system, their interactions, and complex situations that are observed

Describes how the identified complex situations are affecting the family system and interactions

Describes how the identified complex situations are affecting the family system and interactions, but description is cursory or lacks cogent connections

Does not describe how the identified complex situations are affecting the family system and interactions

10.64

Complex Situations: Approach

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of counseling approaches to complex situations

Explains plans to approach the complex situation, including the goal of the approach, to the clients

Explains plans to approach the complex situation, but explanation is cursory or illogical or does not include the goal of the approach

Does not explain plans to approach the complex situation to the clients

10.64

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

4.24

Total 100%