Indiana Wesleyan University Social Worker Competency Discussion

Getting Started

Portfolios are repositories of work that represent your skills, abilities, knowledge, and experience. Different fields suggest creating different types of portfolios. For example, when artists create a portfolio of their artwork, it is often held in a finely crafted, large binder that they can bring to interviews or to show to galleries and the like.

Social workers can also create portfolios of their experiences. Social work portfolios can contain such items as professional references or letters, client reports or letters, examples of work (such as grant proposals), faculty and/or supervisor commentary or letters, and so on.

An electronic portfolio, or e-portfolio, works almost exactly the same. The difference is that it is submitted and hosted entirely online. The capstone assessment of your Social Work Field Placement and Seminar course is an e-portfolio demonstrating your work and accomplishments. Detailed instructions will be provided as to the types of work and the items that you should include. Although you will be submitting these materials electronically for your program requirements, you may also want to make copies of the originals to keep in a professional-looking binder to take with you to interviews after you graduate.

This assignment is designed to facilitate your continued development in character, leadership, and scholarship in your social work clinical practice.

• Character is the product of constant action, striving daily to make the right choices. Through your work in this course, you are demonstrating such qualities as responsibility, fairness, and caring, and proving by example that you value character.
• Scholarship means a commitment to learning. Applying diligence and effort towards learning about evidence-based interventions as a social worker can positively impact your practice as a professional.
• Leadership at an agency means having a positive influence on your colleagues and the community. In taking the initiative to learn about evidence-based, effective practices, you can encourage others to attain the same objective, thus positively affecting your clients and your work towards recovery and justice.

Resources

• File: Field Practicum Portfolio Checklist.pdf
• File: Competency 9 Template Rationale Statement.docx
• File: Sample Rationale Statements
  • All documents are in the Generalist Tools module

Background Information

Your portfolio is a culmination of many examples of work and items that you collect during your practicum experience. The portfolio instructions will provide you with examples of the various materials that can go into your portfolio.

The e-portfolio is your opportunity to demonstrate mastery in each of the nine CSWE social work competency areas. As such, you should carefully curate your portfolio to include items that show a direct correlation to each competency area. You will have the opportunity to select pieces that really demonstrate your accomplishments in each of the competencies.

Each week during this course, you will be submitting two pieces of evidence and rationale statements for each competency. By the end of this course, you will have submitted your entire e-portfolio. In this assignment, you will focus on demonstrating your mastery of Competency 9: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Identify two pieces of evidence for Competency 9: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior.
3. From the Generalist Tools, download and review the “Field Practicum Portfolio Checklist.pdf” file and the rationale template for Competency 9.
   1. Use this checklist to collect two appropriate items that demonstrate achievement in Competency 9 for submission to your portfolio.
   2. Use the Competency 9 Rationale Statement Template to complete your rationale statement for each piece of evidence.
4. Write rationale statements for your two pieces of evidence.
   1. Complete a Competency 9 Template Rationale Statement.docx for each piece of evidence. Your justifications and reflections on the decision to include each piece of evidence need to be thorough and complete, and display sound critical thinking and judgment. Each narrative rationale statement must include how the piece of evidence:
      1. Clearly aligns to the identified competency
      2. Best illustrates your performance or growth toward achieving mastery of the specific competency
      3. Incorporates theory and essential social work knowledge, values, and skills for advanced integrated practice
      4. Illustrates the depth and significance of your growth in character, scholarship, and leadership
5. Before finalizing your work, ensure that you:
   1. Follow the assignment instructions carefully.
   2. Follow all conventions of academic writing, including correct grammar and spelling, and APA formatting, where appropriate.
6. When you have completed your assignment, save a copy of the following for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor by the end of the workshop:
   1. Two pieces of evidence that demonstrate achievement in Competency 9
   2. Two completed Competency 9 Template Rationale Statement.docx files (one for each piece of evidence)