u03a1_Andrea Steht
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Capella University *
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5025
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Communications
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
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Uploaded by ProfIceManatee23
1
The Client Experience
Andrea Steht
Department of Public Service, Capella University
SWK 5025: Foundation Practicum 1
Dr. Clifford Marsh
November 5, 2023
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The Client Experience
Centerstone of America is a community mental health clinic in Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois. The organization provides services in clinics, the community, and residential services. The Anderson, Indiana office offers services within the Anderson Community Schools school district. None of their services in this area are office-based. They are entirely in the community. I will write this paper from a client’s perspective.
The Waiting Room
Services are offered within a school. When the children arrive in the morning, they are greeted by school staff, provided breakfast, and walk straight to their classrooms. The students listen to announcements, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and really start their day at about 10:00. Many teachers in the school only allow Centerstone staff to meet with students during lunch, recess, or the last 30 minutes of the school day. From about 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Centerstone staff decide which students to meet with during the day. Staff then check the students’ schedules to see when they have lunch. Staff then enter the lunchroom and invite 2-4 students to eat lunch in the Centerstone office. Often, during this time, students will go up to staff and ask to meet with them during the day. This then changes the staffs’ original plan on which students they will see that day. Staff is also limited in seeing students based on the preferences of their teachers. This affects not only the productivity of staff members but also the needs of the students. If a student is having a rough day and needs to talk to Centerstone staff, the student’s teacher may not let the student go to the Centerstone office. Many times throughout the day, students knock on the office door to see if they can be seen during lunch or recess.
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The two Centerstone staff members at the office are both white. According to US News and World Report (2023), Erskine Elementary is a reasonably diverse school. Their survey of the school found the population to be 53.3% white, 20.9% Black or African American, 14.4 % two or more races, 11.2% Hispanic/Latino, and 0.2% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander. The population is 54% male and 46% female. The total minority population is about 47%. The majority of the teachers are white. 76.7% of the people in Anderson, IN are white, making Erskine Elementary more diverse than the city it is in.
The Client Experience
If I were referred to Centerstone for treatment, I would be open to accepting services. The Centerstone office is large, with a round table in the center with several chairs around it. The office has a couch and a small tent for the kids to play in. There are cabinets on the wall, with a sink, where kids can wash their hands before lunch. There are also a lot of toys, fidget toys, sensory putty, markers, etc., in cubbies for the kids. The office also has a television, which staff occasionally turns on for the kids to watch. The office is very welcoming, even with the bright, overhead fluorescent lights. The students served are from kindergarten through 5
th
grade. They also provide services to children with special needs in the school.
The staff assures the students they are their “special listening friends” and that anything they tell the staff is kept private unless they are being harmed or want to harm themselves or someone else. When staff walks through the halls of the school, it seems like they know every student, though they currently serve about 40 students. During sessions, staff either choose a book to read with each group of students throughout the day or a game to play. When selecting a
book, staff will use the topic to teach clients about a specific skill, different emotions, or how to be a good friend. When playing games with clients, staff discuss the importance of following
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directions and listening to help them learn how to act and respond in their classrooms. These groups are typically 2-4 students. Clients know they are expected to eat their lunch before they can play with toys and games or watch movies while in the office. They must also listen and follow the directions of staff and work on the skill/topic of the day before being allowed a few minutes of free time before returning to class. If it is the end of the day, they are dismissed from the office when the bell rings for students to report to the area where they wait to get on their bus
home.
When discussing students not in the group, staff avoid using names. This is because students know the other students seen by Centerstone staff. During school breaks, staff often have activities with as many students as possible. This leads to the students knowing who all is seen by Centerstone staff.
The NASW Code of Ethics
When applying the NASW Code of Ethics, Centerstone staff take measures to ensure they are followed. They always remind clients that what they tell them is kept confidential unless the student is harmed or plans to harm themselves or someone else. When a parent contacts the school for services for a child, the school obtains informed consent to pass the student’s name onto Centerstone staff. Centerstone staff must gather releases of information from parents/guardians in order to contact other providers within the community regarding other services being provided to the clients they serve. Centerstone advocates for their clients by providing information about other resources within the community. Staff use email encryption when sending emails between each other and to outside email addresses. Centerstone also has staff dedicated to posting information from events to social media. Both steps help to ensure confidentiality and informed consent are kept. Staff, volunteers, and interns undergo extensive
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training before being allowed to work with clients face-to-face. Some of Centerstone’s policies go above the NASW Code of Ethics requirements. This is to ensure the safety of clients and the security of their medical records.
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References
Code of Ethics: English
. (n.d.). https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of
Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Erskine Elementary School
. (n.d.). https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/indiana/erskine
elementaryschool241934#:~:text=Overview%20of%20Erskine%20Elementary%20Scho
l&text=The%20school’s%20minority%20student%20enrollment,students%20and%205
%25%20male%20students.
Lee Malony
Mon, Oct 30,
10:53 AM (6 days
ago)
to me
Hello Andrea,
You have my permission to complete week three assignment 1 during your practicum hours.
Thanks so much,
Sincerely,
Lee Malony, LMSW
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experiencing thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, please call 988.
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