discussion 10

Final Project: Practice Toolbox

Throughout the course, you have systematically examined social work assessment tools and interventions for use with various age groups across the life span. You have analyzed the benefits and drawbacks of these tools and techniques, and you have envisioned yourself implementing them in practice. You have also considered ethical situations that arise when connecting with clients. All of these activities assist you in becoming a strong, competent, ethically oriented, and committed practitioner who can work with a range of populations.

In this Final Project, you solidify that commitment by gathering all of your Practice Toolbox submissions into one document and revising them as needed. You then write a summary outlining your ideal population on which to focus your practice and the challenges that might accompany your work.

Though the Practice Toolbox is submitted here, it is meant to be a living document to which you can add and refer throughout your remaining studies. It can also become a reference once you are a practicing social worker.

Resources

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare

· Locate your previous Practice Toolbox submissions (Weeks 3–9 Assignments).

· Revise them based on Instructor feedback and/or additional research you have done.

· Copy and paste these revised submissions into the appropriate place in the Final Project Template.

· To complete the other portions of the template, draw from this week’s Discussion post to further detail an intervention for elderly/aging adults. Also consider if your thoughts have changed since Week 1 regarding the population you prefer to work with, based on your experiences with the various groups in this course.

By Day 7

Complete the Final Project Template:

Assessment Tools and Interventions

· Copy and paste your revised Practice Toolbox submissions into the template in the designated spot.

· Include 1 page that elaborates on the intervention you chose for this week’s Discussion. You should answer the same questions for the elderly/aging adult intervention that you did with other populations (why you selected the intervention, why it would be helpful for the population, what challenges or limitations there might be).

Assignment below.

· Write a 1-page summary describing your ideal population to work with, based on your research and work throughout the term. Is this the same population you identified in Week 1, or has your perspective changed?

· Identify and describe at least two ethical, moral, or value challenges you might see in working with this population.

Use the Learning Resources to support your Final Project. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list. 

submission information

2

Social work Assignment 5

WKS 5

Walden University

SOCW-6111

Dr. Larscheid

December 31, 2025

Assessment Tool Selected

I have chosen the Severity Measure of Depression- Adult (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) of the Online Assessment Measures of the American Psychiatric Association. I selected it due to its brevity, standardization, and use in regular screening of adults as well as monitoring of symptoms in a clinical and communal context (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.). A structured tool enhances the accuracy of the assessment and documentation, as it involves fewer unclear impressions which facilitates responsible clinical decision-making (Brandell, 2020).

Why I Selected This Tool

Adult customers can bring with them the concomitant stressors (financial strain, relationship conflict, health concerns) that can obscure depressive symptoms. PHQ-9 provides a reliable method of determining the severity of the symptoms and monitoring change over time that can be used to correlate the results of assessment with treatment planning (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.). Structured assessment in clinical social work practice promotes intentional intervention as opposed to inquisitive interrogation and enhances continuity of care where care is given by several providers (Brandell, 2020).

Why It May Be Especially Helpful With Adults

Adults tend to keep on with their functions even when the symptoms are severe thus making depression to be detected late. The PHQ-9 aids in early detection and continued follow-up, which is in line with the CBT-informed practice that focuses on measurable goals and progress measurement (Brandell, 2020). It also helps to communicate better with other professionals as scores give a common language in terms of the severity of symptoms and the necessity of follow-up (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.).

Challenges and Limitations

The PHQ-9 is a severity measure of the symptoms and it does not substitute a full biopsychosocial evaluation. The score can exhibit the impact of stigmatization, low reporting, cultural variations in manifesting distress, or comorbidity (Brandell, 2020). Thus, they should interpret the results with the help of clinical interviewing and observation. Agencies should also make sure that there is staff training and response guidelines so that when screening results are obtained, they will not go down the checkbox activity but instead proper follow-up is provided (Brandell, 2020).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Online assessment measures. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures

Brandell, J. R. (Ed.). (2020). Theory & practice in clinical social work (3rd ed.). Cognella.

2

Play Therapy

WKS 7

Walden University

SOCW-6111

Dr. Larscheid

January 11, 2026

Play Therapy

The intervention I would most comfortably apply in social work practice is play therapy since it is directly related to the way children communicate and perceive experiences. Children do not have the cognitive and verbal ability to describe trauma, conflict, or anxiety in a logical story as adults do. Play therapy enables them to have a way of bringing these internal experiences to a symbolic level using toys, drawing, role-play, and sensory materials. Brandell (2020) asserts that in clinical work with children, developmentally attuned interventions should be an indispensable aspect of the work since emotional meanings are frequently expressed through action instead of words. Play therapy provides a regulated yet free area whereby children are given freedom to express distress in a secure manner though they restrain their emotions.

Children are particularly good clients to use this intervention due to their respect of developmental reality. The language of childhood is play, and as a result, it enables children to recreate the hard events in a manner that ensures that they have a feeling of control, as opposed to being overwhelmed. Guided play can also enable a social worker to monitor the patterns of attachment, emotional regulation, and trauma responses without compelling the patient to speak against his/her will (Brandell, 2020). According to the Walden University (2022) clinical interventions resource, play therapy is especially efficient with children who have been subjected to any form of trauma, family disruption, or anxiety, since it helps alleviate emotional overburden and enables any therapeutic processing to take place.

Nevertheless, there are valid limits of play therapy that should be considered by the practitioners. It demands special training, forbearance, as well as a controlled therapeutic setting that cannot be achieved in poor resource settings. Play interpretation may additionally be subjective, which raises the chances of misinterpreting the inner world of a child when the clinician is not highly developed and culturally competent (Keenan, 2018). Also, play therapy might be ineffective among older children or those with high verbal skills who might be better treated through cognitive-based therapies.

In spite of these difficulties, play therapy has been termed as one of the most developmentally suitable and emotionally secure interventions for children. It is a potent means both of reaching into the inner worlds of children and of helping them regulate their emotions and make them heal in a manner that cannot be achieved by mere talk therapy.

References

Brandell, J. R. (Ed.). (2020). Theory & practice in clinical social work (3rd ed.). Cognella.

Keenan, M. (2018). Countertransference. In Salem Press encyclopedia of health. Salem Press.

Walden University, LLC. (2022). Clinical social work interventions [Interactive media]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com

2

Social Work Assignment: Adult Intervention

WKS 9

Walden University

SOCW- 6111

Dr. Larscheid

January 25, 2026

Social Work Assignment: Adult Intervention

I select the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is an evidence-based intervention that focuses on improving an individual’s health through increasing their psychological flexibility. According to Anusuya & Gayatridevi (2025), ACT emphasizes on teaching clients or people to accept uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, including how to act based on their personal value, making it suitable for adults. The reason for selecting ACT is because it aligns well with the contemporary social work core values, which emphasizes on focusing on person, self-awareness and psychological flexibility instead of focusing on eliminating symptoms alone. As an emerging approach, it complements more commonly used traditional approaches such as CBT while also providing a different approach that focuses in accepting internal experiences (Anusuya & Gayatridevi, 2025). Comment by Mary Larscheid: All assignments must have headings to separate out the grading sections. It also helps to organize your paper. This formatting is evident on the Walden Course Paper Template, which is required on all written assignments.

ACT may be particularly be useful in adult because according to Brandell (2020), adult client often present with long-term patterns of depression, chronic stress, and avoidance, and the approach can help them in identifying and accepting difficult and unavoidable patterns. Rather than focusing on depression symptoms and situations, ACT can help adults move from avoidant behavior to identifying what matters in their life and take committed action to better life. The approach is effective for adults that are navigating issues such as identity development, life transitions, and mental health concerns. Comment by Mary Larscheid: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the intervention. You explained why it makes sense to use. It’s clear you feel confident choosing something that works for adult clients. However, I wish you would have also applied information from the ACT specific articles Walden provided.

Although ACT promotes psychological flexibility, its evidence-based, and highly adaptable to various adult populations, it presents some limitations. The intervention requires high self-awareness, and willingness to accept uncomfortable feelings, which may be difficult to some adults with specific health concerns (Anusuya & Gayatridevi, 2025). Some adults, especially those that prefer directive or more structured intervention, may also find ACT concept hard to understand. ACT also requires specialized training and competence for it to effective. Comment by Mary Larscheid: Another new grading criteria, thus a new heading needs to be displayed. Comment by Mary Larscheid: This section does not have any course resources cited which is going to impact your grade. Each section that is being grading must have at least one course resource applied to your content. **

Reference Comment by Mary Larscheid: References are to be on a separate page.

Anusuya, S. P., & Gayatridevi, S. (2025). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Psychological Well-Being: A Narrative Review.  Cureus,  17(1), e77705. 10.7759/cureus.77705 Comment by Mary Larscheid: The title of the journal article needs to be in sentence case. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/references/examples

Brandell, J. R. (2020). Theory & practice in clinical social work (3rd ed.). Cognella. Comment by Mary Larscheid: Book titles are to be in italics and sentence case

2

Adolescent Assessment Tool: Severity Measure for Depression (PHQ-A)

Wks 4

SOCW- 6111

Dr. Larscheid

December 21, 2025

Professor feedback:

Overall, you did a fine job in your choice of an assessment tool that would be helpful to use with adolescents.  Your analysis also emphasized the value of the tool but also possible limitations. However, as shown in the grading rubrics EACH grading criteria must have at least one of the course readings applied to your information.  As I stated in my weekly announcements, “Be sure to apply course readings in addition to discussing the assessment tool you have chosen.”  In addition, your paper does not have headings which provides disorganization in correlating the content to the grading rubrics. I have attached your paper with comments. Let me know if you have any questions.  Make sure to include the course number in the subject line

Adolescent Assessment Tool: Severity Measure for Depression (PHQ-A)

PHQ-A (Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents), which is adopted from PHQ-9 modified for adolescents, is a widely used screening tool that helps in assessing severe depression symptoms in young people aged 11 to 17 years. The reason for choosing this tool is because depression is one of the most prevalent mental health concerns among adolescents (Li et al., 2025), and due to its strong validation in assessing depression in young people, making it great for busy pediatric or primary care settings. Symptoms of depression among adolescents are often similar adolescence psychosocial changes such as mood swings, withdrawal, and irritability, therefore, using PHQ-A can tool provides an effective way to differentiating the diagnosis, as well as analyzing the frequency and severity and frequency of the symptoms. According to APA (n.d), PHQ-A aligns with DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria, making it relevant or useful in accurate diagnosis, understanding mental illness, and applicable in academic settings.

The assessment tool is helpful for adolescents as the questions are easy, brief, and relatable for teenagers. An adolescent can complete the measure as a self-report, which may increase the chances of honest answers compared to a clinician-led question (Li et al., 2025). The questions focus on common depression symptoms from changes in mood to interest, sleeping patterns, and suicidal thoughts, which can be used to monitor the severity of the conditions, and improvement or lack of changes over time with treatment. However, as a self-report tool, it relies on an individual's willingness to disclose how they feel or their experiences, which can result in self-report bias and inaccurate information. The tool is for screening but not for establishing a diagnosis, therefore, it must be used with other diagnosis tools (Li et al., 2025). There is cultural difference on how each individual express their emotions, which may affect how each adolescent reports their symptoms, a limitation that may hinder the application of PHQ-A limits across diverse populations.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). DSM-5-TR Online assessment measures. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures

Li, X., Jin, W., Han, L., Chen, X., & Li, L. (2025). Comparison and application of depression screening tools for adolescents: scale selection and clinical practice.  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health,  19(1), 53. 10.1186/s13034-025-00908-2

1

Child Assessment in Social Work

Week 3

SOCW-6111

Walden University

December 12, 2025

Professor feedback:

Your Week 3 paper was to cover an analysis of a child assessment tool. The content within the paper, was good, although it did not address all the requirements. All grading sections must have course readings also applied.  This information was shared in my weekly announcements.  I have attached your paper with comments.  Please review and let me know if you have any questions. 

Child Assessment in Social Work

Following the assessment of the NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Behavior Assessment System of Children (BASC-3), I have chosen the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as the assessment tool I would work with child clients. SDQ is unique in that it is a short, user-friendly, and evidence-based tool that can assess the emotional symptoms in children, their conduct problem, hyperactivity, peer difficulties, and peers prosocial (Goodman, 2002). It is a balanced focus on positive aspects and challenges which correlate with the strengths-based orientation of working with children in the context of social work practice.

The SDQ is also of specific use when working with children, as it is age relevant and can be taken by various informants, such as parents, teachers and older children, which will give a more complex picture of the behavior of the child in different situations. Randell (2020) explains that successful clinical work with the children requires means that is flexible, responsive to the developmental variations, and can be easily incorporated into the assessment procedures. The SDQ addresses these criteria and at the same time it is fast to administer which makes SDQ highly applicable when used in the school, community and in clinical settings.

The tool also fits the inclusive practices since it enables the recognition of behavioral and emotional needs at an early age and contributes to the process of engaging children into community and education settings (Park et al., 2021). It is also very important to identify challenges at an early age in order to create interventions that encourage participation and create fewer challenges in a child with emerging symptoms of social or emotional challenges.

The SDQ has flaws in spite of its advantages. Being a screening tool, it cannot reach a formal diagnosis and needs to be guided by additional testing in circumstances when high concerns are observed. Ratings may also have differences between parents and teachers which can make interpretation more complicated and it is up to the practitioners to assess the differences that occur (Goodman, 2002). However, the accessibility of SDQ and multi-informant design coupled with the close correlation with child-centered approach to social work allow using the SDQ as an assessment tool.

References

Goodman, R. (2002). Strengths and difficulties questionnaire. https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Screening%20Tools/Strengths_and_Difficulties_Questionnaire.pdf

Park, K. K., Horn, E. M., & Kurth, J. A. (2021). Strategies to support community inclusion of young children with disabilities. Young Exceptional Children. https://doi.org/10.1177/10962506211028575

Randell, J. R. (Ed.). (2020). Theory & practice in clinical social work (3rd ed.). Cognella.