Self-Evaluation Report - Essay Example

Self-Evaluation Report Introduction I did my placement at the Locala Community and Partnership Service. This is an organization that offers services to approximately 400,000 citizens in Kirklees and other regions. It is Community Interest Company (CIC) therefore it is independent and is a not-for-profit social organization. This organization has the freedom to develop and improve whatever they do since it is a social enterprise. The enterprise offers health services in a more coordinated, community focused, and integrated way. The individuals who offer services to patients and clients in this organization include physicians, therapists, and nurses as well as volunteers, and those on placements. Also, elected community members play a role in organization through providing the organization’s services. I also worked at the Lifeline and On-TRAK (Treatment: Recovery: Alcohol: Kirklees) Centers whose offices are based in Dewsbury and Huddersfield Centers. Generally, I was on placement at Locala, Lifeline, and On-TRAK Centers and later moved to the Corner Center. The On-TRAK Center offers specialist treatment to clients and patients who are alcoholics. Also, it offers support to individuals at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol and cannot access GP services. The Lifeline offers a vast variety of services for individuals experiencing drug misuse and substance problems. It provides clinical information and advice, and access to a range of non-medical and medical options for drug addicts. Corner Center however assists drug addicts particularly through sharing of life experiences amongst addicts and specialists in group discussions. Purpose of the Agencies The Locala, the Lifeline, the On-TRAK and Corner Centers all have the same purpose. These agencies have the responsibility of incorporating clinical elements to individuals addicted to drugs. The Locala Community and Partnership Service, for instance, work within services like the On-TRAK and the Lifeline. Generally, these Centers, particularly the On-TRAK, Locala, and Lifeline Centers, work in cooperation with other services with the purpose of delivering holistic and assorted approach to support of alcohol and drug addicts. The Centers also provide medical and psycho social interventions. They perceive no service as isolation. Therefore, the journey to recovery is considered a pathway. Self-Evaluation On the first day at work, I did not receive proper orientation concerning what I was expected to do. Therefore I felt unprepared to commence work due to lack of adequate knowledge. This made me nervous and uncomfortable, particularly when I was attending to my clients. In addition, I did not feel impressed about the behavior of some the clients I was dealing with (alcohol addicts) because I felt whatever they did was against my religious beliefs. The same situation occurred on the second day whereby I was too anxious at the panel meeting to an extent that I could not contribute during the discussions, something that later on made me feel bad about myself. Actually, my failure to accept the behavior of some of my clients because of my religious beliefs was against the expectations of Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR). “UPR involves depicting complete acceptance and support to an individual regardless of what they do or say” (Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, p.65). As a therapist I should have supported and accepted all my clients without placing any conditions on my acceptance; I had to strive to change this. Further, I can relate my first day experiences to “Psychology of Self and Identity: the goals of life are affected by an individual’s perception on what they are like, what they perceive feasible or how they would desire to be (Suls & Davidson, 2013, p.100).” Therefore, the aspect of self has far-reaching impacts on behavior, experience of emotions, motivation, self-esteem, and more broadly the world, and thus for society, culture, and interpersonal relationships. My inappropriate actions as a therapist on the first day at work resulted from the perception I had about myself and my identity. “Self concept implies the totality of one’s opinions, preferences, beliefs and attitudes organized in an orderly way, towards their personal existence (Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, p.132).” I can comment that the fear I had on the first day resulted from my perception self concept. From the fact that I could not say anything at the panel meeting when I actually had some information depicts a negative self image brought about by low self-esteem. In order to work and behave in a more professional manner, I had to revisit the notes I had on psychological theories and models. This helped me gain an insight of how I could make an improvement on the way I viewed myself. On day three, however, things began to change. I felt more relaxed and could attend to the clients more comfortably. I felt no anxiety at all, however, I was disgusted by habit that some of clients had adopted. For instance, I did not like an instance whereby a client confessed that he had been drinking for 40 years (more than 20 units of alcohol daily) yet he was not aware that he was an addict. Further, on the second week of my placement, I met a client to whom I had attended to the previous week. I was a bit worried because I was not sure whether she had reduced the amount of alcohol intake as I had advised or she had in fact increased the amount of intake. Unfortunately, the client’s drinking problem had elevated despite my intervention. My first reaction was anger and I felt that the client did not need any form of assistance. Despite, being judgmental, I later on noticed that the increase in her drinking problem had resulted from the fact that she had certain personal problems; her mother had passed away the previous week. I can relate these two experiences to a type of interpersonal behavior called aggression or rather aggressive behavior. “Aggression is a form of interpersonal behavior whereby an individual is always ready to stand up for themselves or their rights in such a manner that they end up violating other people’s rights (Hargie and Dickson, 2009, p.65).” This behavior in most instances may turn out to be an attack on the individual instead of the individual’s behavior. Often, this behavior may be considered an over-reaction, outburst or hostility resulting from pent-up anger of the past. Alcohol addiction comes in various forms, and some individuals may take alcohol for a long period of time without noticing that they are alcoholics. Had I known this, then I would not have had an aggressive perception towards the client who had been drinking for he last 40 years. It would have been important to for me to get to know him well, what led to him drinking for that long, and whether he had the knowledge on the effects of alcohol to his health before judging him. Generally, I can comment that my aggressive behavior resulted from the fact that my UPR had not yet improved despite working so hard to improve it. Therefore, I decided that as days progress I would put more effort into improving this. On the seventh week of my placement, I met a client who had been in the program for three years and yet had not made any effort to change his drinking habit. This was very upsetting and to even make matters worse was the fact that I had been trying to help the client for the past six weeks yet there was no change in his behavior. The client was also very rude and aggressive; his actions portrayed someone who did not need help. At some point I felt like the client did not need our help and I was just wasting my time trying to help out, however I decided to be patient with the client since this would be part of ensuring UPR. Being patient later made be recognize that the client simply did not cooperate because I was depicting a non-assertive behavior. “A non-assertive behavior is a type of interpersonal behavior that enables an individual’s rights to be easily violated by another person; or rather it is a behavior that makes one to be easily manipulated by another person (Forgas, Fiedler, & Sedikides, 2012, p.36).” Often, it happens in two ways: an individual fails to assert themselves when another party makes a deliberate attempt to violate upon their rights. The other occurs when the other individual does not desire to infringe the person’s right, but because of the person’s failure to express their feelings, their rights are unintentional violation. Wendel, 2011, comments that non-assertive individuals hinder their honesty, impulsive reactions, and normally gets anxious, hurt or at times angry thereby becoming non-assertive in certain situations. Actually, this occurrence helped me note the most effective way of exercising assertiveness when dealing with addicts; never be judgmental and always practice patience. After receiving no clients on the eighth week and being forced to go home during such situations, I decided that working at the On-TRAK and Lifeline centers presented no much experience as I had earlier on anticipated. I felt that being sent home every time no client turned up was a waste of my time and that I would in the end not manage to attain my goals. To help save the situation, I knew I had to continue my placement in another center that was more welcoming and work oriented. This called for some form of assertive behavior, and I had to be assertive bearing in mind that earlier on I had problems with some of my clients because I was non-assertive. Generally, “an assertive behavior, as type of interpersonal behavior, earns respects to an individual (Forgas, Fiedler, & Sedikides, 2012, p.35).” It is an appropriate, direct, and honest expression of opinions, beliefs, and feelings (Luiselli & Reed, 2011, p.56). I depicted an assertive behavior when I faced my supervisor and told her that I needed transfer to another institution where I could learn more and achieve my set goals. I finally managed to move to Corner center; a place I felt suited my needs. At the Corner Center, the work environment was more conducive compared to the former place. The staff was welcoming and at my first meeting, despite feeling a bit nervous, I managed to recollect myself at a quicker pace and ended up enjoying the whole session. As the week progressed, I could do most of the tasks alone or with no much assistance. I could attend meetings and contribute as much as I could. I became a more assertive participant at every instance and despite meeting some difficult clients; I practiced some form of patience. In addition, my UPR improved and the perception I had on my self image became positive. Actually, I can connect this behavior transformation to Interpersonal Perception and Inter-professional Practice (IPP). “Interpersonal Perception is a key area in psychology focusing on the relations that people have with each other; how individuals view or perceive each other (Luiselli & Reed, 2011, p.84).” This theory is considered a significant part of an effective communication since it examines a variety of judgments made by individuals concerning others with regards to both non-verbal and verbal cues. To study this type of perception, one needs an observation of two or more individuals. According to Suls & Davidson, 2013 “IPP is a collaborative practice that is demonstrated when healthcare providers manage to properly work with professionals within their own profession, with individuals outside their profession, and with their clients and their client’s families.” Generally, having a positive self concept, and practicing UPR improved my Interpersonal Perception, therefore I could easily elicit positive reactions from my clients and other staff members at Corner Center. In addition, these factors also improved my IPP; enabling me to effectively work in co-operation with my colleagues and clients. Conclusion In general, the experience I had at the two placement centers, particularly the Corner Center improved my interpersonal skills, communication skills and professional relations. It particularly helped me learn appropriate insights that can be used in helping people with alcohol addiction; I learned that through proper UPR, positive self concept and patience I could easily understand and assist my clients. Additionally, I managed to achieve all my goals as indicated in my learning outcomes. Learning Contract Name of Student: AniqaIlyas Placement Address: Lifeline Huddersfield Office, 12 Station Street Building, Station Street, Huddersfield, HD1 – 1LZ Fieldwork Supervisor: Tricia Robinson College Placement Tutor: George Rhodes Period of Placement: 4th Feb, 2015 to 8th May, 2015 Days of week attending placement: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (7 hours per day). Learning Outcomes 1) Demonstrate an ability to make a positive contribution to the work of a placement organization; 2) Apply interpersonal skills effectively in establishing and sustaining appropriate relationships with service users and work-based colleagues involved with the agency; 3) Apply the agency’s methods of decision-making and problem solving in working with individuals and groups; 4) Show how they positively contribute to equality of treatment in their work; 5) Show knowledge of the role of the agency in the context of changing social, economic and political factors; 6) Manage and reflect on ways of reconciling personal goals within the context of professional demands and organizational realities; 7) Show that they have been able to negotiate, implement and evaluate programs of work and their contribution to them through contract forming and self-assessment; 8) Gain knowledge on the risks of alcohol misuse on the physical and mental health. Tasks To attend to the Centers’ clients addicted to alcohol for a period of at least 7 hours per day, every week. How to Manage Difficulties Consult with the supervisor (John Fereday or Tricia Robinson) and the staff members where appropriate, and practice assertiveness in every matter at hand. Agency Requirement and Procedures Contact the manager of the Agency to request for placement after which there I should request for an induction. Health and safety Any injuries or accidents must be reported to the supervisors (John Fereday or Trish Robinson) Absence Contact the supervisors in case of absence from work. A Statement of Confidentiality Any information relating to patients, staff or the organization’s business is strictly confidential. It is a condition of this contract that under no circumstances any identifiable information be passed on or discussed with any other person at any time. A breach of this confidentiality will result in termination of this honorary contract Course Requirements Self-evaluation Report and any other specified work/research. Signatories ....................................................... Student ....................................................... Fieldwork Supervisor ....................................................... College Placement Tutor Date ...................................................... References Forgas, J, Fiedler, K & Sedikides, C. 2012. Social Thinking and Interpersonal Behavior. New York: Psychology Press. Hargie, O & Dickson, D. 2009. Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory, and Practice. New York: Psychology Press. Luiselli, J & Reed, D. 2011. Behavioral Sport Psychology: Evidence-Based Approaches to Performance Enhancement. New York: Springer. Sommers-Flanagan, J. 2012. Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice: Skills, Strategies, and Techniques. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Suls, J & Davidson, J. 2013. Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. London: Cengage Learning. Wendel, S. 2011. Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Read More