Self Reflection At Texas State University

Self Reflection
Since beginning college at Texas State University in August 2013, I have had the opportunity to learn ample knowledge, hone social work skills, and connect with various people and organizations. My education at Texas State has given me the confidence to go into the field and apply what I have learned to real-life situations. Through course material I have learned about various theories and perspectives that can be applied to social work practice. I also have a wealth of knowledge on human behavior due to enrollment in sociology, psychology, and various social work classes. This valuable knowledge will provide me with a deeper understanding of clients and how to treat them. Through volunteer opportunities and job shadowing I

Although working with a group, an outside agency, and the greater community was at times stressful, I feel I grew as a future social worker through this experience. I was able to gain communication, leadership, and macro social work skills. I was also able to make a positive impact on a group of marginalized people. I believe this assignment was a realistic example of what social work is. There were times in the program when I was not excited about certain assignments or did not recognize their worth, however I cannot look back and decide which assignment was the least beneficial. I believe the core assignments in each class had value, and I was able to gain skills and knowledge through doing

However, I now have a greater appreciation and reverence for social work research. I believe it matters because it provides practitioners, legislators, agencies, and the general public with a greater knowledge about disenfranchised people and the need for social service (Dudley, 2011). Practitioners can stay updated on current issues and gaps in services, legislators can be influenced to change policies, agencies can adjust services based on need, and the general public can be more aware of the severity and cause social justice issues (Dudley, 2011). I also understand the value of evaluation in social work, as it ensures agencies and social workers are meeting the needs of clients effectively (Netting, Kettner, McMurtry, & Thomas, 2012). For the group project in SOWK 3425 – Practice II (Velez, 2015) I was able to conduct an evaluation by collaborating with an agency and find gaps in services. To begin, my group members and I found an agency willing to work with us and then worked with them to research said gaps. This evaluation was done with a director at the agency, and our group met with her to discuss which needs our group could address. I worked with my group members to prepare questions that would show us where we needed to put forth efforts to make a change, and after our interview I felt we accurately evaluated gaps