How will you grow your GRIT?

Unit 8 DB: How will you grow your GRIT? (ENG130)

Take a few minutes to watch this video that highlights Angela Duckworth’s novel, GRIT, The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Watch VideoGRIT by Angela Duckworth | Animated CORE MessageDuration: 6:18
User: n/a – Added: 6/9/16YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWctLEdIgi4

Initial Response:  How will your experiences in this course help you succeed in school, in life, and in your career, AND what is your plan to grow your GRIT?

Unit 8 DB: Reflecting on Writing (ENG110)

We have done a lot of writing in this class! You have crafted a personal essay, worked on a paragraph response to an article, created your own pro/con of an issue, and finally drafted an argument essay. Now, you will reflect a bit on the whole process and how you think you will use writing in the future.
In the introduction discussion from Unit 1, you were asked about your feelings regarding writing coming into the class. Let’s review how you feel now about your progress with writing this term.

Initial Response:
In your initial post, answer these questions:

  • How have those feelings changed or evolved as you complete this course?
  • How do you think writing will be used in your major and in your career?
  • Finally, what questions about writing do you still have?

How can your blog provide value to your target customer?

Social media strategies can be a vital part of a marketer’s promotional plan.  This week you will write a 500-word blog for the hypothetical business that you created for this course.  The content will build on the message, only with more detail to engage your target audience.

  • First, to increase the “searchability” of your business, you will need to incorporate key words into your blog.  A key word is a word(s) that your consumer will use to search for a business.  Choose 5 specific key words that are relevant to your business.  More specific and targeted key words will help your consumer find you faster and more efficiently. Tell us what these 5 key words are.
  • Second, choose a topic that is relevant to your target audience that is engaging but NOT SELLING.  What do they need to know?  What do they want to know?  How can your blog provide value to your target customer?
  • Third, start writing.  Incorporate all 5 of your keywords in your blog.  Incorporate other quality information in your blog, remember to give credit to the original author and include a link in your blog. Show your thought leadership here to tell your customers something they may not already know.  Remember that you are not selling. You are having a conversation that should be interesting enough to encourage your target customer to learn more about your hypothetical business

Murray Bowen is one of the most respected family theorists in the field of family therapy

 

Required Readings

Walden University. (n.d.). MSW interactive home page [Multimedia]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2013). Sessions case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing.
“The Petrakis Family” (pp. 20–22)

Banmen, J. (2002). The Satir model: Yesterday and today. Contemporary Family Therapy, 24(1), 7–22.

Brown, J. (1999). Bowen family systems theory and practice: Illustration and critique. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 20(2), 94–103. Retrieved from http://www.thefsi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Bowen-Family-Systems-Theory-and-Practice_Illustration-and-Critique.pdf

Vetere, A. (2001). Structural family therapy. Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 6(3), 133–139.

Bowen Center for the Study of the Family: Georgetown Family Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thebowencenter.org

Document: Group Wiki Project Guidelines (PDF)

Document: Wiki Instructions (PDF)

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013e). Petrakis (Episode 6) [Video file]. In Sessions. Baltimore, MD: Producer. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptCredit: Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

 

 

Discussion 2: Family Theory

Murray Bowen is one of the most respected family theorists in the field of family therapy. Bowen views the family unit as complex and believes it is important to understand the interactions among the members in order to solve problems. Satir and Minuchin also advanced family therapy with their concepts and models. As a clinical social worker, using these models (along with having an ecological perspective) can be very effective in helping clients.

For this Discussion, review the “Petrakis Family” case history and video session.

By Day 4

Post (using two concepts of Bowen’s family theory) a discussion and analysis of the events that occurred after Alec moved in with his grandmother up until Helen went to the hospital. If you used the concepts of structural family therapy, how would your analysis of the situation be different? Which family theory did you find to be most helpful in your analysis? Finally, indicate whether Satir’s or Minuchin’s model is the more strength-based model. Why?

An analysis of the similarities and differences of leadership and management roles as they relate to human services organizations.

Leadership and management are two terms that are used interchangeably but represent different roles that have different functions. Understanding the differences and similarities is essential for social work administrators as they develop leadership strategies within organizations. Understanding the functions associated with leadership and management roles can influence how social workers supervise and work with colleagues in administrative practice. As you prepare for this Discussion, consider how your understanding of leadership and management roles might affect you when you assume a supervisory position.

Respond to the colleagues by explaining whether you agree or disagree with your colleague’s analysis of the similarities and differences of leadership and management and their application to a potential supervisory position in a human services organization. Provide support for your position.

Colleague VC 

RE: Discussion – Week 1

An analysis of the similarities and differences of leadership and management roles as they relate to human services organizations.

Managers are accountable for the day-to-day operations. Management is a position. Managers are appointed or assigned to specific managerial roles within an agency. Managers keep organizations flowing by safeguarding all team members and allowing all team members to feel like they are in partnership with agency missions. They keep the company stable and current. On the other hand, leaders boost the organization by setting goals, establishing a concept, and encouraging others to join in joint actions to enhance momentum. Leaders focus on what can and will be accomplished for the betterment of all parties involved (Lauffer,2011).

How these roles may affect me as I assume a supervisory position.

Supervisors are part of the team’s supervisory procedures; they provide incentives for group members to participate. Therefore, offering formal and informal views related to successful completion by joint training and support. According to the literature, since it is difficult to identify and reward emerging behaviors without shaping them, these, defined as joint leadership (Lauffer, 2011).

I have never been in a supervisory role, so I am unsure of the leadership style I would implement. However, after reviewing the literature, I would define myself as a super leader. (Lauffer,2011). I can engage others based mainly on my life experience. As a certified peer recovery specialist ( CPRS), I   interact with clients, community organizations, and recovery facilities. My role as a CPRS helps me actively expose needed knowledge-based information related to working with people with a substance abuse disorder.     My colleagues have up-to-date information on the latest Medically assisted treatment or ( MAT). As a leader,  I am available to answer any questions they may have, which allows my colleagues to establish their connection with the recovery community. They think of ways to integrate a less stigmatizing experience. Thus, they remain culturally aware that language matters when addressing the recovery community.    I am making sure my colleagues are respected and valued when working towards understanding the culture of recovery.

Reference

Lauffer, A. (2011). Understanding your social agency (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.Chapter 8, “Leadership, Management, and Governance” (pp. 243–280)

Bottom of Form

Colleague KP 

RE: Discussion – Week 1

Post an analysis of the similarities and differences of leadership and management roles as they relate to human services organizations.

Although often times used interchangeably and overlap as complementary of one another, leadership and management still in some respects represent different roles that have different/varying functions. According to Lauffer (2011), leadership entails inspiring others to action around a shared vision and management functions are to control, coordinate, and oversee an organization’s programs and other operations. A very important similarity is that both are crucial and essential components of successful and efficient administrative practice. Lauffer (2011) mentions that in social agencies, leadership and management are about “starting things up, getting them done, and keeping them moving” (p. 244). Some of the mentioned desired personal characteristics of both leaders and managers are drive, self-confidence, flexibility, charisma, professionalism, and vision (Lauffer, 2011). It is noted that both leadership and management have relational and situational elements (Lauffer, 2011).

A difference that exists is that while management is a position in which one is appointed the role, any one person can be a leader or demonstrate leadership traits and qualities, regardless of their title/role within the agency. Management roles arise out of interactions with other members and the needs of the situation.

Include how your understanding of these roles may affect you as you assume a supervisory position.

As noted by Lauffer (2011), it is important to keep in mind that without good leadership one’s agency would be unable to effectively chart its own directions or to change those directions as needed and without good management, it would be unable to coordinate all the activities necessary to get to where it hopes to be going. There exists distinct leadership behaviors to keep in mind that managers may perform in various organizational situations included, but are not limited to: liaison, monitor, disseminator, spokesperson, resource allocator, and negotiator, in which these roles are all situationally specific and designed to support personnel and organizational efforts to achieve specific program and managerial goals (Lauffer, 2011). By having a good understanding of leadership and management and how they overlap, yet differ, situationally, it will allow for implementation of scientifically efficient strategies and techniques to demonstrate positive outcomes in both categories.

References

Lauffer, A. (2011). Understanding your social agency (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.

Bottom of Form

consider how evidence-based research informs social work practice

consider how evidence-based research informs social work practice

Discussion 2: Evidence Based Practice

Competent social workers have many types of skills to complement a wide variety of theoretical knowledge. This skill set and knowledge base is often informed by research. Whether research is quantitative, qualitative, or a mixture of both, the information that well-formed studies yield contribute to the knowledge base of the social work profession as a whole.

For this Discussion, consider how evidence-based research informs social work practice. Think about how research findings translate into social work actions.

By Day 4

Post your explanation of how research informs a social worker’s application of the steps in the process of evidence-based practice. Be sure to explain how research contributes to what a social worker may do in practice. Please use the Resources to support your answers.

Resources

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2018). Research methods for social workers (8th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Chapter 1, “Toward Evidence-Based Practice” (pp. 1-23)

Gossett, M., & Weinman, M. L. (2007). Evidence-based practice and social work: An illustration of the steps involved. Health & Social Work, 32(2), 147–150.

This paper is designed to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 virus on urban areas.

This paper is designed to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 virus on urban areas.  You may focus on various types of urban areas (cities, suburbs, exurbs, even rural/non-urban areas).  You should use headings to structure your paper around pivotal themes from the class (possible ideas include: economy, social interactions, housing, education, crime, poverty, race, gender, government, etc.).  As you write, discuss in detail how COVID-19 has impacted each theme you select.  Think of all the different ways COVID has impacted urban life.  Be sure your connections to the course material are clear.  Identify and apply several course terms/concepts in your paper.  As you use course terms, be sure to BOLD them.  This assignment must be submitted through CANVAS.  There is no hard page limit, though a rough guideline would be about 4-7 pages (with standard font and margins).  Please see attached rubric below.

Rubric:

CATEGORY

100%

70%

10%

Introduction

Introduction explains the context of the COVID-19 virus in good detail. The Author explains the scope of the paper (e.g. a clear structure is laid-out).

Introduction explains the context of the COVID-19 virus in some detail. The Author hints the scope of the paper, though could have elaborated.

Introduction explains the context of the COVID-19 virus in good detail. The Author fails to explain the scope of the paper.

Body

Information is very organized around important concepts which serve as subheadings. Many course theories and/or terms are used to support the discussion of COVID’s impact on pivotal themes from the course.  The author Bolds terms as they are used.

Information is very loosely organized around important course themes. Some course theories and/or terms are used in the analysis.  The author sometimes Bolds terms as they are used.

Information is very not organized. Few or zero course theories and/or terms are used in the analysis.  The author fails to Bold course terms as they are used.

Conclusion

Author sums up their findings nicely discussing big implications of their conclusions.  The author offers advice based on their analysis for city policy makers on the best ways to handle pandemics.

Author briefly sums up their findings.  The author offers little advice based on their analysis for city policy makers based off the conclusions.

Author does not sum up their findings nor discuss broader implications or ties to public policy based off his/her conclusions.

Impact of Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster Events on Mental Health

 

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Course Overview (located in the course navigation menu)

James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 1, “Approaching Crisis Intervention” (pp. 3–26)

Bauwens, J., & Naturale, A. (2017). The role of social work in the aftermath of disasters and traumatic events. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45(2), 99–101.

Boscarino, J. A. (2015). Community disasters, psychological trauma, and crisis intervention. International journal of emergency mental health, 17(1), 369-371. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429300/

McAdams, C. R., & Keener, H. J. (2008). Preparation, action, recovery: A conceptual framework for counselor preparation and response to client crises. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 388–398.

Everly, G. S., Jr., & Lating, J. M. (2004). The defining moment of psychological trauma: What makes a traumatic event traumatic? In G. S. Everly Jr., & J. M. Lating (Eds.), Personality-guided therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (pp. 33–51). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Chapter 3, “The Defining Moment of Psychological Trauma: What Makes a Traumatic Event Traumatic?” (pp. 33–51)

Fahrudin, A. (2012). Preparing Social Work Students for Working with Disaster Survivors. Asian Social Work & Policy Review, 6(2), 86-94.

Document: Case Study: Sam (PDF)

Required Media

van der Kolk, B. (Producer). (n.d.). Bessel van der Kolk on understanding trauma [Video File]. Psychotherapy.net.

Watch “The Evolving Definition of Trauma” and “The Brain’s Role in Bodily Housekeeping” segments by clicking the applicable link under the chapters tab.

 

 

ssignment: Impact of Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster Events on Mental Health

When a critical incident occurs, it can feel like an emotional earthquake to the survivor, disrupting his or her overall functioning. In cases of prolonged trauma (e.g., childhood sexual abuse or war), there is no immediate “clean-up” effort, resulting in prolonged exposure to trauma. In other cases, such as natural and human-made disasters and acts of terrorism, there are often large-scale responses to intervene immediately following the event. The impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the mental health of the survivor is dependent upon the type of critical incident, the available resources, the actions of the responders, the physical and emotional state of the survivor, and the survivor’s support systems.

For this Assignment, read the case study Sam located in this week’s resources. Think about the impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the individual in the case study. Think about a crisis, trauma, or disaster that you have experienced. Reflect on the impact it had/has on your mental health and the mental health of those around you.

The Assignment (2–3 pages):

  • Provide an analysis of the impact of crisis, trauma, and/or disaster on the person presented in the case study. Be specific and provide examples to illustrate.
  • Briefly describe a personal example of crisis, trauma, or disaster, and explain the impact it has had on you and others.

Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are required to provide a reference list and to appropriately cite, in APA style, all references used within your Assignment.

By Day 7

General Motors is the Company

Overview; General Motors is the Company

Changing, or even stating, a company’s values can be a long and arduous process, but it often pales in comparison to the effort it takes to make sure they are honored, implemented and projected. In this assignment, you evaluate how well your chosen company from the first assignment has done in “walking the talk” and responding to a social issue.

Preparation

Review your chosen company’s mission and values statements as well as other sources that provide insight into the company’s values with regard to social responsibility. Pick two of their primary values and research how the company manifests those values. Simple examples might be the commitment to workplace diversity or ecological sustainability.

Instructions

Create a 3–5-minute (approximately 6–8 slides) PowerPoint presentation that evaluates how well the company embodies its issue-related values. Your presentation should contain detailed speaker’s notes that flesh out and support main points, ideas, or conclusions and have supporting citations.

  1. Summarize your chosen company’s Supplier Responsibility information.
  2. In your own words, explain how each aspect of your Supplier Code of Conduct is committed to ethical business practices and social responsibility.
  3. Discuss your company’s stance on each of the following areas:
    • Empowering Workers.
    • Labor and Human Rights.
    • Health and Safety.
    • The Environment.
    • Accountability.
  4. Identify the key ways that your company’s Code of Conduct has changed since last year.
  5. Examine the manner in which your company’s Supplier Code of Conduct helps the organization operate as a socially responsible organization.
  6. In this week’s discussion, you consider assembling a team to write a supplier code of conduct. Recommend the stakeholders roles (4–5) needed on the team and how each supports the project.

Integrate at least three supporting resources from the Strayer University Library or other reputable sources.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Create a presentation about the key areas, changes, and progress in a company’s supplier responsibilities and code of conduct.

Create an informative public information piece that presents research on institutional discrimination within a specific social institution.

Create an informative public information piece that presents research on institutional discrimination within a specific social institution.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

SHOW LESSCompetency 1: Describe theoretical ideas of power in relation to policy.

    • Create an effective public information piece that conveys a clear, cohesive message about institutional inequality.
  • Competency 2: Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in U.S. culture.
    • Analyze data on the factors contributing to racial, ethnic, or other disparities within a specific institution to make valid sociological arguments.
  • Competency 3: Analyze the effects of social policy using aggregated data.
    • Explain ways in which public policies are linked to racial, ethnic, or other disparities within a specific institution.
  • Competency 4: Analyze how laws are applied or created based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and social class.
    • Assess the impact of institutional discrimination on minorities and minority communities.
  • Competency 5: Apply diversity strategies in professional, educational, and personal contexts.
    • Describe policy strategies for reducing institutional discrimination.
  • Competency 6: Apply in text the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure, voice, person, tone, and citation formatting.
    • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Often, discrimination is discussed as a primarily individual phenomenon—one-on-one actions in which one person discriminates against another. But as you have learned through your studies and research, some discrimination occurs at the institutional level, despite laws and policies that have been created to reduce or eliminate structural racism.

SHOW LESS

It is important to consider how different experiences for minority groups may reflect a dominant culture that practices systemic discrimination in terms of treatment or access to valued resources. In other words, if there are many individuals in a society who are not racist or discriminatory, can the same also be said of the institutions in U.S. society as a whole? Often, institutional discrimination involves the intersection of race or ethnicity with other variables, like social class and gender. For example, patterns of residential segregation may be connected to both race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status.

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

SHOW LESS

  • What are some examples of institutional discrimination in U.S. society? To what extent are these examples the result of historical patterns of relationships between whites and minorities or among upper, middle, or lower classes?
  • Why do discussions of discrimination often focus on individual acts of discrimination rather than systemic discrimination built into institutions like the education or health care systems?
  • What factors, in the justice system, explain why certain racial or ethnic groups are more likely to be stopped, searched, or arrested by the police? What is the connection between policing strategies and incarceration rates?

Building on the reading, research, and analysis you have done in the previous assessments, this final assessment asks you to more closely examine the causes and consequences of discrimination that occurs within one of society’s core institutions. For this assessment, you will explore both the causes and consequences of institutionalized discrimination, from the perspective of the individuals it directly affects, the institution you have chosen, and society as a whole.

To complete this assessment, presume that you work for a think tank that conducts and publishes social and economic research to inform economic decisions and local, state, and federal policy making. Your manager asks you and the other members of your team to create a public information piece based on research and analysis of the prevalence and persistence of discrimination in a particular social institution.

Deliverable

First, choose one of the following major institutions for this assessment: criminal justice system, health care system, educational system, housing market, or the U.S. workplace. Then complete the following:

  • Research institutional discrimination in your chosen institution, locating reliable, scholarly sources. Examples are provided in the Resources for this assessment.
  • Choose one of the following public information pieces in the list below. It is your job to create a public information piece that highlights your findings regarding inequities (based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability status, or sexual orientation) within your chosen institution. You will need to support your conclusions with credible data and scholarly research, rather than relying on opinion, and demonstrate your ability to apply sociological thinking to your topic.
    • Information booklet targeted to the general public.
    • Position paper or brief targeted at state or federal legislators.
    • Mock website or blog.
    • Public service announcement (a script for a radio or television program).
    • PowerPoint presentation targeted to a specific audience, with a description of the audience and detailed speaker’s notes (in PowerPoint, use the Notes area below each slide to provide speaker’s notes and explain the information on your slides in more detail).
    • A recorded speech to be given at a national meeting of practitioners who work in the institution you are researching. If you choose this option, include your script and references in a Word document along with your audio file.
  • Create a final, professional-quality product in which you accomplish the following:
    • Create a public information piece that effectively conveys the causes and consequences of the problem of institutional discrimination in one of society’s major institutions, with support from data and scholarly sources.
    • Describe factors contributing to racial, ethnic, or other forms of inequality within a specific institution.
    • Analyze data on the factors contributing to inequality in a specific institution.
      • Keep in mind that, to be accurate in your assessment, you will need to look at raw data and percentages as well as to consider the data in relation to each racial or ethnic group’s percentage within the overall U.S. population.
  • Explain ways in which public policies are linked to inequalities within a specific institution.
    • Consider any historical or contemporary influences that may have contributed the disparities you have identified. Example: If you are studying institutional discrimination in the justice system, you would need to consider national policies such as the War on Drugs, as well as law enforcement policies.
  • Assess the impact on minorities and minority communities caused by institutional discrimination within a specific institution.
  • Describe specific, measurable policy strategies for reducing institutional discrimination.
    • These can be community based, legislative (at the local, state, or federal level), or law enforcement strategies.
    • These strategies should focus on institutional policies, not individual solutions.

Post a description of one motivating factor for joining the military and one motivating factor for military personnel to remain in the service

Why might an individual choose to enlist in military service rather than seek employment elsewhere? In the United States, no one has been drafted or forced into military service since 1973. In other countries, forced military service may occur, and the service members’ reasons for staying in the service may vary. Unlike forced military service, voluntary military service is a personal choice. There are a myriad of reasons why someone would engage in service before self in an institution that requires one to relinquish certain personal rights. To understand military personnel from the lens of a helping professional, it is imperative to understand what motivates a person to choose this career path as a way of life regardless if it is for short or long term.

As you investigate the motivating factors of joining, staying in, or separating from military service, consider how military culture can influence these decisions.

Post a description of one motivating factor for joining the military and one motivating factor for military personnel to remain in the service. Explain how these factors motivate individuals to join and remain in military service. Finally, describe one way military culture might influence a person’s decision to remain in or separate from the military. Justify your response by citing references to the resources and the current literature.

Be sure to support your post with specific references to the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.