In order to function as change agents, social workers interact with others in a wide variety of organizations. Visiting a social work agency allows students of social work to get a glimpse of the form that these interactions may take.

For this Assignment, visit a social service agency in your area and interview a MSW-level social worker there. The agency cannot be a private practice. 

By Day 7 of this week, you identify your agency and the social worker you will collaborate with. Your Final Project, submitted in Week 6 of the course, should focus on the following.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your Project, do the following:

Save your Project as a “.doc” file with the filename “WK3Proj+last name+first initial.doc”. For example, Sally Ride’s filename would be “WK3ProjRideS.doc”.

To upload your Project information, click on Projects on the course navigation menu, and then click the “Project – Week 3” link.

Looking Ahead: Your Final Project, submitted in Week 6 of the course will be a 4- to 5-page written account of your agency visit, reflection on the experience, and analysis of course topics as related to your experience. Make sure to support ideas with evidence from course resources and additional research. 

The final project should:

Describe the agency. Including:

Services offered

Mission of the agency

Clientele or population served

Describe the social worker’s job activities and professional roles

Explain what brought the social worker to the field and their work history

Explain opportunities for advancement and what the social worker does for professional development

Describe the social worker’s overall job satisfaction and strategies they use for self-care

Analyze your experience. Specifically,

Discuss your thoughts and feelings related to the agency, clientele, and type of work.

Reflect on why you may have experienced these reactions to the agency, clientele, and type of work.

Explain which social work values and ethics were evident (or not evident) during the interview.

Explain how social and economic justice relates to the services provided or population served by this agency.

Explain how cultural competence was demonstrated (or not demonstrated) within the agency or by the social worker.