Human Service Reflection

Human service specialists need to be proficient in different cultures. By being aware of how different cultures think and react it allows for the delivery of services to be accurate. Cultural competency is described as. “The understanding of diverse attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, practices, and communication patterns attributable to a variety of factors (such as race, ethnicity, religion, SES, historical and social context, physical or mental ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or generational and acculturation status” (Cross-Cultural Care, 2012). People who work in the human service field must be able to deliver professional services and be able to work well

Effective communication is not just about speaking and listening. It is also about watching and feeling. Our body language and tone of voice actually communicate more strongly than the words we use. So, listening effectively involves tuning in closely to the other person’s body language and tone of voice as well as their words.

Learn to look for when a conversation becomes crucial, for signs of silence and violence, and for your own style under stress. A large part of this is watching your actions and emotions, as well as the actions and emotions of the other person. Paying attention to both the content of the discussion and how people are acting and feeling is no easy task. But it’s an essential part of dialogue.

I chose to take this course because I am preparing to transfer and this class meets the UC art requirement. Also this class doubles for me as my last major requirement for a second AS degree in behavior and social sciences. Although there was actually one other class (LALS 14) that I could have taken that fulfilled those requirements I picked this course because it looked like it offered something entirely different to what I have already received thus far in my educational journey. My end goal is to become a nurse one day and I want to make sure I chose classes that will expose me to different things and enable me to become well-rounded and educated

Part ONE: Please discuss your experiences at your site. What did you do? What were the clients like? The staff?

Throughout the class, many aspects of the curriculum were seen as useful in future social work practice. Before this course, in other course work, treatment planning and goal setting was often something that was reviewed briefly, yet within the coursework of the capstone seminar this matter had been gone over in more detail. Within this course, it was possible to gain more insight into a more balanced way of setting treatment goals that included conversations with the client concerning what they desired out of treatment in addition to what was needed. This aspect of the course was particularly useful when it came to working towards the development of the treatment plan with the client who was presented during the case presentation, Sarah.

It is important for human services professionals to have a good understanding of their clients who are from different country or who has different cultures. It is important for human service professionals to understand how their clients with different cultural backgrounds and how they would interpret such non-verbal messages. (Woodside, McClam, 2012) For example, certain body language, facial expressions or hand gestures maybe inappropriate or rude. Before a processional can build trust or create a good relationship

To communicate effectively we must understand and ‘apply’ the ‘rules’ of the structure used in language and be able to vocalise this through speech. We must also hear and understand the speech of others through our ability to listen and to interpret body language and facial

The ability to respond in an effective way can be challenging for me at times. There are times when I say something, but by the tone I said it people take it the wrong way. I find myself having to explain myself more than I should. This class has helped me express myself in a way that I do not have to explain myself as much. The two responding styles that I find myself using more after reading chapter 8 are evaluative and supportive.

making Practice-Based Learning work Reflection on PRACTICE A resource commissioned by the Making Practice Based Learning Work project, an educational development project funded through FDTL Phase 4 Project Number 174/02 and produced by staff from the University of Ulster. www.practicebasedlearning.org Author Patricia McClure School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster www.practicebasedlearning.org contents Reflection on Practice 02

Active Listening It is most important to learn how to pay full attention to others as they communicate, and this process involves more than merely listening to the words. It involves absorbing the content, noting gestures and subtle changes in voice or expression, and

I particularly like in part two that Rogers discusses the idea of empathy. I have learned that empathy is not just a valuable quality to possess, but that in some ways it is the quality which will make or break your relationship with your client. Empathy to me shows me that you actually "get" what it is that the person is trying to relay to you, it does not mean that you are feeling sorry for them or that you want to know exactly what it is that they are going through, but instead you are willing to look at experiences through their eyes and to see the world as they see it in order to understand their perspective and point of view. Part II also discusses some of the challenges to the helping profession as it was known to him at the publication of this book. Rogers in particular discusses his desire that future psychologist will be born not so much with a standard university idea of what is to be expected in a uniform ideal way, but that they will possess the ability to think on their own and with their own ideas they will be able to reach to a larger population of persons.

This paper will reflect on my motivations and the life experiences, that have influenced my decision to work in the Human services profession, as a Woman’s Domestic/Family violence social worker. According to the Australian Association of Social Workers (p12, 2010), social work is committed to three core values; respect for the person, social justice, and professional integrity. I strongly believe that I possess these core values and I will endeavor to use these in my profession. Good values are essential in the Human services industry thus I intend to uphold these values.

As an educational leader, I have encountered several new and existing school policies. I never thought deeply about the various processes and the stakeholders involved in policy formulation and implementation. This semester I am engaged in the course Managing Educational Policy as School Leaders (EDLM 6005). This is Semester III, 2016/2017. My course coordinator is Dr. Timar Stephenson. Dr Stephenson was my course coordinator once before and was very helpful whenever I needed clarification or when I had a difficulty. I am thrilled to embrace the new ideas and learning opportunities embedded in this course since it teaches issues which I experience at work. Dr Stephenson, during his introduction reminded his entire class that success in this course would only be realized through hard work, dedication, and commitment. Therefore, it is imperative that I have the right attitude as I navigate this course. The course involves seven weeks of intense work. I am pleased to have a wonderful group facilitator by the name of Rhonda Joseph who has already given us a BBC to explain the requirements of the course and our first two modules.

The Research in Human Relations course guided me in the application mindset of my studies. Mindfully being able to break down information, from the statement of the issue to the analysis of data, to even an appropriate outcome that is beneficial to a particular field of study, is what this course promotes. Don Miguel Ruiz states in his novel, The Four Agreements, that we make different types of assumptions simply because we do not have the courage to ask questions (Ruiz & Mills, 1997, p. 68). This course enables students to not only want to ask questions but also build on their incoming knowledge with the tools to support giving back to the field and community. I long to give back through the power of research in my given field, and upon taking this course I feel empowered to do just that. The Research in HR course set a solid foundation for APA style writing, which has not only benefitted me through graduate school but will continue to benefit me into my career path. Today, APA Style sets the bar that is well respected in journals, books, and electronic databases (American Psychological Association, 2012). I found this course beneficial because much like each of my other courses, it further refined my skillsets for my pursuit of clinical administrative work and research on autism and speech in the field of speech-language pathology. Through each assignment, I became even more critical of the research I consumed. Being able to produce solid sources to help push my field of