Community Intervention: Reflection, Evaluation and Advice

When I first read the syllabus for SCWRK 432 I thought I would be sick.  I had decided long before that I was meant to be a clinical social worker and ONLY a clinical social worker.  Then, I was exposed to some concepts associated with macro social work in the previous semester during a class visit to the Occupy Boston site and began to realize that maybe macro work wasn’t so bad after all......there seemed to be an opportunity to have an impact on such a larger scale while still fulfilling my goal of becoming a clinical worker.  Then I sat in our first Tuesday morning class and felt the world shift beneath me!  Okay, I will admit, it didn’t seem like the easy semester I had hoped I would be spending for my last semester at BSU, but I felt the spark of a small fire ignite deep inside my core.  I decided then that this last semester would be the one where we would leave a lasting mark on our school, and I would do whatever I could on my part to make that happen.

Looking back and reflecting on this entire process has been difficult for me.  I have always been a firm believer in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason; that there are no true coincidences in the world.  The “old” me would have immediately assumed that evaluating the interventions and identifying things we could have done differently would imply that we must have done something wrong.  The new, more connected, reflective, self-aware me realizes that while our week was amazing and successful, there is still so much room for improvement.  That is why I feel strongly that evaluating the interventions and assessing their impact should be an integral part of the process (and why I’ll be gently harassing my classmates for some feedback over the summer......more to come on that later.)    

Evaluating the Interventions:

As noted in the Community Toolbox, evaluating a program is important to clarify plans, improve communication and gather feedback.  Unfortunately, we are in a position at this point to only accomplish one out of the three goals; clarifying the plans is something that we did not have the opportunity to engage in as the concept stage occurred (out of necessity) before our semester even began, and the time to improve communication for our purpose has passed.  However, we do have the opportunity now to gather feedback and assess what worked and what did not work, what we learned, and what we can teach future students.  A few classmates have already mentioned in their blog posts how important it is to the success of future interventions to truly assess what we have accomplished, and I am hopeful that they will be able to assist me in accomplishing this task in the very near future.

I would like to comment on the structure that was used in the division of tasks among the three class sections for this year’s intervention though.  I feel that assigning one facet of the intervention (fundraising, planning, publicity) to each class did not utilize each class' strengths to their fullest potential.  Perhaps there were students who would have more comfortable with the planning that felt uncomfortable working on fundraising; or maybe some people who were sent out into the community to publicize the events would have preferred to assist in the planning of the events.  We may never know.  I am of the opinion that this problem could have been avoided if students were either (A) given the opportunity to commit to a job they were comfortable with, regardless of which class they were assigned to, or (B) if each class was held accountable for all aspects of one event, from planning, to fundraising, to publicity, students could have chosen roles within their class based on their own perceived strengths.  I believe allowing students this flexibility may have resulted in a higher level of commitment and participation on their part.  

Finally, on the topic of evaluating the process, I would like to make a few observations on the communication strategies that were used.  I think there was a lot of good communicating going on that often got overlooked when something didn’t work.  In other words, the few “bad” episodes of communication far out-shadowed all of the “good” communicating that was happening.  The weekly summaries that were submitted  to a single, responsible person and subsequently were distributed to the entire “community” were beyond helpful.  It provided such an unbelievable opportunity to stay connected and informed about what stage the process was in and what “action” was required of the participants.  In his blog, The Value of Difference, Joe Gerstadt states that building a dynamic, creative community “requires listening and dialogue, maturity and courage.  It requires “I” and “we” language, not “them” and “they” language.”  When the listening and dialogue were interrupted and people didn’t have the courage to stand firm on their beliefs and opinions, our community became divided as a result of the “they” and “them” dynamic.  Instead of becoming more united, we became a group divided.  Once we were able to rise above and embrace our differences and be mature enough to recognize that not everyone HAD to agree on everything, things seemed to work themselves out. 

Looking ahead for future interventions, I think it would be important to address the common vision of the group and address the various stakeholder’s perspectives right from the beginning.  By writing the common goal down and keeping that goal visible for everyone to reflect on, the vision of the intervention would be concrete and not be lost among the details.  Empowering members of the community to voice their perspectives, thoughts and ideas from the beginning and encouraging them to remain vocal throughout the process would allow the differences not to subvert the common goal.

My Learning:    

The Break the Silence/Stop the Violence week at BSU for me was inspirational, powerful and amazing.  While many people are still talking about the week’s events, I recognize that the week was about so much more.  Few people outside the three sections of classes would be aware of the enormous effort that was made on behalf of all those involved.  And while it was a requirement for a class, I know that for me it became so much more than that.  It was a chance for true connections with my classmates to develop.  It made me appreciate everyone for the part they played in making the week a successful one.  I have learned so much from all of them and will be forever grateful, because in making the connections and doing my part to help build “the community,” I was able to discover that I want and need to be an active member of my community.

I also took the opportunity to reflect back on my strengths assessment after the conclusion of the event week, and I was amazed at what I read.  It seems like a lifetime ago that we completed it and posted the results, and I honestly never gave it another thought.  Everything is clear now!  The “Learner” theme explains my thrill with gaining new skills and the process of becoming a macro social worker, and while I may never be the perfect macro worker, I will absolutely revel in the process that gets me there.  The “Achiever” theme explains how, even when I didn’t think I could accomplish another task or make it through another sleepless night, I did.  Apparently, it is the “theme that keeps me moving.”  The “Responsibility” theme set my mind at ease more than any other.  It logically explained away my fear that I had become too much of a perfectionist or control freak (or at least it helped a little.)  This theme explains the psychological ownership I feel when engaged in a project.  The “Connectedness” theme explains my need to reach out to others and do what I can to engage them in the process and work towards creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness; honoring the connection we all share as humans, recognizing that we are all part of something bigger than each of us on our own.  I think now that I have taken this opportunity to connect my strengths assessment to my “active being” in our community, I have a better understanding of myself and can appreciate and value the differences and similarities that we all share.  Because “real, living community requires us to embrace both the truth that we are all different and the truth that we are all the same.” (Gerstandt, 2012)

Advice for future students:

Below is my list of suggestions for future classes:

1. Find your voice - You are each as important as the person sitting next to you, and while you may not think you have anything “important” or useful to share, you do!  A truly successful program takes the thoughts, ideas and opinions of everyone involved.
2. Trust yourself - While this macro work stuff may feel uneasy to you, you can do it!  Believe that you have been given the knowledge and abilities to be successful in this type of work.  Make mistakes, identify them, learn from them - no one ever learned anything from being perfect.  
3. Trust your classmates - They may be different from you or they may be just like you, but you all share a common goal......making the world a better, more equitable and just place. (If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.)
4. Trust your professors - They believe in you, your abilities and your dedication to the field of social work.  They, and those before them, have given you the tools you need, whether you have identified them in your toolbox yet or not.
5. Take care of yourself - and allow those who care about you to take care of you too!  Everyone has limits and recognizing what they are will make you a better social worker.
6. Take care of each other - this one is pretty self-explanatory.
7. EMBRACE the experience - while it may seem like a daunting and impossible task, it will change your life!  My favorite thing to remember is that... - “It always seems impossible, until it is done.” ~Nelson Mandela