INTEGRATION

The process of integrating the various aspects of my learning in the MSW program, together with the context and practices at the internship, is an ongoing part of my social work identity and stance.

I can only speak to the aspects of my learning that I have integrated into my social work stance and models of practice at this time. There are many layers of social work that I have yet to truly understand and incorporate into my thinking and doing.

Theory and Practice

Throughout my MSW program, I focused primarily on developing a theoretical grounding in postmodern approaches to therapy, and on growing my skills in relational and collaborative family therapy. I focused on making connections between theory and practice, developing an ethical stance for doing social justice at the micro-level of practice, and on participating in and contributing my social work values to the agency culture I am a part of.

Research

I incorporate research into my practice approaches as part of my evaluating my work and as a means of informing and building my practice. I am interested in learning how to incorporate the doing and the application of research in my clinical social work.

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Policy

I am interested in participating in the process of affecting changes in policy at the level of our professional organization, the Alberta College of Social Workers, by creating opportunity to hold a conversation about the College's current definitions of Self-Care as part of our Core Competencies. I look forward to other opportunities to participate in policy work as I become engaged in the work the ACSW.