Importance of Individualized Interventions in School Systems

This work is important as the assessment, diagnostic, and intervention process would have otherwise been inaccessible to this particular client and to a lot of the clients that I would see frequently. In this particular example, the client has a known background of trauma, with a history of being back and forth through foster care during her infantry-young childhood years, as well as growing up knowledgeable of her parents substance use. She is also currently grieving the loss of her sister who committed suicide almost two years ago. The family is low-income and works to help out other previous individuals who experience substance use issues and are in need of assistance, which creates unplanned barriers at times for extra monetary funds, such as therapy or psychiatry visits. In reference to this case, and to all educational environments, having social workers helps alleviate barriers between home and school, helping further create opportunity that would have otherwise possibly been overlooked or under supported. Social Workers in schools allows students easier access to mental health screeners, resource brokerage, and clinical therapeutic services. It is also a source of advocacy and a listening ear that many kids may be in need of. This artifact was just one example of the assessment process, collaborative description, diagnostic assessment, and interventions applied to assist in building support networks, coping skills plans and strategies, a sound therapeutic alliance, as well as the emotional/social support to help students succeed.

Goals/Objectives of Work 

• To learn assessment, diagnostic, and intervention tools that best serve from a strengths-based perspective.
• To learn clinical strategies and interventions that assist with grief, loss and depression
• To utilize eco-map reference to create visual representation of clients environmental and personable strengths and limitations
• To understand and advocate for the impact clinical judgment and intervention can serve in a school setting
• To be an advocate between school, home and community
• To identify, assist, and facilitate therapeutic process and referral
• To identify benefits of group therapy/support groups
• To emphasize clients strengths and supports and include in coping plan
• To formulate and finalize full Biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment
• Use clinical judgment from assessment to guide treatment planning and diagnosis
• To understand the importance of a trusting, therapeutic alliance is to the process

Tasks Completed & Impact of Project

I completed this project by facilitating weekly therapeutic visits with students to first build rapport, and then began an assessment period that took a few weeks to complete thoroughly. From there, I was able to use clinical judgment skills and client feedback to formulate an eco-map, diagnostic suggestion, and treatment/intervention plans for the following month of school. The evaluation and termination process will include evaluative feedback, as well as identification of support for summer, and therapeutic and/or group therapy importance communicated with home and student. The potential impact of this project could help bring feelings of empowerment, validation, furthered support networks, and an increased knowledge and comfortability with seeking therapeutic services in the future. It also exemplifies the importance the role of a school social worker plays in a school system as a liaison between school, home and community while also increasing knowledge and understanding of human development, behavior, social, economic, and cultural competency that are impactful in individual, group, and family and community systems that are intertwined within school systems.

Lessons Learned

Throughout this field experience, I have learned so much about the importance of documentation, the nature of the therapeutic process, as well as ensuring to remain on the client’s timeline and pace, even if that means revising or revisiting goals that were previously agreed upon and set. These were the most effective and impactful aspects that I learned throughout the assessment and intervention process. The school setting was also new to me, in terms of getting creative with time spent, battling barriers to accessibility, as well as understanding the importance of communication to support at home. I also learned the importance of trauma-focused care. These kids were extremely resilient, and throughout the semester I noticed that through their growth, simultaneously they were increasing their level of resiliency to future trauma and adverse situations, as well.  This experience has shown me observable impact of the strengths associated with posttraumatic growth, as well as a sound, therapeutic alliance being a framework for healing.

Skills, Competencies &/or Capacities Learned

• Identify and articulate client strengths and vulnerabilities.
• Utilize BPSS assessment process to guide treatment and intervention process
• Use knowledge of lived experiences and cultural considerations to guide treatment planning and intervention.
• Identify strengths and limitations to treatment of differential diagnosis.
• Assess client coping strategies to reinforce and improve adaptation to life situations, circumstances and events.
• Engage in reflective practice.
• Evaluate, select, and implement appropriate multidimensional assessment, diagnostic, intervention, and practice evaluation tools.
• Research and apply knowledge of diverse populations to enhance client well-being