Health Medical Homework Help

Help me study for my Social Work class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.

Respond to the blog posts of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Validate an idea in your colleague’s post with your own experience.

LaTonja—

One potential challenge in client evaluations is the inability to effectively measure client outcomes. There are some questionnaires that include scoring and score interpretation, such as the Beck Depression Inventory or the Vanderbilt ADHD questionnaire. However, if one’s agency uses self-report to evaluate patient outcomes, that does not provide a quantitative analysis of the client’s progression or regression. Utilizing validated assessment tools in the evaluation process ensures that the results are reliable and as accurate as possible (Bolarinwa, 2015). It also yields strong validity in which the questionnaire evaluates what it intended to measure with minor built-in errors within its questioning (Bolarinwa, 2015).

My personal action plan to overcome this challenge is to encourage the use of empirically supported measurement tools to evaluate our clients. While self-reports provide insight into the client’s emotional state, the utilization of validated instruments will help us assess the intensity, duration, and severity of their mental illness; or if their presenting symptoms are pathological or normal. Furthermore, incorporating well-validated measurement tools will ensure that our agency is an evidence-based practice.

Bolarinwa, O. A. (2015). Principles and methods of validity and reliability testing of questionnaires used in social and health science researches. Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, 22(4), pp. 195-201. https://doi.org/10.4103/1117-1936.173959

Jehan—

• An explanation of potential challenges for evaluation during your field education experience

All clients enter treatment carrying beliefs, attitudes, conflicts, and problems shaped by their cultural roots as well as their present-day realities. Without cultural awareness, interns can unwittingly use their own cultural experiences as a template to prejudge and assess client experiences and clinical presentations. They may struggle to see the cultural uniqueness of each client, assuming that they understand the client’s life experiences and background better than they do. Some clients are unacquainted with the evaluation and treatment planning process and how they can participate in it. Others may perceive the initial interview and evaluation as meddling if too much information is demanded or if the content is a source of family dishonor or shame. Other clients may resist or distrust the process based on a long history of racism and oppression. Still, others feel inhibited from actively participating because they view the interns as the authority or sole expert.

• An explanation of personal action plans you might take to address evaluation in your field education experience

As an intern, the first step is to understand our own cultures as a basis for understanding others. Next, I must cultivate the willingness and ability to acquire knowledge of my clients’ cultures. This involves learning about and respecting client worldviews, beliefs, values, and attitudes toward mental health, help-seeking behavior, substance use, and behavioral health services (Thyer, 2013). The intern can encourage collaboration by emphasizing the importance of clients’ input and interpretations. Client feedback is integral in interpreting results and can identify cultural issues that may affect intake and evaluation. Collaboration should extend to client preferences and desires regarding the inclusion of family and community members in evaluation and treatment planning. Sensitivity to the client’s cultural and personal perspectives, genuine empathy, warmth, humility, respect, and acceptance are the tenets of all sound in the change processes. Thorough evaluation, including assessment of the client’s sociocultural background, is essential for treatment planning (Thyer, 2013). In my agency, they emphasized providing culturally responsive evaluation and treatment planning. Interns and programs must understand and incorporate relevant cultural factors into the process while avoiding a stereotypical or “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment. Cultural responsiveness in planning and evaluation entails being open-minded, asking the right questions, selecting appropriate screening and assessment instruments, and choosing effective treatment providers and modalities for each client. Moreover, it involves identifying culturally relevant concerns and issues that should be addressed to improve the client’s recovery process. Cultural competence improves an organization’s sustainability by reinforcing the value of diversity, flexibility, and responsiveness in addressing the current and changing needs of clients, communities, and the healthcare environment.

Thyer, B. A. (2013). Evidence-based practice or evidence-guided practice: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet [Invited response to Gitterman & Knight’s “evidence-guided practice”]. Families in Society, 94(2), 79–84.

Lachandra—

Evaluation is obviously a vital step in the planned change process. Unfortunately, with any evaluation method, there are always potential challenges that may need to be addressed. These challenges can be determined by a number of different factors including evaluation method, practice setting, and/or experience of the practitioner (Wharton & Bolland, 2012). Regardless of the impacting factors, it’s essential effective organizations and practitioners address evaluation challenges (Thyer, 2013). In my own field placement agency, there are specific evaluation challenges that I will need to continue to address. My agency uses two primary evaluation tools: (CANS) assessment Child Adolescent Needs and Services and (BHA) Behavioral Health Assessment tool. There are challenges with each of these forms of evaluation. Both CANS and BHA is an evidenced-based evaluation tool. My agency utilizes Both assessments at intake in the assessment stage and then again throughout treatment to evaluate interventions. Due to this process, one challenge could be inconsistently administering and scoring the of the CANS, in the same way, each time. In order to ensure the results of the evaluation tool is reliable. Evaluation through informal communication can also present certain challenges.

One challenge could be clients’ answers being biased (Wharton & Bolland, 2012). When using Both assessments a challenge can be getting accurate information from clients and their families Action Plans In order to address both of the identified challenges, I will need to utilize personal action plans. One challenge with CANS is remaining consistent in administering the assessment. In order to address this challenge, I will review and compare results with field supervision. This will provide me the opportunity to assess the reliability of the scores and identify how I can improve consistency. In order to address the challenge of client bias, there are several steps I can take. The first is to identify contradictions with the client’s answers with things that are observable. I can also utilize the perspectives of others in team meetings to gather a more holistic perspective of the client’s progress. Assessing other perspectives on the case will allow me to minimize the possible bias clients may have in self-reporting.

References:

Thyer, B. A. (2013). Evidence-based practice or evidence-guided practice: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet [Invited response to Gitterman & Knight’s “evidence-guided practice”]. Families in Society, 94(2), 79–84.

Wharton, T. C., & Bolland, K. A. (2012). Practitioner perspectives of evidence-based practice. Families in Society, 93(3), 157–164