Analyze how validity in psychometrics, as you explored in Unit 4, is different from a validity scale in a test of personality.

• Describe this difference in terms of their definitions.

o Provide at least two examples of validity scales.

• Integrate and cite the AERA standards from Chapter 10, “Psychological Testing and Assessment,” of your Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing text that directly address validity scales. Provide your interpretation of the standards and the use of validity scales.

o Discuss if the standards permit, reject, or provide guidance on integrating such scales in a report.

o State, in your own words, how one should, or should not, proceed with validity scales.

• Cite at least one advantage and one disadvantage regarding the use of validity scales. The test authors provide several pros and cons of using validity scales in personality assessment.

o Based on your readings, including preparation for this discussion, what is your position on this issue; that is, using and interpreting validity scales on a measure of personality?

When you post this discussion, change your subject line to Use, or Don’t Use

Part 1: Interventions

List the three goals you formulated for this client and presented in your Unit 5 paper. (If your instructor provided feedback or comments about your goals on that assignment, you can include revised goals here.)

For each goal, list one specific counseling intervention you used during your work with this client to help him or her make progress towards that goal. Each intervention must be “evidence-based.” You will need to support your choice of intervention with reference to the current professional literature and research showing its effectiveness.

For each intervention you list, include the following:

· Discuss how you introduced this intervention into the counseling session, and how the client responded.

· Describe how the intervention is reflective of your specific theoretical approach, drawing from the key concepts and assumptions of that theory.

· Discuss your rationale for selecting the intervention, in terms of its appropriateness for your specific client and his or her presenting issues. Address all social-cultural issues that you considered when introducing this intervention into your work with the client.

· Include at least one reference to a current article in the professional literature that supports the use of the intervention as being effective with this type of client and/or presenting issues.

Part 2: Ethical and Legal Issues

Discuss any ethical or legal issues that emerged during your work with this client. (If no such issues arose, then discuss the types of ethical or legal issues that might emerge when working with this type of client and/or these presenting issues.)

Discuss the steps you took to address the ethical or legal issues. Refer to the specific standard from the ACA Code of Ethics that relates to any ethical issue that you describe. Include reference to specific laws or regulations that apply to these types of situations.

Part 3: Client Progress and Counseling Outcome

For each of the goals you developed, describe the ways in which the client demonstrated progress during the time you worked with him or her. Include specific changes that the client reported to you, changes that you observed during sessions, and/or information that you gathered from other sources (such as self-report measures or assessments or reports from third parties that you gathered with the client’s written consent).

· If the client showed progress toward a goal, what do you believe led to this change? For example, was a specific intervention particularly effective? Did the relationship you formed with the client, or some interaction between you and the client during a session, have an impact on how the client changed?

· If the client did not show the progress you anticipated for the goal, what is your understanding of this? Would you consider a different theoretical approach, or different types of interventions, based on your review of the work you have done with the client?

What is your overall evaluation of the work you did with this client? If you were going to make recommendations to the next therapist who works with this client (or with a client similar to this one), what would you suggest, in terms of the main approach, goals, and interventions that the therapist might consider?

Support your ideas with reference to the current professional literature.

Part 4: Future Development

Discuss the progress you have made as a counselor during your fieldwork experience.

· What are your main strengths?

· What specific areas of knowledge and self-awareness have you developed?

· What has been particularly challenging for you?

Thinking ahead to the work you will be doing in gaining your post-degree hours towards licensure, what are 3 specific skills or areas of knowledge that you would like to focus on?

· Discuss how you will select an internship or clinical experience that will assist you in meeting these goals.

· Based on what you have experienced during supervision so far, how do you plan to maximize your supervision experience in your post-degree internship?

· What specific license, certification and/or credentials will you be seeking after graduation?

As you move forward in your career, how will you align your continued professional development and your clinical practice with the standards we have for mental health counselors?

· Refer to special standards from the ACA Code of Ethics, as well as to other national and state standards that guide the work counselors do.

· Include a description of the professional organizations to which you’ll belong and how this membership will be important to your professional and career development.

· List 3 specific areas of professional development that you will be exploring in the future.

Assignment Specifications

Your Unit 8 assignment should be between 5–8 pages long and include a minimum of four references from current articles (no more than 10 years old) in professional journals. You can also include books and Web sites from professional organizations in your references. Please use direct quotations sparingly; you should paraphrase most of the information drawn from outside sources and present ideas in your own words. Remember to follow APA format for your citations.

Assignment 1: Analyzing Focus Group Findings

Imagine that two focus groups have been conducted in an Asian American and immigrant community in a large urban city. The rationale of conducting the qualitative study was because it has been noted that many Asian Americans and immigrants are reluctant to seek mental health services. To further understand this issue, service providers including social workers, counselors, doctors, and nurses were recruited to discuss the barriers in implementing mental health services targeted to Asian Americans and immigrants. After the focus groups were transcribed, two research assistants were hired to conduct a content analysis of the transcripts. Refer to the Week 5 Handout: Content Analysis of Focus Groups.

As the social worker, you have been asked to analyze the focus group data and are charged with working with an advisory board in the community to formulate social work practice recommendations using the ecological model.

To prepare for this Assignment, review Week 5 Handout: Content Analysis of Focus Groups.

Submit a 3-page report of the following:

1. Discuss the themes found in the Week 5 Handout: Content Analysis of Focus Groups. Based on this data, what is your analysis of the current barriers to services?

2. Create two social work recommendations to address a current barrier and explain how the recommendation proposed addresses the findings.

3. Discuss how you would collaborate with the research stakeholders (e.g. service providers and community members) to ensure that the data are interpreted accurately and that the practice recommendations made will be culturally appropriate.

4. Critically reflect on your own culture and explain how your cultural values and beliefs may have influenced how you interpreted the focus group data. What specific cultural knowledge do you think you need to obtain to conduct culturally sensitive research with this group?

Support the assignment with references using assigned readings and/or additional scholarly literature.

References (use 4 or more)

Knight, K. R., Lopez, A. M., Comfort, M., Shumway, M., Cohen, J., & Riley, E. D. (2014). Single room occupancy (SRO) hotels as mental health risk environments among impoverished women: The intersection of policy, drug use, trauma, and urban space. International Journal of Drug Policy, 25(3), 556-561.

Document: Lee, M. Y, Wang, X., Cao, Y., Liu, C., & Zaharlick, A. (2016). Creating a culturally competent research agenda. In A. Carten, A. Siskind, & M. P. Greene (Eds.), Strategies for deconstructing racism in the health and human services (pp. 51-65). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. (PDF)

Marsiglia, F.F. & Booth, J.M. (2015). Cultural adaptations of interventions in real practice settings. Research on Social Work Practice, 25(4), 423-432.

Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 15(3), 398-405.

Document: Week 5 Handout Content Analysis of Focus Groups (PDF)

Assignment 2: Leadership and Strategic Planning

In this assignment, you consider how leaders can engage in a strategic planning process with stakeholders to develop a plan to guide the organization’s evolution and development for the long-term. Since strategic planning should engage persons who will be affected by an organization’s decisions (e.g., staff, administration, board members, members of the community), it is important to include key stakeholders in the planning process so that it reflects their perspectives and interests.

For this Assignment, think about how you would begin the strategic planning process for a human services organization. Consider the human services organizations for which you have worked either in your fieldwork or as an employee. Based on what you know about a particular organization, what steps might you take to establish a plan for the organization’s long-term development?

Assignment (2 pages in APA format):

· Describe the first three steps you would take to begin the strategic planning process for a human services organization. 

· Be sure to include the key stakeholders—who should be involved in each step and why they need to be included in the process. 

· In addition, include steps you would take to establish stakeholder support and confidence.

Note: Although you will base your strategic plan on what you know about an actual organization, do not include any identifying information about the organization or its stakeholders.