MSW Portfolio

Marcy Chapman

August 16th 2024

Commitee members:

Mary-Ann Sontag, Jen Barile, Ami Vick

Narrative

One of my accomplishments throughout this program is utilizing the ten competencies

within it. I have had several different opportunities to demonstrate ethical and professional

behavior throughout this program. All experiences encountered have all had a different impact

on the layers of professional and ethical growth that I have gained with my time here at the

University of Montana. The skills learned will allow me to practice and work in a diverse

number of settings or social work fields that I plan to pursue.

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

One assignment that demonstrates my understanding of ethical behavior is a paper

completed for SW 505 titled Ethics Paper (Appendix A). This self-assessment ethics paper was a

wonderful way for me to examine my values about appropriate action for personal drug use

situations regarding other people. Throughout this paper, I examined the typical consequence

that individuals have for personal drug usage, which turned out to be incarceration. Drug abuse is

a problem that every community deals with and when individuals with drug use issues are

incarcerated instead of being provided proper support through treatment programs or counseling

it is known to not be beneficial and the problems continues to exist.

Another example of meeting competency one can be through the significant amount of

group work throughout this program that involved a collaboration of ethical sharing amongst

classmates and me along with the need to show professional behavior to obtain and maintain

good relationships. Participating in group work allowed me to share my values and ethical

viewpoints with my classmates and compare how my ethical views are similar and different to

other future practitioners.

 A specific example of where effective groupwork is presented is seen in Appendix B as a

classmate (Brad) and I collaborated on a paper together. The Teaching-Learning Project taught

me many useful tools including how to collaborate with colleagues and look at social issues such

as poverty from different perspectives. Professional behavior must take place for the

collaboration with colleagues to be successful. When working with others, it is important to use

appropriate communication verbally and nonverbally. This can be done by using terminology

that is clear and straight forward. Using active listening and paraphrasing was something that

Brad and I engaged in while working on this assignment. By using active listening and

paraphrasing, we made sure we were reciprocating what each other was expressing. Being able

to collaborate ideas and work with others who share the same interests and goals is important as

outcomes can be more achievable with more stakeholders involved as more ideas are being

shared and conversated about. Throughout this paper, Brad and I used different approaches to

examine poverty through The World Cafe workshop and a teaching learning approach.

I have also gained professional behavioral skills such as being dependable, being

appropriate verbally and nonverbally, using clear and effective communication skills etc. through

my two practicum opportunities. Shadowing a medical social worker for my first practicum

experience and shadowing a school counselor for my second practicum position were tw great

experiences that advanced my clinical skills. Being able to experience two quite different

practicum settings allowed me to see how professional behavior has many of the same values

through different fields of social work and different agencies. However, I was also able to see

how professional behavior and specific communication patterns can also be different according

to different settings. An example of this can be easily described by the difference in tone,

language, body demeanor, etc. in a setting such as hospice and a high school. In the hospice
setting the social worker position was expected to talk in an empathic way by using a soft and

friendly tone. The communication exchanged throughout hospice social workers and clients was

focused and serious. When it came to the body demeanor, the hospice social worker often had a

serious face but would occasionally smile in passing with others. The hospice social worker

considered their position's seriousness and was not seen looking happy and witty. The tone as the

social worker at the alternative high school was quite different than hospice as stated. The social

worker position at the high school used language that teenagers used to show a sense of

understanding, which often created a different tone that was often upbeat. The body demeanor at

the high school was different as a sense of showing seriousness and a sense of empathy was not

displayed. The body demeanor displayed a happy social worker. It was evident that the body

demeanor was less forceful and more natural in this position. That said, it was an adjustment

transitioning professionally into high school and being in a more relaxed environment than in a

hospital setting where people are grieving.

Ethical decision making was a significant focus throughout both practicum agencies

(more so during my hospice practicum) as the clients I was working with were dealing with

heavily impactful situations. For example, while doing my practicum at hospice another social

worker and myself encountered a situation with a nursing facility here in my town that did not sit

right with us. We had a patient whose caregiver mentioned ethical concerns, and the facility

where the client was staying ended up evicting the patient without a 30-day notice due to the

concerns brought up by the family member. The social worker and I discussed our observations

together and decided to report our concerns to our supervisor. Although nothing serious came out

of the situation, I learned the importance of discussing concerns or uncertainty and planning how

to properly proceed. Through this experience I have gained confidence to consult with colleagues
and others who are involved when it comes to making decisions that either I am uncertain about,

feel uncomfortable about, or a decision that impacts my clients in a significant way.

Competency 2: Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, environmental justice.

A specific class that has helped me increase my awareness on human rights was course

SW 531 Method of Social Policy Analysis. This class was one of the most impactful classes in

this program for me as it helped expand my knowledge and confidence in policy work and

advocacy for human rights. A specific assignment that helped me advance human rights was the

policy paper completed throughout this course and in appendix C in this paper. The policy paper

was a paper that advocated for women's rights on their reproductive system. Throughout this

paper and working with this issue, I conducted a problem statement and analysis, along with

producing recommendations and a fiscal summary following each recommendation all are which

important attributes to making changes in human rights. This assignment gave me extensive

knowledge of why advocacy for human rights is important in the social work field. I learned

throughout this assignment that patients and families are not only affected by unethical policy

work that restrict human rights such as the reference paper in appendix C but it also affects

organizations such as Planned Parenthood that provide a variety of resources and education to

the community.

Another course that has helped me practice advancing economic and environmental

justice can be seen in a paper completed in SW 505 course located in appendix A titled Poverty

Against Native American Reservations. Throughout this paper I increased my awareness

amongst poverty within reservations and produced different solutions on how to improve the

environment and economic standing on reservations. Prior to this course I had little to no

knowledge regarding the economic and environmental impact that reservations have on Native
Americans. Equalizing the economy while being mindful of reservation environmental justice is

desperately needed. By improving the economy and protecting environmental justice (by making

sure adequate change is being made in the right direction by being mindful of reservations

natural resources) would have a positive impact on the community members. Improving the

economy could be done by creating more work opportunities by community members

establishing more businesses, creating more housing unit options on the reservation, and

Competency 3

Engaging in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion also known as ADEI has been

something my classmates and I have done throughout these last few years here in the program. A

specific class in the program that helped me engage in these aspects was SW 511 Human

Behavior and Social Environment II. Throughout this course, I was able to consider positionality

and how mine and other’s positionalities drastically impact people’s outcomes and futures. An

example of where I was able to see a hospice social workers positionality be impactful was when

we had a Native American client experiencing grief and was struggling to communicate and

express their feelings towards end of life while working with social workers who identified

differently than him. Positionality was impactful in this situation because this client was able to

express their grief in a cultural way by partaking in a smudging session with the Native

American social worker who we later introduced to the client. The social worker and client had

similarities in their positionality that helped them connect in a way that was difficult for other

social workers who were Native American to do.

I learned a significant amount of information regarding racial trauma and socio-cultural

divides and oppressions that are faced in minority populations along with information on how to

create better equity for these populations throughout course 511. Learning about the history
behind each minority population is important to better understand the oppression behind it. Once

history is understood it helps create better odds of finding and implementing solutions that help

increase equity and decrease oppression. An example of where I have engaged in ways on

practicing anti racism, acknowledging diversity and positionality, and the need to create equity

can be seen in an assignment I completed and provided in appendix H. Throughout this paper I

discuss ways on showing anti racism and acknowledging diversity by learning more about the

different value and morals behind different cultures. I took positionality into consideration and

explained how my positionality being a white social worker and working with a population that

is culturally different than mine will have a different outcome then a social worker with the same

cultural background.

Competency 4

Engaging in Practice-informed Research and Reseach-informed

Practice has been accomplished in course SW 521 Advanced Research and

Program Evaluation. Advanced Research and Program Evaluation assignment was the

first time I evaluated a program after working with the program and organization for a year. This

was a wonderful experience learning how to evaluate a program that I am familiar with. This

assignment helped me brainstorm diverse ways the bereavement program at Benefis could

improve. My focus then was whether this program was culturally responsive. While practicing at

this organization, one of the main focuses of my role as a medical social worker student was

focusing on the client's cultural/spiritual aspect which prompted me to focus on an area that was

not as beneficial as it could have been as I look back.

I would do this paper differently as I get ready to end my second year of this program as

my knowledge has explained from the first year. Instead of focusing on culture I would focus the
program evaluation based on the annually revoked rates and the reasoning behind them.

Focusing the program evaluation on revoking services instead of culture would help better

explain the satisfaction that patients are getting from this program/service. During my time at

this organization there were multiple times where clients were unhappy with services and chose

to revoke from our program. The families, however, would not disclose as to what specifically

they were unhappy about with the services, which is important knowledge that would help

increase the chances of implementing positive change from evaluating the program

appropriately.

Competency 5: Engage in policy practice

I have learned how to engage in policy practice throughout the course SW 530 History of

Social Policy, Justice, and Change. This is an important accomplishment for me as I had little to

no knowledge prior to ending this class about the background of policy making. This course

significantly helped expand my knowledge on social welfare policy development. Each module

was a different time focus which really helped my grasp on the slow development of social

welfare policy. I learned how policies during the years 1770’s -1840’s that the policies during

this time impacted American Elite and middle class whereas the policies during the period’s-

1970’s drastically impacted Native Americans, women's rights, African American women etc.

This course helped me evaluate policy leaders and the values behind many different

policies, which was another valuable aspect for me. Before this course I had minimal knowledge

regarding policies and the importance behind them. I have also learned throughout this course

that some policies can be harmful to certain populations, which is something social workers need

to be very mindful about. Considering leaders and those who have power is something I have

tried being more observant about. I have also tried being more conscious of the policies that are
present today and the stakeholders behind them. This opened my eyes to the importance that

voting has and has helped me be more aware of my own responsibility of voting and advocating

my rights to help better impact the welfare of all.

A personal experience where I have practiced in policy practice has been done by using a

social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to help assess our services to families in

rural areas. We were originally only supposed to go an outside radiation within 90 miles to serve

our patients however the hospice organization I work for has a mission of “finding a way to say

yes” that helps us serve patients that otherwise would not be getting service. We went from

having a radiation of 90 miles to up to 230.

Competency 6: Engaging with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and

communities

Engaging with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities has been an

educational focus throughout my first and second year attending this program. I had the privilege

of doing 900 hours working with a diverse set of people and settings. Being able to experience

the differences in working with individuals, families, groups, and organizations gave me insight

on how to be an independent problem solver along with a collaborative problem solver while

working with other professionals in the field and in different organizations.

I enjoyed engaging with a group when I helped facilitate a bereavement program at

Benefis. Being a facilitator of a group helped increase my knowledge of many different things

such as skills needed to be a leader of a group, ability to learn and adapt to different

communication styles within the group, along with responsibility of helping create and

implement group activities.

 I had the pleasure of working with resources that the clients often used such as the food

stamp office, the veterans office, etc. I would help assist patients in getting into contact with the

needed resources and help them obtain the documents and information that was needed.

While working with individuals, families, groups, and orgnizations, it was often times put

on me to build a rapport with the resoruce and to help maintain the rapport. I would do this by

either calling or physically going down and visiting with them. I learned that people have

different ways of communicating and after building a rapport with each person or orgnization it

became evident of the expectations that were to come. Being consistent with my enagement was

another big aspect that I took into consideration as my postionality has an influence on my client

as I am communicating with these people on their or for their behalf.

While engaging with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

applying theories such as social environment and person-in-environment theories helped

understand the different dynamics presented. The required material within this course was the

Just Practice A Social Justice Approach to Social Work gave me insight on how to properly

engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Through reading the

Just Practice Framework book, I have advanced my skills and knowledge regarding using and

practicing reflection, empathy, affective listening, and other interpersonal skills that I had a

chance to practice throughout different engagements.

Competency 7: Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

An important aspect of assessing individuals, families, groups, organizations, and

communities that I have learned is was accomplished in course SW 525 where I conducted a

community analysis and intervention project about a social issue involving homelessness taking

place in my community. Throughout this community intervention project, I had the privilege of
doing interviews with stakeholders who had similar values as mine about the homelessness issue

taking place within my community. For this assignment, I collected and organized data related to

homelessness to help better understand the needs required for this social issue. By doing this, I

used the data to assess the diverse needs of the homeless population and the barriers they face.

Another example of where I have experienced assessments is working as a social worker

at hospice. During the first visit, we give assessments for the patient and their caregivers that will

be on our bereavement services. The assessment helps the social workers and the other team

disciplinaries know what needs the client and their caregiver may need. By using an assessment,

social workers and the other disciplinary teams can set up tasks, goals, and interventions that will

help best meet the needs that have been identified through the assessment.

Competency 8: Intervein with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and

communities.

Using interventions is something that I have had hands on experience doing within my

two practicum experiences here at the University of Montana, more specifically in the hospice

practicum. We used interventions with every client on our services while practicing at hospice.

As briefly mentioned in competency 7, the assessments the social workers give help determine

the interventions that would be proper to use. For example, during our assessment we have

patients who do not know what funeral home they would like to use so an intervention that we

would use would have something to do with assisting in funeral planning. Another patient with

diverse needs, for example who may be having a tough time accepting end of life would have a

different intervention that would include assisting in helping the patient with grief and encourage

vocalizing their feelings.

 Competency 9: Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations,

and communities.

Evaluating individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities has been

another competency that has been practiced throughout my time here in this program. Course

SW 535 Advanced Integrated Practice helped me evaluate an ongoing assignment I had within

this course that involved me being therapist to a classmate who presented real life problems. This

assignment is in appendix F in the paper for reference. Analyzing and evaluating the intervention

for this assignment was easy because my client was my classmate. This experience gave me the

opportunity to not only practice with intervention, but it also gave me the chance to discuss with

another professional (my classmate and fake client) the findings and effectiveness of my practice

within this intervention. I was able to evaluate the effectiveness of my intervention by evaluating

my skills not only through being graded by my professor based off my performance but I was

also able to communicate with my classmate and ask her things that I normally would not be able

to ask a client which allowed me to evaluate myself in a way that is not very common.

While doing my practicum at hospice I learned to get in a good habit of not waiting until

the last minute to use evaluation. For example, when working with a patient on hospice care after

every visit with the patient it would be the social workers' responsibility to evaluate the plan of

care and make sure it is still appropriate for the patient. This can be done by checking the tasks,

goals, and interventions being used. It is important to evaluate the plan of care often because

tasks and goals get accomplished or can change due to a variety of factors and it is important for

the plan of care to always be updated and accurate.

Competency 10: Apply forms of leadership to support collaborative

interdisciplinary
 Apply Forms of Leadership to Support Collaborative, Interdisciplinary, or

Transdisciplinary Relationships and Active Community Participation in Addressing the

Intersection of Local and Global Issues affecting their organizations and communities, with

particular attention to rural and indigenous communities is competency 10 and the last

competency that I practiced throughout this program. Course SW 545 gave me the most

knowledge regarding leadership and the influence that power has. In appendix K you will find an

assignment that I did in this course where I evaluated a program that I was familiar with at my

prior practicum setting. Evaluating this program gave me insight on growth areas that could be

implemented throughout the program at my practicum setting.

After evaluating this program there were a few different suggestions that I found fit and

beneficial. Having a more consistent schedule for clients seeking counseling services was one of

the main suggestions presented throughout the paper. Identifying workable solutions and

developing a detailed implementation plan was a big part of this assignment and paper. My

intentions with this program evaluation are that more students will meet with the counselor while

implementing a system that helps create more consistency.

Being able to participate in program evaluation has increased my knowledge and

experience not only in policy practice but also increased my skills in program leadership. I have

learned how to spot a concern or flaw within a program and use critcal thinking along with

research to help find practical solutions that create better outcomes. Another important factor of

leadership skills I have acquired is being independent and reliable but also being a team player

and working with others. Having the ability to take on tasks by myself has been something that I

have significantly improved and grown in throughout my time at the university and I look

forward to continuing growing in this area as social workers take on siginifant social issues.
 Appendix A

Final Case Study

Marcy Chapman

Poverty amongst Native American Reservations

School of Social Work, University of Montana

Social Work 505: Foundation of Social Work Practice

The final case study assignment gave me the chance to explore what poverty looks like in

rural areas such as reservations and how different structures of government within reservations

play a significant part in poverty rates within reservations across the United States. This

assignment allowed me to take a deeper consideration of the policies that are in place on

reservations and how these policies influence the lives of indigenous people living on these

reservations. I was able to look into several different important factors that entail the welfare of

individuals including employment and education and was able to see how these factors have an

impact on the poverty rate on reservations. I learned that the reservation lacks opportunities that

create equality for indigenous individuals.

My knowledge has increased throughout the specialized year by gaining more education

on what community members of reservations can do to help change harmful policy regulations or

to add protective policies that are not yet in place.

I think this paper could have benefited if I had an area dedicated to stakeholdes that could

potentially make a difference in creating opportunities and change within reservations. If the
right stakeholders get involved significant change. For example, it was just recently announced

that the Little Shell Reservation here in Great Falls Montana have recently announced their plan

of action on creating a housing community by providing enrolled members new housing options

differing from single family units, duplexes, and ADA accessible housing. KRTV announced a

stakeholder, Stockman’s Bank, granted this project $80,000 helping make this plan become

reality in the year 2025.

Poverty amongst Native American Reservations

Native Americans have been enduring poverty throughout their communities since the

early 1800’s. Over history there have been several Acts implemented by congress that have

paved the way to maltreatment for the Native American communities that would leave a rippling

affect into the 21st century. In 1987 federally recognized Native American tribes were considered

sovereign in the United States Constitution. The relationship or government system set up

between Native American tribes and the federal government greatly affects the Native American

tribes and reservations. These affects can be seen through different domains such as education,

employment, economic development, administration along with land rights which would

ultimately be the leading cause to the poverty rate withstanding on the reservations across

America.

Meaning:

To fully understand the poverty rate taking place within Native American reservations it

is important to understand the meaning behind a few important key words previously mentioned

such as reservation, sovereignty, and poverty. Reservations have the name they do because
certain areas of land were reserved for specially this race. Reservations being a sovereign means

federally recognized tribes have the independence of having self-governing systems within their

reservation. Poverty is measured by the people in a household and the number of dollars

obtained. There are 48 different possible poverty thresholds according to The Census Bureau.

Power:

An article titled “The Effects of Tribal Governments on Reservation Poverty Rates” goes

over nine different government systems set up amongst the 565 federally recognized Native

American tribes and found astonishing results. The article accomplished two important things

when researching the correlation between the poverty rate and government system. The first

important aspect that was done was making a correlation between the number of government

systems that are in place amongst the different federally recognized Native American tribes. The

author was able to conclude nine different active political government systems that are in place

amongst different Native American tribes. The second important accomplishment that the

researcher established were the different poverty rates amongst these nine different government

systems. The findings are crucial when trying to understand the poverty rate for Native American

reservations since as we previously learned reservations are considered sovereignty. There was a

high correlation between Native American tribes running a contemporary constitutional system

which showed to have a high rate of poverty. However, the highest rate of poverty was from

Native American reservations who ran a council type of government. The statistics and graph

show that the lowest rate for poverty was on reservations using a traditional type of government.

Encouraging Native American tribes to be more involved in the government system that is in

place within their reservation could be a factor in ending poverty in certain reservations such as

those using a council government system.

Context:

An issue that correlates to Native American reservation poverty and the reservations

being considered sovereignty is the regulations that are in place for Native American

reservations. Although the reservations are sovereignty, they do need oversight from the federal

government for Native American business, property, and energy development according to

Foundation for Economic Education. The article provided by Foundation for Economic

Education states the federal oversight for Native American reservations is not the key to Native

American development. Instead, clearer policies regarding these different developments needs to

be in place. Let’s take energy development on the Native American reservations into

consideration for example. The same article reveals the tedious process of energy development

on Native American reservations because of the regulations that are in place. Outside of

reservations, the energy development process only consists of four steps that take only a few

months to process. Within the Native American reservation, this process consists of 49 steps and

can take up to 6 years to complete. The federal government right now has control over the energy

development within reservations because of the expensive permitting process that contains those

49 different steps. There are energy resources valued at 1.5 trillion dollars located on these

reservations however the tribal government does not have a say on energy production as of

today.

Employment is another barrier that Native Americans face on reservations making them

sustainable to poverty. The War Against Poverty article mentions the unemployment rate within

Native American reservations and conclude that the rates are as high as 40 to 50 percent, which

is seven or eight times the national average of unemployment. Some of the employment issues

that Native Americans face are due to the rural areas of reservations. Another issue is the lack of
vocational training that is needed for the limited jobs that are in their area. “Few of the 300

Indian reservations in the United States have functioning economies in which reservation

residents can be employed, spend their money, and find adequate housing. As a result, almost all

reservation residents must travel to distant cities to find banks, businesses, higher education, and

jobs. This situation helps state economies but serves to impoverish reservations, where Native

people disproportionately live-in poverty” (Miller). This statement from Establishing Economics

on Indian Reservations is important to understand and hold significance to. Most Native

American reservations do not have a proper functioning economy that allows Native American

residents of the reservation to spend their money and put it back into their community. The

money of Native Americans instead is being spent in surrounding cities because many

reservations lack the economic essentials such as stores, businesses, banks, etc.

History:

It is evident that there are many different factors that have a significant part in the poverty

taking place within Native American reservations. It is now time to consider the different

negative effects from history that influence Native American individuals and families Let’s

consider the statistical fact that Native Americans have the highest dropout rate for any race

throughout the United States according to the issues surrounding Native American Education.

This high drop out rate for the Native American community can be examined by the history of

educational systems that were put in place for this race such as Indian Residential Schools. The

negative perception of education has since been transferred down from generation to generation

within this community and race resulting in an average schooling of only eight years. Failure

from the Indian Boarding Schools was a result from derogatory beliefs about Native American

people. Most people in the United States held negative stereotypes about Native Americans that
included but are not limited to being lazy and being alcoholics. These negative stereotypes have

unfortunately had a negative effect on Native American children as these stereotypes followed

children to school. These stereotypes have lessened the self-esteem of Native American children

and have been a blockage between their education and success in a school setting.

Economic poverty is another reason why Native American children are not advancing in

the educational system. Many Native American children attend schools on reservations that are

underfunded resulting in an insignificant educational opportunity. Since the school system is

underfunded having educational resources at early ages such as preschools are not created on

reservations. Lacking early childhood education affects these Native American children because

they are lacking many fine motor skills and language skills needed to prosper in kindergarten and

early grades due to the parents permeative attention being on surviving (supplying adequate

shelter and food for their family).

Having access to inadequate homes is another issue resulting from poverty on the

reservation. An alarming statistic is nine out of ten families are living in housing conditions that

are far below the minimum standards for comfort, safety, and decency within reservations (The

war against poverty). Some of these living conditions can be described as many extended

families living in one-to-two-bedroom shack that does not have access to running water,

pluming, electricity, heat, etc. Housing on Native American reservations are so inadequate that

they are ranked the worst in the country. Fractionated ownership due to the Dawes Act has made

housing opportunity hard for community members of the reservation. Hundreds and thousands of

Native Americans own the same area of land. For a sharer of the land wants to use their share for

housing they need most of the sharers consent on doing so. As time goes on there will be a
substantially higher number of sharers of owning the same land increasing the seriousness of the

fractionated ownership system that is currently in place. Due to the inadequate living conditions

that Native Americans endure they have a life expectancy of only 42 years. This is two-thirds the

figure for the national population. Another alarming fact is Native American babies have little

more than half the chance of a non-Native American baby of reaching their first birthday.

Addressing Human Rights:

One role that can be done as a social worker is by informing those living on reservations

the right that they have by being involved in the voting process for their community government

and for the nation which would align with Article 21: Right to participate in government and free

elections. I do not think Native American residents within reservations feel as though they have

any power when it comes to fixing the conditions on the reservation. After knowing more about

the housing situation taking place on reservations, I would also inform a Native American client

who is living on one and experiencing similar encounters that they are being rejected Article 25:

Right to adequate standard of living within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By not

having access to running water, plumping, gas, and electric residents of reservations do not have

standard living conditions. The last human right that is being rejected that I would bring attention

to is Article 29: Community duties essential to freedom and full development. As we learned

about the rigorous regulations that are in place by the federal government it is valuable to

mention this article of human rights being denied. Native Americans are not being aloud to make

substantial improvements to their community by being denied a realistic process when it comes

to the development process due to the regulations that are in place. The fractioning act for

instance denies Native Americans to make the full development changes needed to improve their

economy such as housing, agriculture, and business development. Looking at the different
possibilities regarding the legal rights of the residents living on reservations could open

conversations and ideas that were silenced before.

Action:

Providing Native American reservations with more resources such as vocational work

and training programs would be leading cause on ending poverty as it would not only help the

unemployment rate but also help their economy overall. I would inform reservations who do not

have a training or business program of training programs that are currently in place on other

reservations. These organizations include the Oregon Native American Business and

Entrepreneurial Network or the Lakota Funds. The goal of Oregon Native Business and

Entrepreneurial Network is to individually train Native Americans how to draft a business plan,

acquire the funds needed, and the skills needed to operate their own business. Lakota Funds is a

financial institution implemented to helping economic sustainability by providing business loans

and technical assistance. Both organizations mentioned have benefited their reservation by

creating development to their community.

Finishing the economic development on reservations that have been at a standstill for

several decades overall seems to be the action that is needed first and foremost. Implementing

Article 25 of the Human Rights will encourage both private and tribal owned business to start

taking place. Having more businesses within reservations could drastically benefit Native

Americans because they would be recycling their money back into their community. The need to

rely on surrounding cities for necessary things as we learned was a reasoning of generational

poverty within reservations. If reservations can acquire the fundamental establishments needed to

have a working economy, the unemployment rate would also be positively affected. By creating

the fundamental establishments needed throughout reservations, it would create many different
local jobs for Native Americans having a positive affect on the unemployment rate. Bringing

attention different road construction programs that are used to maintained and repair buildings

and utilities within the reservation could provide thousands of jobs under a policy of Indian

preference in Bureau employment. This would not only as I mention make more jobs available to

Native Americans, but it would also restore old buildings on the reservation which is another

correlating issue relating back to poverty. Cleaning up reservations and making use of the

structures that are there is a step in the right direction when dealing with the many affects of

poverty.

Improving education on Native American reservations is another factor that could stop

generational poverty from taking place as it would stop the problem from recycling. Changing

what hinders Native American children to prosper from poverty at a young age such as their

educational background would later help them as adults. We learned throughout the paper that

the average accomplished grade level for a Native American living on a reservation is only eight

years. Having only eight years of education is not enough to be able to obtain legal employment

both on and off the reservation. It is said that even the federal government Impact Aide program

is far from adequate with the help that it provides to reservation schools. Establishing more

resources from organizations outside of the federal government would potentially help the school

system on the reservation.

Engagement:

Going into this social issue not only as a social worker but as a person wanting equality

throughout their society the engagement process is crucial. Expressing objective empathy for this

specific social issue for me is important as this helps me, an outsider, have a better understanding

of the emotional experience that residents of Native American reservations feel. Using
anticipatory empathy, I was able to conclude the different negative effects that reservation

poverty has on Native Americans. By expressing anticipatory empathy, I was able to accomplish

two different things. I was able to see the significance of this social issue along with giving me

eyesight on the inequality that has been taking place. This allowed me to retain back to my

knowledge regarding the different actions of human rights. Since I am not a Native American my

engagement can be seen through a few different ways. I could engage with a Native American

who lives on a reservation either in person or through cyber platforms. If I am not yet working in

the social field, I can take matters in the hands of a concerned civilian and be vocal about the

social injustices that Native Americans on reservations are facing. This could be done through

polite petitions or setting up meetings for Native Americans to come together to gain either

empathy and comfort or as a power stance.

Critical Reflection:

With Native American reservations having a sovereign government type of system it is

up to the locals of the reservation to make a change to the poverty issue they are facing.

Outsiders such as I do not have the power to state their voice and wants in a community that they

do not reside in. People living off the reservation are powerless compared to the power that the

residents living on Native American reservations hold that often get silenced or forgotten about.

Native Americans living on reservations need to be more attentive to the policies and regulations

that are in place within their reservations and vocally speak out on the ones that do not align with

them. What I can do as a future social worker and a concerned citizen is address the rights that

these Native American people have that are being denied or failed and encourage not the Native

American population but society in general to stand up for equal rights to standard living for

Native American residents living on reservations. Ultimately it is up to the government of

reservations to fix the polices that are unclear or are too tedious to help the development of

reservations persevere. The economic development within reservations is a great place to start on

trying to decrease the poverty rate taking place amongst Native American reservations. This can

be done by creating more business opportunities through different organizations or by creating

more tribal and private Native American ran businesses.

Possibility:

If Native American residents on reservations were to take my considerations into account

reservations could have a successful economy. Fixing the regulations that are needing to be fixed

in my opinion would allow the government of the Native American reservations to have more

control over their resources on their land. As I previously mentioned the geographical resources

on Native American reservations are valued at over 1.5 trillion dollars. The resources on Native

American reservations alone are enough to get these communities out of poverty. Getting a fix

on the fractionated land regulation and laws would also cause a shift in their economic system as

Native Americans would be able to buy, develop, and sell real estate. Something that is lacking

substantially throughout Native American reservations.

References

Bureau, U. S. C. (2021, October 8). How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty.

Census.gov. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from

https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html.

Finn, Janet L. Just Practice (p. 180). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition
 Foundation for Economic Education. (2020, November 9). Why Native American

reservations are the most poverty-stricken lands in America: Rebekah May Yeagley. FEE

Freeman Article. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://fee.org/articles/why-native-american-

reservations-are-the-most-poverty-stricken-lands-in-america/

Hope, N. (n.d.). The issues surrounding Native American education. The issues

surrounding Native American Education. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from

https://blog.nativehope.org/the-issues-surrounding-native-american-education.

Miller, R. J. (2021, May 7). Establishing economies on Indian reservations. The

Regulatory Review. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from

https://www.theregreview.org/2021/04/08/miller-establishing-economies-indian-reservations/.

Person, C. (2018, March 20). 5 ways the government keeps Native Americans in poverty.

IPMG SDGs. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from

https://www.indigenouspeoples-sdg.org/index.php/english/ttt/536-5-ways-the-government-

keeps-native-americans-in-poverty.

Raisch, H. (2012, April). Heather Thesis - Bemidji state university. The Effects of Tribal

Governments on Reservation Poverty Rates. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from

https://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/departments/political-science/wp-content/uploads/

sites/40/2015/05/heather-thesis.pdf.

The war against poverty--the American Indians. Indian Affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved October

3, 2021, from https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/war-against-poverty-american-

indians.
 Appendix B

Marcy Chapman and Brad Herman

SW 511 Human Behavior and Social Environment
Teaching-Learning Project
5/5/2022

Getting ready to finish my second year in this program I think it would have been

beneficial to incorporate other related theories such as family life cycles or family system theory.

This assignment helped me demonstrate knowledge and skills as we were creative and attempted

to explain poverty through different lenses and examples. I also think including proven statistical

facts instead of just mentioning them in the paper would have given a visual picture to help

readers better understand the importance of this issue.

Stigma on Poverty
For our Teaching-Learning workshop we hope to educate and create a dialogue on

Poverty as a diverse issue with rich meaning, insightful context, reviewing power dynamics,

understanding history, and creating possibility for change. Creating a dialogue on why poverty is

an issue and not just an unfortunate circumstance in life for people is what we hope to

accomplish in our workshop. The World Cafe workshop style will be what we model our

approach on this. We believe inviting the community or agency to talk openly with collective

wisdom and creativity, they already have to aide in addressing this difficult topic. With the Just

Practice framework and World Cafe format in mind coming up with answers for questions that

matter, providing an open forum for everyone’s contributions, and hopeful connection to a

diverse background from community or agency. If during the workshop we come across patterns
in what is driving poverty specifically in our unique areas, then developing insightful ideas for

change as a collective will be our goal.

While we hope to have everyone give helpful feedback on ways to battle poverty in our

community, the first thing Marcy and I hope to do is build a foundation of understanding from

our perspective on the context and meaning poverty plays in our communities and life. What is

Poverty? Poverty has several definitions and ways of defining it can be very complicated

depending on where you are from or how you live. Developing a personal definition can help

highlight your position as we discuss the causes and current safety nets. The definition of poverty

we will hope to analyze is, “Poverty can be conceived as absolute or relative, as lack of income

or failure to attain capabilities.” (Lok-Dessallien, R. 1999) Poverty has many causes and several

ways of quantifying itself throughout the world. We could debate the correct algorithm for

poverty but that will only divide our opinions and make for a discussion on how and not why,

which is our focus why and what can we do about poverty.

Context is extremely important when looking at poverty. Who, what, where and when all

need to be assessed beforehand? Lok-Dessallien views poverty as absolute and relative. Absolute

poverty relates to maintaining below the acceptable living conditions for the time. For us this

looks very different depending on so many things. What does absolute poverty mean to you? If

you were to look for context on poverty, where would you begin? Observation of your

community through a drive around or would you drive to your local library and read from older

newspapers to develop a poverty context. What could or would make you feel more attached to

this issue? To me absolute poverty is the classic piece to poverty and not the statistical element

we may often see. Absolute poverty may line up more with a cultural lens of poverty. Our
preconceived notions of what poverty looks like or how the poor act matter because we may not

fully be aware until we listen together for patterns. Relative poverty is more along the lines of the

comparisons between the lowest portions of poverty with the upper segments. In a simple

context relative poverty looks like poor on one side of the track and rich on the other side of the

tracks. During our World Cafe workshop, the power concept will be discussed in an open forum

to provide the people in the “cafe” if we follow a simple lens of imposed or perceived power as

variables for poverty.

Within our workshop we want to incorporate an exercise very similar to what people

encounter while going through poverty. During this workshop members will each be given a

random, unequal supplies of material to grow a sunflower. These materials include a sunflower

seed, water, a flowerpot, soil, and sun. Looking through this experiment in the lenses of poverty

the material mentioned could be seen as food, housing, healthcare, clothing, etc. Throughout this

experiment members of the workshop will see how either beneficial or detrimental it can be

when an individual has all or some of the necessities to grow and stay alive. By conducting this

experiment participants will be able to see how different conditions have an overall affect and

influence on the living.

When looking at a social issue such as poverty there are several different things to

consider that many people do not due to preconceived opinions and stigmatization within

society. One preconceived idea that society has is that life is fair for everyone, and life is what

people make it. If someone is living in poverty, then society automatically thinks that they chose

or behaved in a manner to live that way. What we want you to acknowledge that many people do

not and would not choose to live in poverty. Poverty can take place because of something that is

out of peoples control. Many Americans are one crisis or problem away in life from enduring
poverty. Would you consider the daughter who has to take care of her sick mother who has stage

four of cancer and is unable to work resulting in them living in poverty lazy or incompetent?

Most likely not. Something as little as someone getting a flat tire can result in them getting

behind on bills to replace this tire which then could lead to their checks getting garnished and

then it escalates from there. Poverty is something that can happen quickly, without warning, and

be out of someone’s control.

For those who have not firsthand encountered poverty may not know the limitations of

the safety nets that society thinks are in place for those in poverty. Many government assistance

programs have waitlists, deadlines, special requirements, and limitation on how much and how

long someone can get benefits for their needs. It is also incredibly important to note that although

someone gets help from these programs, it does not mean that they are automatically set up to

succeed. Many of these programs have individuals enter the program living in poverty and leave

living in poverty. Many of these limitations take place because of shortage of funding for such

programs. Do you think with the extent that poverty has on the United States that society or the

government acknowledges the significance of this social issue? Besides these government

assistant programs there are little to sometimes no local resources for individuals to utilize while

encountering poverty.

Culture and culture differences is something that also should be acknowledged more when

observing or trying to understand a social issue such as poverty. By taking into consideration the

impact that culture and mental illness has on poverty, the ability to reduce this social issue would

be much more effective. Using culture competence allows not only social workers but

individuals in general to learn how cultures differ in many different things such as their

economic status. Due to the United States having a both highly diverse population and a highly
race-conscious society non majority groups face generational oppression, discrimination,

prejudice, which leaves them often being poorly served by multiple systems. The more that these

non-majority groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos get failed by

individually and socially the more they stay oppressed and stay having to rely on each other. By

having these perceptions white privilege, (a different but relevant social issue that contributes to

socio cultural divides) is unfortunately not acknowledged and recognized. Having a basic

understanding of different cultures and their history will not only help educate why some

cultures live in prepositioned poverty but also why some cultures are unable to get out of it.

Having culture competence will allow the reader to understand the ways that a divers culture and

population handle a social issue such as poverty. Cultures often take into consider their cultures

morals and values and base how they react and deal with poverty off those important aspects.

Another way to help better understand poverty is by using the teaching-learning approach.

This approach can be done by having an open dialogue with an individual that is culturally

different then you and understand from a personal standpoint how their culture and culture

history has an affect and influence on their socio-economic class. Another approach to the

learning teaching method can be done by having the opportunity to observe life in action of a

individual of a different culture/community. One would be able to personally see the cultural

differences that have an affect or influence on poverty such as economic development and the

norms that take place on a day-to-day life of this different culture. Take non majority groups

such as the Native American population for example and respectfully compare this population

and their community (reservations) to a majority population such as a white society. Once that

lifestyle exchange is given the two different cultures (the white and Native American)

individuals can talk about how they can incorporate different aspects of each other’s lives to help
reduce stigmatization on behalf of the white culture and help reduce poverty on behalf of the

Native American culture. When there is a teaching-learning method applied in social issues such

as poverty two different populations can benefit from this same exchange.

After taking the time to consider culture competence and applying teaching-learning

approaches another great suggestion would be taking the time to acknowledge how being in a

non-majority group and enduring discrimination and rejection can affect ones self-identity, self-

esteem, and their want to be out in society. If society starts to have a more accepting perspective

of culture diversity than non-majority cultures that are suffering from social issues such as

poverty will have a greater chance of reducing poverty by having a more equal opportunity to

enter the work force and live in less poverty reduced neighborhoods. When certain groups within

society are constantly being devalued (non-majority groups) while others are not (white

dominated groups) it creates inequal opportunities and long-lasting disadvantages for society in

general.

Another stigma regarding poverty amongst individuals regards mental illness. Society tries

understanding poverty through a visual observation which influences stigma to take place.

Defining that there is a casual relationship present between poverty and mental illness will help

individuals understand the complexity of a social issue such as poverty. Without getting to know

an individual you may never know if there are underlining mental health issues present resulting

in that individual living in poverty. Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt like you

were at rock bottom and felt a different mental state then your normal typical mind state? This

how day to day life can feel like for those living with certain mental illness. By putting yourself

in their shoes also allows you to encounter empathy which is an important feeling to feel when

fully understanding the influence that poverty has on people.

 Our main take away from this paper is to validate how complex poverty can be but also

how easy it is for someone to fall below the poverty line. The different stigmas that were

mentioned throughout the paper make the social issue of poverty a more oppressive issue than it

should to be. People who are living in poverty should not be shamed, undervalued, and judged

within society. We want to encourage our readers to not have preconceived views and opinions

about poverty and about people who fit into this socio-economic class. This can be done by

taking all the information presented into consideration and taking the time to know individuals

personally instead trusting the perception given by society. If you feel passionate about being

responsible for reducing poverty locally and nationally one can start by being more

acknowledged about the polices that are in place and the people who are running in office. Doing

outside research and learning where your community could use your individualized help could

make a difference within your demographic area.

Reference’s

Gladstone, B. & Garfield, B. (2016). Episode #4-When the safety doesn’t catch you. Busted:

America’s Poverty Myths. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/when-safety-

net-doesnt-catch-you

Jindra , M. (n.d.). The dilemma of equality and diversity - JSTOR.ORG. Retrieved May 4, 2022,

from https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/10.1086/676457.pdf
Lok-Dessallien, R. (1999). Review of poverty concepts and indicators. UNDP Soc Dev Poverty

Elimin Div Poverty Reduct Ser from http://www. undp. orgpovertypublicationspovReview pdf,

21.

Appendix C
Marcy Chapman
Social Work 505
Self-Assessment Knowing Yourself Ethically
9/26/21
This self-assessment was a great way for me to examine what my values are regarding

appropriate action for personal drug use situations. Looking back my cognitive process has

developed as I feel as though policies should have been mentioned throughout this paper that

influence individuals from being arrested due to personal drug use. Drug abuse is a problem that

every community deals with and when individuals with drug use issues are incarcerated instead

of being provided proper support through treatment programs or counseling it is known to not be

beneficial and the problems continues to exist

Self-Assessment Knowing Yourself Ethically

A social work issue that I would like to evaluate is incarceration for non-violent drug

offenses (personal use). Viewing this situation as an ethically self-aware social worker, I need to

consider two aspects from Ethical Theories when making decisions according to Reflections on

knowing oneself ethically. I will be reflecting on principles or consequences to help my decision

process be more critical (Abramson pg. 3) when evaluating this scenario. Putting people under

incarceration for non-violent drug offenses should come to an end due to the consequences that
jail has not only for the individual but also for the economy. Based on my prejudgments (Finn

pg. 137) from my knowledge, cultural history, and information in chapter two of the Just Practice

textbook, the United States is known for mass incarceration (Finn pg. 36). Non-violent drug

offenses (personal use) should not be eligible for incarceration because they do not have the

intent to distribute. I feel incarceration has the stereotype of being an acceptable manner for

dealing with people with issues in our society. In my opinion, people should only be incarcerated

if there is a safety issue regarding the individual and the public. Using my prejudgments, I think

the appropriate process for someone with a drug use issue would include a treatment course or

class instead of incarceration. Incarceration is a form of punishment and people who have a drug

use issue do not need to be punished but instead helped. The environment that jail provides is not

suitable for sobriety and good mental health. Taking my voice into consideration (Abramson pg.

199), I would say that I have a voice for perseverance. I give everyone not only recognition but

also the opportunity to grow and prosper when it comes to social issues like personal drug use.

To me, persevering through drug addiction can and should be done without the need of

incarceration.

References

Abramson, M. (1996, April). Reflections on knowing oneself ethically: Toward a working

framework for social work practice. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary

Human Services. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from

https://moodle.umt.edu/pluginfile.php/2701761/mod_assign/intro/Abramson%201996%20-

%20Reflections%20on%20Knowing%20Oneself%20Ethically.pdf.
Finn, Janet L.. Just Practice (pg. 36 and 137). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

Appendix D

Marcy Chapman

Social Work, University of Montana

SW 521 Advanced Research and Program Evaluation

06/15/2023

Introduction

The issue that I would like to focus this evaluation on entails the effectiveness of the

bereavement program at Peace Hospice within Benefis Hospital. Having the opportunity to be a

co facilitator of the program this last fall has allowed me to see where areas of improvement is

needed throughout this eight week program. The eight week program is a significant part of the

bereavement services that are offered at Benefis which is why this evaluation is important.

The bereavement program that is offered through Peace Hospice at Benefis relies heavily

on this eight-week program as this is the only time the bereavement counselor and grieving

individuals within the community can connect in an in person and consecutive manner. This

eight-week program takes place three separate times throughout the year. The program is eight

weeks long and entails the participants and counselor meeting once a week for a two-hour
period. This program's goal is to provide comfort and tools for those grieving the loss of an

individual, and it is available to anyone in the community seeking bereavement services.

There are a few different questions that I would like to investigate throughout this process

of the evaluation. The biggest question that I would like to investigate is if this program is

culturally responsive. This question is valid because the agency's mission statement states their

services are for all, which would include servicing a variety of different cultures. Another

question I want to investigate is measuring the effectiveness of learned skills throughout this

program.

The purpose of this evaluation is to help answer the research question which is whether

the agency has reached its goal which is “providing excellent care for all, healing body, mind,

and spirit” throughout the week bereavement program.

I want my stakeholders for this evaluation to be made up of people with diverse

backgrounds. A member from another bereavement service in town is a vital stakeholder as they

can help observe similarities and differences amongst the agencies. I would like a Native

American individual from the Native American department of Benefis as they will be able to

give input on the cultural side as Montana has a high population of Native Americans. Inviting

another social worker to engage in this evaluation will also help give me insight that will be

beneficial.

There will be minimum money needing to be spent for this evaluation to succeed. I will

need to put budgeting aside for observational help when it comes to my data collection however I

do think it is plausible and beneficial for this evaluation to take place.

 Literature Reviews

The benefits of healing with grief support groups – bethesda. Bethesda Health Group. (2022,

December 22). https://bethesdahealth.org/blog/2017/07/21/healing-grief-benefits-support-groups/

#:~:text=In%20a%20grief%20support%20group,who%20are%20experiencing%20similar%20feelings.

This article helps validate the goals of Benefis Peace Hospice bereavement program and

similar grief support groups. The article also stated why bereavement groups are important and

what healthy grieving entails.

Melinda Smith, M. A. (2023, February 22). Support groups: Types, benefits, and what to expect.
HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/therapy-medication/support-
groups.htm

This article is useful because it states the different type of support groups, the benefits of

participating in support groups, and what can be expected. This will help me see if the benefits of

support groups are taking place throughout this program.

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa PsycNet. American Psychological Association.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-18149-012

I think this article will be one of the most useful ones as it mentions the differences of grief

within cultures. This will help me see how the eight week program can be change to better

support different cultures am individuals.

Cultural traditions and grief. HealGrief. (2022, November 30). https://healgrief.org/cultural-

traditions-grief/

This is another article that is related to grief and culture. This article will be helpful in

understanding why there are differences in grief within cultures and different appropriate ways

on communicating with someone from a different culture who is experiencing grief.

Creating an effective support group - gwaar. (n.d.).
https://gwaar.org/api/cms/viewFile/id/2002795

This is an informative article that has guidelines on facilitating a support group. I will use

these guidelines to compare the guidelines of the program at Peace Hospice.

Peter K. Gerlach, M. (n.d.). An overview of healthy three-level grieving basics.

http://sfhelp.org/grief/basics.htm

This article written by Peter is very educational on what unhealthy grieving looks like.

Knowing the signs of unhealthy grieving is important because I will have knowledge on what to

look for when it comes to my observation.

Understanding the five stages of grief. Cruse Bereavement Support. (2023, May 25).
https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/effects-of-grief/five-stages-of-grief/
#:~:text=The%20five%20stages%20%E2%80%93%20denial%2C%20anger,m
%20entering%20the%20angry%20stage’.

This article talks about the five different stage of grief. This article will help me determine

which stage (if any) the participants are in or have experienced. This article helps explain that

there is a process when it comes to grief and what is to be expected.

Guide to assessment and Evaluation Tools - National Bereavement Alliance. (n.d.-b).

https://nationalbereavementalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Guide-to-
assessment-and-evaluation-tools.pdf

This is going to be my most useful tool as it helps determine what assessments and

evaluation tools to use to assess bereavement services such as this program. This article also

educates me on why and when to use the tools provided throughout the article.

Methodology
 The method that I will be using is an outcome/effectiveness to evaluate this bereavement

program. In order for me to see if this eight week support group is effective an assessment is

needed to be made to help answer my investigative questions which is if this program is

culturally responsive and if the program is effective. . I would like to use observation as my

qualitative method for data collection so I can see how the program naturally occurs. I will take

notes on each of the individuals and the progress that I observe them each make throughout each

of the 8 weeks. I would however like another MSW student or worker to help do observation so I

can compare and make sure my observations are correct.

I will inform participants that I am observing them and gain consent from each individual

I will be honest about why I am there and what my intentions are behind this evaluation. My

findings will be available to discuss with each individual confidential if they wish to see or know

the results.

Results/findings/discussion

I predict that this program aligns with the agencies overall mission goal which is

“providing excellent care for all, healing body, mind, and spirit” however there are some areas of

improvement. I think there could be improvement on enhancing culture diversity as I feel this

program is geared towards Christianity. I think I will see through statistics that a majority of

program participants are Native American. I think I will also find through observation that many

participants gain skill to grief appropriately. I think this bereavement program will be very

similar to other bereavement programs.

Limitations
 With me no longer doing my practicum at Benefis I no longer have the direct access to

this program or the meeting that take place. I will need to go through a process which would

entail gaining permission by the bereavement manager to do this evaluation. Another limitation

is that I may not be able to gain a factual perception on how these individuals are doing by only

seeing them once every week. There is also a chance that participants will actually differently

because they are being observed.

References

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa PsycNet. American Psychological Association.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-18149-012

Assessment #4: Addressing substance use in behavioral health ... - NASMHPD. (n.d.).
https://www.nasmhpd.org/sites/default/files/2020paper4.pdf

Creating an effective support group - gwaar. (n.d.).

https://gwaar.org/api/cms/viewFile/id/2002795

Cultural traditions and grief. HealGrief. (2022, November 30). https://healgrief.org/cultural-

traditions-grief/

Guide to assessment and Evaluation Tools - National Bereavement Alliance. (n.d.-b).

https://nationalbereavementalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Guide-to-
assessment-and-evaluation-tools.pdf

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2014, December 17). 7 steps for
managing grief and loss - Mayo Clinic News Network. Mayo Clinic.
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/7-steps-for-managing-grief-and-loss/
Melinda Smith, M. A. (2023, February 22). Support groups: Types, benefits, and what to expect.
HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/therapy-medication/support-groups.htm

Peter K. Gerlach, M. (n.d.). An overview of healthy three-level grieving basics.

http://sfhelp.org/grief/basics.htm

Understanding the five stages of grief. Cruse Bereavement Support. (2023, May 25).
https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/effects-of-grief/five-stages-of-grief/
#:~:text=The%20five%20stages%20%E2%80%93%20denial%2C%20anger,m
%20entering%20the%20angry%20stage’.

The benefits of healing with grief support groups – bethesda. Bethesda Health Group. (2022,

December 22). https://bethesdahealth.org/blog/2017/07/21/healing-grief-benefits-support-groups/

#:~:text=In%20a%20grief%20support%20group,who%20are%20experiencing%20similar%20feelings.

Appendix E

Social Policy Paper

Marcy Chapman

Department of Social Work: University of Montana

SW 530: History of Social Policy, Justice and Change

Professor Zak Reimer

March 2022

This assignment helped shed knowledge on important historical events that impact social

welfare. This assignment also gave me experience using the vibes framework to evaluate a

policy. This was not only my first time evaluating a policy but also using the vibes framework.
Throughout my paper I used honesty which is an important value in social work and displayed

Abrham Lincolns perspective on freeing slaves and ending slavery.

Abstract

This social policy paper will be in focus of the Emancipation of Proclamation that was

signed in 1863 by former President Abraham Lincoln. Throughout this paper you will be

informed of the history behind this policy along with the pros and cons that this policy had.

Towards the end of the paper after significant knowledge is presented, I will evaluate this policy

by using the Vibes framework to determine the success of this policy.

During a troubling time throughout America as the United States was at combative war

with 11 southern states for three consecutive years President Abraham Lincoln made a bold

decision and proclaimed the Proclamation of Emancipation of 1863. The Emancipation of

Proclamation had several significant long-lasting effects that had an impact on America. These

significant effects include a change of character and motive within the Civil War, the start to

ending slavery, and increasing the rights of African Americans as they entered the Union Army.

Although there were many great aspects of the Emancipation of Proclamation there were several

limitations and setbacks. Although President Abraham Lincoln did announce the Emancipation

of Proclamation there was a selective motive of doing so in which I will incorporate throughout

my paper in hopes of giving President Abraham Lincoln a representation that is clear and

accurate.

The Emancipation of Proclamation that was issued in 1863 was a military measure made

by President Abraham Lincoln to try and gain control over the Civil War amongst the South.
Specifically, the policy states “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are,

and henceforward shall be free” if the rebellious states do not cease to the Union by January 1st

of 1863 (Emancipation Proclamation 1863). Abraham Lincoln used this as a military measure to

have control over the Southern states by finding a way to cause severe chaos to that area.

Another quote from Lincoln states “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I

would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it” (Zinn, 2015, pp 174). It

is apparent within this quote alone that the Emancipation of Proclamation was only issued as a

military tool to win the Civil War. This policy was not in place to help end slavery and help gain

equality for the African American community but instead to demolish the Confederate states.

Thus, on the first day of January of 1863, any slave that was in any state still rebelling

against the Union was to be set free as the South did not cease to the Union before the first of

January. The Emancipation of Proclamation however was very limited on ending slavery as this

policy did not abide by every slave/state. For example, the slaves who were living in states that

were rebelling from the Union were aloud to be free, however, this was not the same scenario for

slaves living in states that were loyal to the Union. The Proclamation of Emancipation exempted

freeing the slaves of the states that were at one with the Union. Another limitation within this

policy is that Lincoln did not have control over the slaves in the Confederate States. This was a

limitation because slaves did not hear about the Proclamation of Emancipation for several

months keeping slaves unaware of the promise of freedom that the Proclamation of

Emancipation promised to the end of Civil War along to the African American population.

Slaves that did hear about the Proclamation of Emancipation were either to adjusted to the way

of life on the plantation or faced another rough journey to escape and reach the Union camps.
 A significant part of the Proclamation of Emancipation policy is that it announced the

acceptance of African American males into the Union Army and Navy. Although this sounds

like an open invitation offering the African Americans population equal rights within the Union

that white males have been unfortunately was not the case. Almost 180,000 escaped slaves, (10%

in which entered the Union while the remaining 19,000 served in the Navy) were used for

agriculture and industrial labor instead of military combat. This was a significant part within all

African American lives as both free and slaved African American were previously denied

working for the Union in fear of mutual states choosing the confederate side because of African

American soldiers. Allowing African Americans into the Union Army and Navy were steps in

the right direction however prejudice and inequality still persisted as Union job duties along with

salary differences existed.

Although the acceptance of African American men positively changed the lives for the

African American male population, it worsened the burden for the African American women.

While the husbands and men of the families left to fight for the Union, women of the household

were left at home to tend to both the women and men jobs. These jobs included the work of

taking care of children, household work, and all of the work required for their plantation. Women

were then put in shift in positions and were left as being the sole provider and care giver for their

families.

Fredrick Douglass a historic African American made a statement two months after the

Emancipation of Proclamation was issued. Fredrick states “The change in attitude of the

Government is vast and startling…we can scarcely conceive of a more complete revolution in the

position of a nation,”, “It will stand with every distinguished event which marks any advance

made by mankind from the thraldom and darkness of error to the glorious liberty of truth.”
(Hancock). Having this quote from a person who held power in the African American

community is important because it validates the significance that this policy had after it was

addressed. It recognizes the urgency that the government had to make a shift in stance when it

came to African Americans, more specifically African American males that would enlist within

the Union. It also recognizes the power and influence that the government had on society during

this era. In order for there to be change with no repercussions the change needed to be made by

government officials.

Due to the Emancipation of Proclamation policy, by the year 1864 there were over

400,000 signatures of people wanting to end slavery entirely. This policy ultimately led to the

proposal of the Thirteenth Amendment that put an official end to legal slavery within the United

States. Although there was a popular want at this point on wanting to make slavery illegal the

debate on the status amongst the African American population was still uncertain. Having

knowledge that the Emancipation of Proclamation did not drastically change the lives of the

African American population is important to take into consideration as African Americans still

had to fight for freedom and a place in society after this policy was introduced.

A strategy to have a clear concept of this policy can be done by utilizing the vibes

framework. The vibes framework will be a significant tool in understanding the pros and cons

within this policy. The Vibes framework is broken down by evaluating each letter within the

word Vibes as each letter stands for a characteristic within a given policy (values, interest,

beliefs, ethics, and slants. A main value that was presented within the Emancipation of

Proclamation was that slaves who were under control by states rebelling against the Union

deserve to be freed while slaves under control by states at one with the Union shall not be freed.

An interest that this policy was introduced under was the intent to control the rebelling states. A
belief that this policy had was that this policy would weaken the Southern states that are

rebelling by causing chaos and disfunction. An ethical standpoint of this policy is that it would in

a sense start decreasing the number of legal slaves. A slant that was present within this policy

was that it did not free all slaves including the states within the Union.

After taking this assessment into consideration I think this was an overall poor policy

with limitations that could have been avoided. I think this was a poor policy because it was not in

place for the goodness of the people who were lacking justice and equality. The policy as we

learned in the beginning of the paper was instead introduced as a military measure instead of a

welfare measure. Although there were a few good outcomes that came from the Emancipation of

Proclamation, I think this policy would have been more ethical and justifiable if there was a

different motive behind it and if there were not limitations on who is legally allowed to be a

slave and who is not.

Reference’s

Emancipation proclamation (1863). Our Documents - Emancipation Proclamation (1863). (n.d.).

Retrieved February 11, 2022, https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=34

Hancock, K. (2020, June 26). Myths & Misunderstandings: The emancipation proclamation.

American Civil War Museum. https://acwm.org/blog/myths-misunderstandings-emancipation-

proclamation/

History.com Editors. (2010, February 5). Women in the Civil War. History.com.

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/women-in-the-civil-war
National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Black soldiers in the U.S. military during

the Civil War. National Archives and Records Administration.

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war#:~:text=Volunteers%20began

%20to%20respond%2C%20and,19%2C000%20served%20in%20the%20Navy.

Zinn, H. (2015). A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper Collins. We Take

Nothing by Conquest, Thank God (pp

174). https://mvlindsey.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/peoples-history-zinn-1980.pdf

Appendix F

This was one of my favorite assignments throughout this program. I was not only able to

portray being a client but also a therapist. I really enjoyed how this assignment was broken down

into two different parts. Role playing both sides was a meaningful experience that gave me

insight on how it feels to be both a client and therapist. This was meaningful because learning

how it feels to be a client gave me insights on what I wanted out of the therapist role.

Being in my second year of this program I have gained much more confidence and skills

to better interact with what was my client. While playing the therapist role I was able to be

conscious of the values that social workers should display while interacting with clients.

Something stuck with me with this assignment and a specific value was the confidentiality aspect

that my classmate and I obtained. We both shared personal information with each other during

this assignment and we both honored each other's privacy by keeping information that was said

between the both of us.

Marcy Chapman

University of Montana
 SW 535 Stimulated Practice

SW 535 Client Reflection

Appendix G

Marcy Chapman

Problem Statement and Analysis Paper

06/10/2024

Women of all ethnicities in Montana are continuing to fight for their reproductive rights as CB

128 continues seeking signatures from Montana citizens to help secure abortion rights

throughout the state. The purposed policy solution of CB 128 will not only secure reproductive

rights for all women citizens of Montana but it will also help continue to support positive

environments that positively influence women’s health and education.

Although abortions at this time remain legal in Montana there is a chance in the future

where Montana citizens are declined their right exercise their reproductive choices. It is

important that we have a policy such as CB 128 in place in the Montana’s Constitution as

Montana Republican party continues to struggle with Montana’s Democratic party on the subject

of abortion. If CB 128 were to pass it would also eliminate many legal disputes in the future that

costs Montana legal services financial obligations.

Republican lawmakers have made attempts for years to try and restrict abortions in

Montana contributing to the problem of women’s reproductive rights being restricted and women

not having easy access to healthcare services regarding abortion. The republican platform states
“the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed” (Lipka). The

platform for the democratic party supports safe and legal abortion. It is very evident by these

statements which political system is contributing to the problem of women fighting for their

rights of choice to their reproductive system.

Statistics show that reproductive policies in states that are rural such as Montana can

affect many different demographic women with different characteristics such as low-income

(which includes a large percentage of white ethnicity), African American, Native Americans,

immigrants, and refugees. Below are some statistical graphs regarding the different

characteristics of women in Montana who got an abortion in the year 2022.

Reproductive policies influence a number of healthcare services provided such as the

ones bullet pointed underneath.

Contraception care,

 Sexually transmitted disease prevention and treatment

 Obstetrical care

 And lastly abortions.

Rural areas within Montana such as the Crow Tribal Reservation are already facing a

shortage of medical services and residents of the surrounding area face a harder time

accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare. This is important information because the
Crow Tribal Reservation is the geographically the largest reservation throughout

Montana meaning a high population of Native American women in the state are not able

to access needed healthcare. Here is a statistical graph that not only shows the Native

American ratio no the Crow Reservation but also the poverty ratio that is endured on this

reservation.

When reproductive policies are in place important organizations that support

reproductive and sexual related healthcare services are put in jeopardy. There is already

barriers for women in Montana on accessing healthcare. Montana’s republican governor

is an important stakeholder here in Montana and his view on abortions and reproductive

rights play a part in the barriers that not only Native American women face but women of

the different characteristics mentioned above. We need CB 128 to pass so that we can not

only secure reproductive rights but also secure and grow the healthcare services

available.
 Citation

Lipka, M. (2022, June 17). A closer look at Republicans who favor legal abortion and

Democrats who oppose it. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/06/17/a-closer-look-at-republicans-who-favor-

legal-abortion-and-democrats-who-oppose-it/

Montana Women’s Demographic Data. KFF. (2024, June 5).

https://www.kff.org/interactive/womens-health-profiles/montana/demographics/

Published: Nov 14, 2019. (2019, December 5). Beyond the numbers: Access to reproductive
health care for low-income women in five communities - crow tribal reservation, MT -
9371. KFF. https://www.kff.org/report-section/beyond-the-numbers-access-to-
reproductive-health-care-for-low-income-women-in-five-communities-crow-tribal-
reservation-mt/

Appendix H
 SW 511 Module 1 Dialogue Assignment

(1) Case Study: Khan, D. (Director). (2017). White Right: Meeting the Enemy [Film].
Women Make Movies Release; Fuuse Films. (If the link does not work for you, you can access

the streaming video via OneSearch on the Mansfield Library website.)

 1.2 What did you learn from Khan’s approach that you plan to use in your social

work practice?

I learned a few important things from Deeyah Khan that I plan on using throughout my social

work. One thing that really stood out to me is that Khan used an approach that was not forceful

or argumentative. Despite all the differences that she had with the people presented throughout

the video, she was able to hold a meaningful conversation with a male named Jeff Schoep who is

a Nazi and apart of the National Socialist Movement. Deeyah was able to ask questions relating

to the racism thoughts and feelings that Jeff has never taken the time to actually think about. I

was stunned by the calmness that was presented on behalf of Deeyah. It appeared that Deeyah's

intention of the interview Jeff was not to try and be persuasive but to try and understand why Jeff

and fellow people like Jeff feel the way that they do. By Deeyah taking the time to understand

his way of thinking she was able to make Jeff think in a way that he has never thought before.

 1.4 How can we address interracial issues constructively as social workers?

Social workers can help address interacial issues constructively by being educated on the

different ethnicities along with their beliefs, norms, etc. I think interracial issues take place when

there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding between the norms of two ethnicities. What is

common or considered a norm in one ethnicity may be the complete opposite in another. When
people are not educated about these differences people take offense to things that they normally

wouldn't if they had an understanding of the ethnicity background.

(2) Case Study: Trautman, A., & Zimmerman, M. (2021). Just practice in Indigenous

communities . Chapter 24 in The Just Practice Framework in Action: Contemporary Case

Studies edited by Janet Finn, pp. 238-249.

 2.1 How does your positionality shape your work with communities where you

are an “insider” and where you are an “outsider”?

I think your positionality shapes your work with communities when you are working with a

diverse set of people such as Indigenous communities/individuals. Being a White social worker I

would approach working with Indigenous individuals as an outsider. I do not expect for

Indigenous individuals to trust me right away and I expect that I will need to earn their trust. I

think positionality would be different if it was a Native social worker working with other

Indigenous individuals/ communities. I would think in this scenario that this social worker would

then be considered an insider. I think a Indigenous social worker would be an insider to

Indigenous clients because of the automatic relation and shared experiences that they most likely

share.

 2.2 How might you bring the “Just Practice” framework to bear to strengthen

your approach to social work in and with Indigenous communities?

Using the Just Practice framework will strengthen a social workers approach to working with

Indigenous individuals because the Just Practice framework takes many significant things into

consideration. Learning about the history behind Indigenous individuals will help give the social
worker a better understanding as to why their client are facing the issues that they are. Knowing

the traumatic physical and emotional abuse, along with the struggles of living on remote areas

such as reservations will better prepare the social worker for providing the proper help. Learning

the context and meaning behind Indigenous individuals will help give the social worker

knowledge on what type of recommendations would be helpful or offensive depending on the

norms or context of Indigenous communities. Knowing the power dynamic for Indigenous

communities is really important for a social worker as reservations have their own type of

government. The last concept of the Just Practice framework is possibilities. Knowing what

possibilities there are for Indigenous communities is important because the social worker will be

more educated on what options, suggestions, or resources are realistic and unrealistic.

Resources:

Khan, D. (Director). (2017). White Right: Meeting the Enemy [Film]. Women Make Movies

Release; Fuuse Films.

Trautman, A., & Zimmerman, M. (2021). Just Practice in Indigenous communities. Chapter 24

The Just Practice Framework in Action: Contemporary Case Studies edited by Janet Finn, pp.

238-249.

Appendix I

SW 525 Module 4 Design Proposal Recruitment Material Discussion

I plan on doing my group design proposal project for people who have family members who are

enduring addiction. I would like the structure of this group to be geared towards discussion as it

relates to lifestyle.

 Where will you post materials? I would start out by reaching out to different

groups of individuals within the community that are statistically at a higher risk

to drug addiction exposure such as those living in poverty and minorities. I would

leave information regarding my group at different organizations in town that help

those in poverty. In my town that would consist of places such as the food stamp

office, opportunities inc., Salvation Army, etc. I would go to different places

within a community that offer support to different minorities. Within my

community the places that come to mind are the Native American center at

Benefis, the VA office, LGBTQ centers, etc. I however would not exclude the

outside population. I would post my group information on the community

Calendar, the local news paper, etc.

 Who will you contact? Have meetings with? I will try and make contact with

individuals within the community who are in need or want of support due to a

family member suffering with drug addiction. I would however like to ensure that

the group participates are at least 18 years old as drug addiction can be a heavy

subject for those who are younger.

 What other thoughts do you have about the recruitment strategy? My ideas have

shifted regarding the recruitment strategy. I was originally thinking about

offering the group information to treatment facilities in case their program did

not have a group similar to the one that I was offering however I think if there is
 too much out reach it could cause to many participants for me to be able to

handle as one facilitator.

 What will you need to prepare to engage in recruitment? I would like to make a

simple flyer explaining what my support group is, who my group would benefit,

and the days and times of the meetings. I do not think there needs to much so

much information regarding the group that I would need to have a brochure. This

group is geared towards discussion and not so much as teaching.

o What is your “elevator pitch” for the group? “The pain from having a family

member endure drug addiction can lessen by discussion and connection from

others”.

 What kinds of suggestions are you looking for? How can your peers help? As I

stated this group is geared towards discussion so one concern I have is having a

group that is not very communicative or expressive. Do you guys think it would

be beneficial to try and narrow down discussion topics by having planning a

specific topic each week or should I see how it goes and let the group members

take it to where they want?

Appendix J

SW 525 Practice with Groups and Communities Module 15 Intervention Project Overview

https://umontana.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/

Embed.aspx?id=03f9b56d-a4fd-46af-9df6-afee0057fcac
 Appendix K

Marcy Chapman

University of Montana

SW 545

Leadership in Action Proposal Draft

After spending roughly 6 months at my practicum agency site I have identified an area of

organization growth for my practicum agency regarding the counseling department at Paris

Gibson Alternative High School. The area that could use improvement is obtaining a better

foundation of connecting students to counseling services. There a significant lack of structure at

the agency hindering full potential of counseling services.

An assumption that is often made is that if a student needs of wants counseling services

that they are to go and seek help from the counselor. In my opinion from observation, students

would benefit drastically if there were to be more of a structured system in place for the

counselor for example seeing students who have poor or unstable attendance rates, students who

classify under a minority, identity as low income, etc. Right now, the counselor has two different

times available on the weekly schedule to do counseling, this gives students an opportunity to
have a reliable time on being able to talk to the school counselor. My suggestion is for the

counselor to have a more productive system in place to where the counselor is directly seeing

kids outside of those hours.

Creating this system change would allow the students to have a mandatory along with

optional counseling times during each school day throughout the week. The values that this

organization has that has an influence on this needed area of growth is allowing the students to

have a high level of independence. Students at this alternative high school do their homework

and needed requirements at their own pace making them work independently a majority of the

time. This creates the perception that all things can and should be done when the students are

wanting. However, there should be some guidelines and separation of independence when it

comes to the counseling and health services.

I identified this area of growth when discussing my placement with my MSW supervisor

here at the University. He had suggested an idea of me talking with teachers and seeing if there

are any students lacking in attendance as a say for me to engage with students more. Another

area that helps support my area of growth is taking the entire population into consideration. This

is an alternative high school and for whatever reason the students that are here are here due under

special circumstances and reasons. Some are teenage parents, some deal with social conflict, an

others just did not fit in or were not successful at a regular high school. I feel as though a

majority of these kids have some vulnerabilities that they could get support for on a weekly basis

from the school counselor. After researching how school counselors should be utilizing their

time, I was able to validate through the Boulden article that the counselor is not spending enough

time interacting and working with these students.

There may be some bias to my decision making due to my knowledge that the counselor plays a

dual relationship at the school as he is also an English teacher. While I am at the school, I mainly

see the counselor working on English things rather than counseling. If I were to not know that he

had a dual relationship and responsibility at the school, I do not think I would recognize this area

of needed change and growth.