OSP Self-Assessment: Tasks I do or have done at work

Name: Dannett Mcintosh

Occupation(s):
Social Workers (NOC Code: 4152)

Essential Skills My Results

Skills Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Reading Text

Writing

Document Use

Computer Use

Oral Communication

Scheduling or Budgeting and

Accounting
Data Analysis

Job Task Planning and Organizing

Decision Making

Problem Solving

Finding Information

Indicates your answers. Level 1 tasks are the least complex and level 4/5 tasks
are the most complex.

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Work Habits My Results
Frequency Always Usually Sometimes Never N/A
Teamwork

Reliability

Organization

Self-advocacy

Indicates your answers.

Compare your results to occupation(s) of interest

Essential Skills 4152 - Social Workers

Skills Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Job Task Planning
and Organizing
Data Analysis

Finding Information

Oral Communication

Document Use

Problem Solving

Scheduling or
Budgeting and
Accounting
Decision Making

Reading Text

Computer Use

Writing

Represents skill levels demonstrated by experienced workers and not

by individuals preparing for or entering the occupation for the first
time.

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 Indicates your answers. Level 1 tasks are the least complex and level
4/5 tasks are the most complex.

Indicates you answered questions at a higher skill level than those

typically demonstrated by experienced workers in this occupation.

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Reading Text
Skim descriptions of social programs, community events, workshops in bulletins,
brochures and other marketing materials. Read to become informed about
resources for clients and professional development opportunities. (1)
Read brief notes and comments written on a variety of reporting forms such as
intake and assessment forms, applications, medical charts and referral forms.
Read these notes for information about clients' backgrounds, needs and requests
for assistance. For example, a children's aid social worker may review notes from
a child's hospital report to learn about the physical trauma that the child has
suffered. (2)
Read newsletters, magazines and newspapers to stay informed about current
social work issues. Pass useful information on to co-workers and clients. For
example, an addictions social worker may read a newspaper article about the
effects of crystal methamphetamine and its use by certain population groups in
order to answer questions from clients in an addictions awareness program. (2)
Skim case notes from counselling and therapy sessions to review observations,
key issues, conclusions and recommendations in preparation for returning clients.
Some files contain descriptive paragraphs to explain problems, circumstances
and clients' reactions. (2)
Refer to social policy legislation such as the provincial Child Protection Act and
the Adult Guardianship Act to determine if clients are in need of protection and
explain the implications of the acts to parents and guardians. (3)
Read resource books, textbooks and articles from peer-reviewed journals to learn
about various topics such as child abuse, drug addiction, mental illness, grief and
loss, and community development. Read social work journals to expand
knowledge, incorporate it into counselling practices, assist with social work
research and to develop prevention and intervention programs. For example,
geriatric social workers may read articles from the Journal of Gerontological
Social Work and books about elder abuse to further their understanding of social
issues affecting seniors and develop elder abuse prevention programs. (4)
Read medical reports, psychosocial and clinical assessments, investigation
reports, affidavits and program evaluations. In these documents, read about
medical diagnoses, psychiatric conditions, clinical observations, legal matters,
investigation results and evaluation outcomes. Incorporate information from
clinical assessments into treatment plans, social work programs and community
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development initiatives. For example, social workers and caseworkers read police
and medical reports to determine if there is just cause to apprehend children.
(4)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Writing
Write comments on forms such as intake and assessment forms, referrals and
discharge summaries. For example, legal aid social workers may write comments
on intake forms to explain their decisions to grant legal aid coverage to clients.
(1)
Write case notes for clients' files. Record information about clients' personal
problems, home situations and concerns. Detail observations about progress
made and matters that require follow-up. Because files may be subpoenaed for
court proceedings, carefully consider what to write down. (2)
Write speaking notes and learning materials for workshops and presentations. For
example, summarize the topics covered during presentations and hand them out
to participants. (2)
Write letters to co-workers and colleagues such as doctors, psychiatrists, lawyers
and parole officers. For example, write letters of referral outlining observations,
recommendations, reasons for referrals and summaries of clients'situations. Write
letters to other social workers to request financial assistance and other supports,
such as writing letters of support on behalf of clients. (3)
Write a variety of assessment, evaluation, investigation, research and funding
reports. For example, in assessment reports, geriatric social workers summarize
clients' case histories and offer their observations, recommendations and
conclusions. Child protection workers write investigation reports in which they
summarize allegations against caregivers, detail observations of children's health
and living conditions, offer assessments of risks and make recommendations.
They consider the content carefully because these reports may be used as
evidence in court proceedings and may affect funding decisions. (4)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Document Use
Scan lists and tables. For example, social workers scan resource directories to
identify appropriate community resources for clients. Addictions social workers
may scan tables comparing different illegal drugs and their effects. (1)
Complete reporting forms such as referrals, discharge summaries, confidentiality
agreements, timesheets and mileage claim forms. For example, a social worker
completes a referral form for a client who requires housing assistance. (2)
Locate test scores and interpret psychosocial information presented in graphs.
For example, mental health social workers may compare clients' psychiatric test
scores to personality disorder charts in order to develop appropriate treatment
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plans. School social workers may use graphs to understand the severity of
children's learning disabilities. (2)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Computer Use
Use communication software. For example, use email software to exchange
messages with other social workers and send attachments such as referrals,
research reports and program announcements. (2)
Use Internet browsers to find information about work-related topics such as
effects of illegal drugs and community resources for drug education. (2)
Use databases. For example, enter program statistics and generate reports for
funding agents and retrieve data from the organization's case management
databases. (2)
Use spreadsheets. For example, create spreadsheets to manage counselling and
program data, and use them to track number and types of clients in social
programs. (2)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Oral Communication
Discuss schedules, clients' files, office supplies and other matters with support
staff. (1)
Interview clients to assess their needs and determine the services they require.
Ask open-ended questions to gather information about the clients' mental,
emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health. Listen actively to the clients'
responses, explain services and suggest appropriate resources. Sensitivity and
good conflict management skills are needed to engage with clients and family
members who may be angry, defensive and embarrassed about seeking help. (3)
Interact with other social workers to discuss difficult cases, coordinate clients'
care strategies and seek advice about counselling strategies and resources.
Social workers and their supervisors meet regularly to debrief and further develop
their counselling skills. They also meet to discuss other work-related issues such
as caseloads and administrative procedures. For example, social workers and
their supervisors discuss strategies to help clients with mental illnesses and
addictions. Some social workers participate in coalition meetings with other
professionals to develop social policy and co-ordinate new initiatives in their
communities. (3)
Counsel individual clients who are struggling with personal problems such as
depression, families torn by abuse and groups affected by social problems such
as poverty. Social workers may present ideas that will spark discussion and ask
probing questions to elicit personal reflection and sharing of insights. They
actively listen to clients describe their feelings and thoughts, cuing into signs of
anxiety, depression, anger and other extreme emotions that may indicate risks of
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emotional distress. They provide reassurance and guidance to clients and assist
them in developing the skills and resources they need to enhance social
functioning and resolve their personal problems. For example, social workers
validate the feelings of clients who are struggling with depression and assist
them to develop healthy coping strategies. (4)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting

Schedule appointments for clients, allocating realistic amounts of time for
counselling sessions. Reschedule appointments to accommodate cancellations
and urgent requests. (1)
Create budgets. For example, draw up household budgets to determine if clients
qualify for financial assistance. Create program budgets that include cost
categories for personnel, rent, office equipment and supplies. (2)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Data Analysis
Compile data and develop statistics to describe social programs and the
populations of clients that are served. For example, social workers operating
programs for victims of spousal abuse may calculate numbers of referrals
received monthly and classify program participants by gender, ethnicity and age
group. (2)
Analyze lab results and scores on psychosocial tests to assess clients' health and
wellness. For example, social workers may compare lab test results to baseline
norms to identify differences that indicate health problems such as drug
addictions. They may analyze scores on suicide assessment scales to determine
levels of risk. School social workers analyze cognitive test results such as the
Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children to identify learning disabilities. (2)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Job Task Planning and Organizing

Social workers plan and organize their own job tasks. New cases are assigned to
them by intake workers, supervisors and managers. They also acquire new walk-in
cases and referrals directly from social work departments and human services
agencies. Social workers usually book their own counselling appointments, but
must be prepared to modify their schedules if clients are in crisis and require
emergency assistance. Child protection social workers may be required to work
long hours to carry out investigations until children are deemed safe. (3)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

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Decision Making
Choose counselling strategies and therapies for clients' treatment plans.
Consider clients' problems, the appropriateness of interventions, treatment costs,
and your own preferences. You are guided by the organization's protocols and
precedents. (3)
Decide to call emergency services for assistance. Consider the safety risks to
clients and others by violent and suicidal behaviours. For example, social workers
call police in cases of injuries and suspected sexual abuse of children. (4)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Problem Solving
Deal with difficult and hostile clients. For example, counsel hostile, aggressive
and suicidal clients. Address clients' behaviours, clarify what is expected and
work with them to develop appropriate personal boundaries and behaviours. If
clients continue to exhibit unacceptable behaviours, you may terminate
counseling and refer them to other resources. For example, refer hostile clients to
anger management programs. (3)
Deal with clients' family members who are uncooperative and dissatisfied. For
example, child protection social workers may encounter parents who do not
attend scheduled family visits and prevent social workers from seeing their
children. They make repeated attempts to discuss their concerns with clients'
families. They apply for mental health and child protection warrants to enforce
their decisions if clients are at risk. (3)

Tasks checked off during the self-assessment

Finding Information
Locate information about community resources for clients by searching local
resource directories, consulting information available on the Internet and
telephoning community agencies directly. (1)
Find information about suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. For example,
when sexual abuse of children is suspected, social workers may set-up interviews
with police officers, teachers, health professionals, children's families, friends
and neighbours. They may also examine medical and school records. (3)

Organization
I use to do lists. (Always)
I make sure I have the necessary materials and equipment before starting a task.
(Always)
I can focus and concentrate on tasks I need to get done. (Always)
I plan my day so I know which task I need to complete first. (Always)
I organize my files and my workspace so I can quickly find materials and
information. (Always)
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Reliability
I can be relied on to follow directions. (Usually)
I check my work before moving on to the next task. (Sometimes)
I pay attention to details when completing my work. (Usually)
I go to work every day unless I am too ill to do my job. (Always)
I meet my deadlines. (Usually)

Self-advocacy
I approach a co-worker or supervisor when I have a problem that is affecting my
work. (Sometimes)
I know my legal rights as an employee or employer. (Sometimes)
I look for learning opportunities that will help me reach my goals. (Never)
I feel confident expressing my opinions to others. (Never)
I will speak up in situations if I feel my individual rights or the rights of others
have not been appropriately addressed. (Usually)

Teamwork
I work co-operatively with my supervisor and co-workers to get the job done.
(Usually)
I listen respectfully to the ideas of others, even if I dont agree with them.
(Sometimes)
I take on my fair share of work when I work in a team. (Always)
I respect the feelings of others when I give feedback. (Usually)
I respect team members who have different opinions and values. (Sometimes)

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2017/06/23 16:45:07

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