Dear Students, this assignment is designed to help you to prepare for mastery of Social Work

Dear Students, this assignment is designed to help you to prepare for mastery of Social Work

Competency #2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice. Specifically, in terms of

outcomes and expected Behaviors, you should: Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate

the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups, practice personal

reflection, attend to professional roles and boundaries, substantively and affectively prepare

for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities, and

demonstrate the use of empathy and other interpersonal skills.

1) You will provide a brief autobiographical sketch that will allow you to practice personal

reflection regarding personal biases and values when engaging with diverse and different

persons and environments.

a. Specifically, what is your history? What are your values, your biases against

others that are different from you? Be honest. Demonstrate productive selfawareness.

This section is worth 25% of your grade.

2) What are your strengths in terms of your affective processes including empathy,

perception and authenticity, and how did they develop from your life history?

a. One example from a past student was the experience of growing up with her

grandmother who had advanced Parkinson’s disease. As a daughter in an

immigrant family, she was expected to participate in the direct care of her

grandmother, and this experience prepared her in many ways to master multiple

social work competencies. She became interested in the professional social work

practice in the area of gerontology, and dedicated her professional education and

career to helping to advance the knowledge and care of all persons with

Parkinson’s disease. This section is worth 25% of your grade.

3) Connect with your text (Chapter 5 should be most helpful) along with some of our class

discussion regarding at least four communication skills and inter and intra personal skills

that you possess, and/or want to develop so that you can master Competency #2. When

discussing these four skill areas, reference exactly where in the text you gained your

information. This section is worth 25% of your grade.

4) Correct grammar and clarity of thought must be present throughout the assignment. This