I have gained a new sense for research during the beginning of this semester. The use of research has enabled me to have an outlet in regards to questioning what practice suits my agency. The detailed research into residential treatment practices I have found throughout my research has brought me to question specific interventions. This is an example of how I will use research in my future endeavors. I believe that one should never sit back on the sidelines and go along with everything a practice/company/agency portrays without asking questions. It’s crucial in personal development to understand not only your place of work’s practice but to compare it to those of others that are successful. In my opinion there needs to be a balance between research and working with clients. Being heavily sided with research could shutter your relationship with that client and vice versa. An example that applies to my previous profession would be digging into a client’s file and gaining the knowledge of the client before working with them, leading to premature judgment. Something I could’ve (and should’ve) done was first get to know the client and establish his/her baseline behavior before having made expectations based on the client’s behavior on file. Having a data-driven practice is great but each individual is different and going through change (especially adolescents). I now try to maintain an equilibrium in regards to research and working with the clients as well as being more open-minded.
SWK512 