The Self-Awareness Workbook for Social Workers - Juliet C. Rothman

This workbook can be used in social work practice courses, and is particularly well-suited for use in courses that deal with ethnic-sensitive practice or practice with vulnerable and oppressed groups. The workbook enables students to explore their own issues and feelings around self-identity, difference, experiences with others, and negative beliefs and stereotypes about others. The workbook format provides personalized exercises and assignments that allow students to address the issues most relevant to them. The tear-out pages allow students to keep their workbook pages for private self-examination. Three Unit Assignments address principal goals, and are intended to be submitted as class assignments.

Unit I explores the value base of the profession, and asks the student to reflect upon his/her values and their relationship to the reasons that he/she is seeking professional social work education, affirming areas of congruence between personal and professional values and commitments. Unit II engages the student in personal self-assessment, including a review of influential persons in the student's life, beliefs and feelings about others, and helps the student to develop a definition of identity, both individually and in terms of group affiliations. Unit III asks students to consider the work of Unit I and II together, and to explore areas where personal beliefs, attitudes and values may impact negatively on professional obligations and competent professional practice. The workbook is written in a friendly and casual style, to encourage students to feel comfortable in exploring difficult material.