72 Assessment, Evidence-Guided Practice, and Practice Evaluation the worker and provide feedback in the discussion. After an in-depth analysis is completed, the instructor and class attempt to develop generalizations from the incident. Practice Evaluation Starting with a lecture, introduce students to the primary tools available to them to evaluate the impact of their work (single-subject design and task achieve- ment and goal attainment scaling). We find that students often are already familiar with the single-subject design, having learned about it in a research course. However, they often need help in seeing how a research method has relevance for their practice. Once students understand the three approaches, they can be asked to compare and contract their applications to cases. If possible, ask students to volunteer one or more of their cases and use the format that we adopt with our students: Tanisha, age 25, spontaneously recalled that she was sexually abused by a teenage neighbor in elementary school. She unexpectedly ran into him in a store. She reported being “totally freaked out” since the memory “came out of the blue” and without warning. She sought help from a sexual assault center initially complaining of being stressed, being unable to concentrate or eat, having trouble sleeping, and falling behind in her schoolwork (she was a college student). Tanisha and her worker agreed that initially, their work would focus on stress management. This involves helping Tanisha develop a beginning under- standing of sexual abuse and its impact on her. Tanisha also requested help with talking to her parents and boyfriend about what she had remembered, as she thought that this would assist her with feeling less stressed and more in control. Because the sexual assault center limited the number of sessions to 10, both worker and client agreed that they would simultaneously work on finding an appropriate referral once Tanisha’s sessions were up. Goals (Reflecting What Tanisha Wants to Get Out of Her Sessions with the Worker) 1. Tanisha will develop ways of managing the stress associated with her recollection that she was sexually abused as a child. 2. Tanisha will disclose her sexual abuse as a child to her parents and her boyfriend.
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