SOCW6530_W03_AdvancedSkillsChecklist.docx

ADVANCED PRACTICE SKILLS CHECKLIST

ADVANCED SKILLS CHECKLIST

Area of Application

Skill(s)

Week 3

Rating

Good, Fair, Poor

Week 11

Rating

Good, Fair, Poor

Case Conceptualization: Social worker demonstrates capacity to formulate a clear understanding of the client’s problem, integrating cultural, historical, developmental, and contextual elements to design a counseling plan to work with the client. Can articulate case from a theoretical perspective.

Preparation

Time management

Consultation with supervisor

Theory identification

Client history review

Relationship Building: Social worker demonstrates ability in establishing relationship. Conveys positive regard, respect, warmth, nonjudgmental attitude, empathy, authenticity, and congruence.

Positive regard

Respect

Warmth

Nonjudgmental attitude

Congruence

Empathy

Authenticity

Reframe

Confrontation

Paraphrase

Summarization

Accurate Attention in Affect, Content, and Meaning: Social worker demonstrates ability to maintain structure, focus, and direction of the interview, proceeding through defined stages, and is able to end session effectively. Social worker demonstrates skills to facilitate and maintain engagement with the client.

Checking for accuracy

Negotiating

Matched language

Compromising

Reflection of feeling

Reflection of meaning

Seeking common ground

Fostering dialogue

Nonverbal behavior observation

Techniques: Social worker uses techniques to ensure that resistant or involuntary clients feel empowered to engage in intervention. Social worker demonstrates an understanding of professional and ethical behaviors, responsibilities, relationships, and/or demeanor.

Sharing power

Offering choice

Suspending disbelief

Listening to understand

Showing respect

Personal Growth: Social worker documents areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Supervisory review

Identification of strengths

Identification of opportunities

Comprehensive Use of Skills: Social worker demonstrates the use of a range of engagement skills, including open-ended questions, summarization, clarification, etc.

Reviews checklist with Field Instructor for weekly feedback and discussion

Avoidance of Ineffective Skills: Social worker is adept at avoiding ineffective skills that disrupt the relationship and the change process. These include:

· Interrupting

· Sending unclear or confusing messages

· Responding judgmentally

· Assuming

· Trying to prove a point or win an argument

· Failing to acknowledge environmental barriers

· Failing to match language

· Lacking genuineness

· Misinterpreting

© 2023 Walden University, LLC. For more information on the skills listed, see Chapter 9 of The Social Work Practicum: Preparation for Practice.