Rhea Everett

Field Work SWRK 443-91-17SP

Sister Shirley Fineran, OSF, LISW
Final Competencies Assessment
5/9/2017

Competency one, Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior and the five practice

behaviors associated with it were demonstrated and developed throughout my time at my

internship with Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging. I feel that my skill level is now achieved, as

I am able to recognize my personal values and use these to know the difference between my

personal and professional values. I am also able to better know how my personal experiences

affect my professional judgement. I can also better recognize that social workers are life-long

learners to keep their skills up. This was solidified during my internship as my mentors often

learned new information each week at different meetings.

Competency two, engage diversity and difference in practice involves being able to use

skills, of diversity and difference with clients, also saw improvement. I have practice from my

time at Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging working with clients from several different
backgrounds and with many differences. This practice allowed me to help the clients share their

experiences and be aware of my personal biases.

Understanding human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice,

competency three was also improved. I was able to practice assisting clients in safety, health

care, education, proper standard of living and freedom. This was done through assisting clients

locate services that would allow them to remain at home in a safe environment as long as

possible. This was also done by helping them navigate applications and paperwork for financial

assistance.
Competency four, engage in practice-informed research and research informed practice

was also improved upon. During my coursework I worked on a research project related to

caregivers along with researching the need for change within Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging.

I was also able to view my mentors using information from their research to shape how the

interacted with the clients.

Competency five, engage in policy practice had improvement through interning at

Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging. While being an intern I was able to practice following

policies while assisting clients. One area was the assistance of filling out applications, such as

the different waivers and meals on wheels. Each application carries its own policies on how to

fill them out and how to submit them. I also spent time reviewing the key differences in

Medicare and Medicaid, with Medicare being for those over 65 years of age and Medicaid being

more general.
Competency six, engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and

communities was also improved during my internship with Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging. I

was able to practice working with clients to build relationship and that these relationships take

time. Some of these relationships are needed to have the first step in helping a client, as some

clients are hesitant at first. Along with having experience with different relationship, some where
the client is more relaxed and some where the client is more rigid. I also had practice with

Empathy to work with clients to help them where they are.

Competency seven, assess individuals, families, group, organizations and communities

has improvement also. This was due to practice in working with the clients to gather the needed

information for intake. Along with practice listening to clients state what help they are in need

of while also identifying some areas of need that they did not mention. Along with practice

looking at their current living environment to identify possible needs for changes to allow the

client to remain at home. This practice also helped improve competency eight, intervene with

individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities and competency nine evaluate

practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. These three

competencies go along with each other and are often fluid in working with clients and their

needs.