Skill Development for Generalist Practice: Exercises for Real-World Application

Skill Development for Generalist Practice offers an array of competency-building exercises addressing foundational social work knowledge as well as skills and values across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. Designed to be actively used during class time, exercises embrace the diverse range of clients encountered by social workers in various practice settings and reflect a commitment to serving those who are the most vulnerable, at risk, disadvantaged, and marginalized from society.

Table of Contents:
Introduction for Students Chapter 1: Introductory Exercises Exercise 1.1: Defining Generalist Social Work Practice Exercise 1.2: Why pursue social work? Exercise 1.3: What will you bring to the class? Chapter 2: The Purpose and Nature of Generalist Social Work Practice Definition of Generalist Social Work Practice Social Work: Key Concepts and Definitions Exercise 2.1: Ways of Helping The Eco-Map Exercise 2.2: Creating an Eco-map The Generalist Helping Process Exercise 2.3: Understanding the Generalist Helping Process Chapter 3: Working with Diverse Clients Using Cultural Competence and Humility The NASW Standards Exercise 3.1: An Exploratory Values Clarification Exercise Addressing [Vulnerable Population X] Individuals With Disabilities Exercise 3.2: An Exploratory Values Clarification Exercise Addressing Individuals with Disabilities Exercise 3.3: Rank Order—A Values Clarification Exercise Addressing Disabilities Exercise 3.4: Working With Individuals With Intersectional Identities by Employing Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility: Three Case Analyses Chapter 4: Understanding Values and Ethics Definitions: Ethical Dilemma vs. Ethical or Clinical Challenge Exercise 4.1: Discussion Questions The Process of Values Clarification as Preparation for Practice Exercise 4.2: Rank Order Exercise 4.3: Exploring Your Values Exercise 4.4: Operationalizing the Core Values of Social Work Exercise 4.5: Values Application and Decision Making Self-Determination vs. Paternalism Summary of Ethical Decision-Making Guidelines Exercise 4.6: The Ethics Debate Exercise 4.7: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas Chapter 5: Communicating: Empathy and Authenticity Key Concepts for Discussion Exercise 5.1: Developing Empathy and Rapport Exercise 5.2: “Of Course I Want To help You” Exercise 5.3: Handling Challenges in Rapport Building: Content-to-Process Shifting Technology and Communication Exercise 5.4: Some Tech Play Chapter 6: Communicating: Verbal Following/Active Listening Skills Fundamentals of Communication and Feedback Furthering, Paraphrasing, Closed-Ended Responses, and Open-Ended Responses Exercise 6.1: Closed- vs. Open-Ended Interview Seeking Concreteness, Summarizing, and Focusing Exercise 6.2: Seeking Concreteness Exercise 6.3: Blending Open-Ended, Closed-ended, Empathic, and Concrete Responses to Maintain Focus Interpretation, Additive Empathy, and Confrontation Exercise 6.4: Additive Empathy, Interpretation, and Confrontation Engaging Clients With Mobile and Digital Technology Chapter 7: Multidimensional Client Assessment Key Concepts and Definitions Exercise 7.1: Where Should We Start, Mr. M? Exercise 7.2: The Assessment of Antonia Exercise 7.3: Addressing Multidimensional Assessment, Mr. B Identifying Skills and Strengths From a Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Perspective Exercise 7.4: Creating a Culturally Relevant Multidimensional Assessment Eco-Map for Mr. B Exercise 7.5: The Role of Culture in an Initial Assessments Exercise 7.6: Screening for Depression and Suicide Home Assessments and Safety: The Home Visit Exercise 7.7: A Student’s First Solo Home Visit Generalist Social Work Assessments Exercise 7.8: Comparison of Generalist Assessments Chapter 8: Developing and Negotiating SMART Client Goals And Formulating a Contract Formulating and Negotiating Goals: Key Concepts and Definitions Exercise 8.1: Specifying Global Goals Exercise 8.2: Translating Goals Into Action Exercise 8.3: Elements of the Plan Worksheet Exercise 8.4: Goal or Objective Worksheet? Formulating a Contract Exercise 8.5: Going Beyond the Goals to Create the Contract Chapter 9: Understanding Family Functioning Definitions and Key Concepts Exercise 9.1: Exploring Family Roles, Rules, Patterns, and Culture Family Development: A Dominant Culture View of the Family Life Cycle Exercise 9.2: Identifying Family Life Cycle Stages Family Engagement and Interventions Exercise 9.3: Analyzing an Initial Family Interview Exercise 9.4: Exploring Family Patterns and Structure Using a Genogram Chapter 10: Working with Groups Definitions and Group Types Group Life Cycle Exercise 10.1: Group Type and Stage of Development Group Leadership Skills and Behaviors Human Services Teams and Interprofessional Practice Technology Use with Groups and Teams Exercise 10.2: Identifying Group Leadership Skills in Treatment Groups Exercise 10.3: Identifying Group Leadership Skills in Task Groups Exercise 10.4: A Therapeutic Process Group in Action Exercise 10.5: Participating in a Task Group Chapter 11: Working with Organizations Key Concepts for Working with and in Organizations Exercise 11.1: Design an Organization Domain and Task Environment as a Basis for Organizational Assessment Exercise 11.2: SWOT Analysis Exercise 11.3: Employing Basic Communication and Advocacy Skills in An Organization Interprofessional Practice Exercise 11.4: Social Work’s Role on the Interprofessional Team Exercise 11.5: Clinical Director Opening at New Hope Human Services Chapter 12: Macro Practice: Community Development and Organizing Key Concepts and Definitions Exercise 12.1: A Fence or an Ambulance Exercise 12.2: When Do Private Problems Become Public Issues? Exercise 12.3: Alternative Use of the Cases Exercise 12.4: Moving from Micro to Macro Practice Chapter 13: Managing Barriers to Change and the Client–Social Worker Relationship Threats to the Relationship between the Social Worker and the Client Exercise 13.1: Responding to Relationship Barriers Working With Involuntary Clients Exercise 13.2: Engaging the Involuntary Client The Role of Advocacy and Facilitating Client Empowerment Exercise 13.3: Overcoming Organizational Barriers Social Workers at Their Best: Self-Care Promotes Competent Care Exercise 13.4: Exploring Self-Care Chapter 14: Termination, Consolidating Gains, and Follow-Up Tasks Embodied in Termination Five Types of Termination Consolidating Gains, Planning Maintenance Strategies, and Follow-Up Evaluation of Practice Exercise 14.1: Managing Termination Exercise 14.2: Ms. W’s Last Appointment Exercise 14.3: Judy’s Decision—A Nine-Month Relationship Exercise 14.4: Kevin—An Unexpected Termination Exercise 14.5: Ralph—An Unexpected Termination Exercise 14.6: Managing Follow-Up With Mrs. Wilson Exercise 14.7: Revisiting the Jones Family for Termination of Treatment Chapter 15: Documentation Elements of documentation Exercise 15.1: Better Expression Exercise 15.2: Draft a Document Answer Key for Exercise 15.1: Document Commentary and Revisions Chapter 16: In-Depth Case Analysis Exercises Case 1: Not in My Backyard Case 2: A Breach of Confidentiality Case 3: The Case of Jane: Version 1 Case 4: The Case of Jane: Version 2 Case 5: A New Year’s Eve Crisis Case 6: Neighborhood Conflict Case 7: We Should Have Safety Personnel With Us Case 8: A Crisis in Confidence Case 9: What Do I Do Now? Chapter 17: Real-World Experiential Exercises Experiential Exercise Options About the Authors References Index

About the Author :
Christina E. Newhill earned a PhD in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley; a master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University; and a BA in sociology from the State University of New York, Binghamton. Dr. Newhill is Professor of Social Work with a joint appointment with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and teaches in the MSW and Ph.D. programs. In 2008, she received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Pitt’s highest teaching honor. Professor Newhill’s primary research interests are community mental health services, the psychosocial treatment of individuals with serious and persistent mental illness, and improving the assessment of violent behavior. She is currently examining the relationship of borderline personality disorder and emotion-regulation problems with the expression of aggression and violence. Newhill has more than 10 years of community mental health practice experience, primarily in psychiatric emergency and inpatient settings. She has conducted training workshops on client violence and social worker safety at the local, state, and national levels for many years and authored “Client violence in social work practice: Prevention, intervention and research”, published in 2003 by Guilford Press and recently translated into Chinese and Korean. Her new book entitled “Interventions for serious mental disorders: Working with individuals and their families” was published by Pearson/Allyn & Bacon in January, 2014. She is currently working on two additional books: the first is a concise guide for risk assessment and social worker safety under contract with NASW Press, and the second (with Irene H. Frieze, Ph.D.) addresses understanding the dynamics of violence in close relationships. Professor Newhill is a licensed clinical social worker in California and Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Mulvaney earned her MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in psychology from the University of Virginia. As a lecturer, she focuses primarily on teaching within both the MSW and BASW programs. She holds clinical social work license in Pennsylvania and has 14 years practice experience as a gerontological social worker providing medical, care management and program administration services, with experience in long-term care including behavioral care planning, dementia care, and end of life care. Current research and practice interests include geriatric workforce development, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, ethics, palliative care and problem gambling prevention for older adults. Mulvaney served as the School’s first Coordinator for the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education from 2005-2011 and continues to assist with that program. Bobby F. Simmons earned his MSW from the University of Pittsburgh; an MS from the University of Tennessee in vocational rehabilitation evaluation; and a BA from Knoxville College in psychology. He began working at the University of Pittsburgh after a long career in adult mental health where he held various clinical and administrative positions. Before he accepted the position as director of career services/lecturer, he worked for many years as a field education coordinator. As a faculty member, he enjoys teaching the generalist social work practice course in the MSW program and the introduction to social work course in the BASW program. He is a licensed social worker and a member of NASW.

Review :
"This is an excellent supplement to any direct practice class as each chapter would correspond to concepts discussed in class. The text provides a brief overview of important concepts which are essential to successfully tackle the expansive exercises in each chapter." "The simplified nature of this workbook will help students focus on what is most important in the chapters and advancing their social work practice knowledge, values, and skills in an accessible and easy-to-read format." "This textbook has co-joined classroom instruction and practical skills and presented both to the student in a comprehensive and entirely relatable manner."