Practice Of The Motivational Interviewing Approach Social Work Essay

Practice Of The Motivational Interviewing Approach Social Work Essay Critically analyse your practice of the Motivational Interviewing approach with specific reference to your classroom learning and work placement On reflection I have learnt a great deal about the MI approach, putting the classroom learning into practice, then reviewing my performance on the DVD has been a fundamental part of my learning process. Although being familiar with many of the techniques, which are similar to skills I already possess, the actual approach was new to me. In brief MI allows a normally client lead Person Centred Approach to have direction by allowing clients to recognise their ambivalence acknowledging that change is possible and cultivating their innate forces to make necessary changes that are acceptable to them. I have recognised that for myself Im going to need to practice, review and hone my techniques awareness with implementing this model. It is emphasised with MI that the spirit of the approach is conceivably more important than techniques used . I feel the only real way to describe this phenomena is to acknowledge that the spirit would be how the therapist presents themselves the way that he/she utilises the techniques. With MI it is the clients responsibility to resolve their ambivalence finding intrinsic motivation to change problematic behaviours, not the therapists to impose or suggest change. The counselling approach is generally a soft, quiet eliciting style, which places importance on the working relationship being a partnership. The extreme contrast to MI would be confrontational approaches, which may attempt to break a clients denial through authoritative derogatory shaming approaches stripping away individuals defences and rebuilding their identities with societies or groups philosophies . The therapeutic approach of a pure Person Centred counselling model essentially relies upon the three core conditions of Congruence, Empathy and Unconditional Positive regard these conditions contribute to the presence of the Counsellor influencing the relationship formed with the client. With addiction treatment settings where time constraints are prevalent Motivational Interviewing can allow more structure direction being applied to the normally client lead Person Centred Approach. By developing discrepancy between client beliefs and problematic behaviours direction can be achieved. According to   when discrepancy becomes large enough and change seems important, a search for possible methods for change is initiated (p. 11). I have already integrated some use of MI into my practice however, Im aware at times my agencies policies and procedures are in conflict with the MI spirit. Recently, I have had to check my own incentives in using MI, making sure Im not implementing it as a form of manipulation to move clients into adherence with agencies policies, which would blemish the spirit of the MI approach. The compatibility of the MI approach in my place of work is questionable in some areas. Our treatment modality is a 12 step abstinent based approach, which immediately arises two conflicts with the MI spirit. Firstly, not all clients may wish total abstinence and those who do may wish to achieve it in some way that is not 12 step orientated. It is agency policy that all clients attend 12 step fellowship meetings every evening during their treatment duration. In our treatment setting the MI approach has proven to be useful in several areas when clients initially arrive in treatment anxiety levels are high if not addressed can lead to dropout. Application of MI here can help the client focus on the influencing factors that motivated them to contemplate treatment in the first place. In addition, MI is acknowledged a beneficial approach to use with angry clients especially the principals of rolling with resistance and the expression of empathy . Although the clients have attended our treatment facility for a variety of reasons, it is difficult to place them all in one bracket concerning the stages of change model. Taking into account their alcohol / drug use the vast majority would be in either contemplation or active change. Some clients may display signs of resistance to change around other areas of their life which may include being in a relationship with a partner who is still active in addictive behaviour. Many clients also have difficulty with assertiveness, which is going to be necessary to develop for them to help maintain addiction free lifestyles. It is a process of change for clients conversely many of these distinct essentials are met with varying degrees of resistance by individual clients. The first example Im going to use is a male client of 42 years of age who has been dependent upon substances for twenty years. He displays high levels of interest in the abstinent approach registering high using a Likert assessment tool to gauge his Willingness, Ability Readiness regarding an abstinent way of life. With reference to his substance use, I would assess him to be in the action stage of Prochaska and DiCliemente The stages of change (see appendix A). He has a partner who still is a substance user; he displays high levels of resistance to changing this area of his life and feels that he will be able to change her view on substance taking once he returns home after the completion of his treatment. I have been affirming the client consistently with the changes he has made to his behaviour whilst in treatment and with permission from him, pointing how his changes are in line with the 12 step abstinent based approach. What Im trying to achieve is too reinforce his belief in himself about this particular approach. By doing this I feel that there are inconsistencies further developing between his two cognitions I want to remain substance free, yet I want to go home to my partner who is a substance user. As he is now beginning to question his own thinking, I can see that the cognitive dissonance is beginning to have an effect Im hoping he will seek to alter the risky dissonant cognition by remaining in Bournemouth to attend aftercare. A client we recently had at our facility who presented for cannabis use, and admitted his main motivation for being in treatment was to avoid going to prison displayed resistant behaviours towards the treatment modality. His resistance would manifest in ways of walking out of group therapy, getting up and walking around whilst clients were presenting personal assignments generally showing no respect for what other clients were trying to achieve. The application of MI in this instance was quite difficult as a direct approach in line with agency policy and procedures needed to take place first. We had tried on several occasions not to take too much notice of the unacceptable behaviours he presented which could be considered rolling with resistance, however eventually had to enforce an ultimatum. In circumstances like this I found it very difficult almost impossible to remain in a totally pure orientated spirit of MI. To say that I have mastered the concepts principles of MI would be a significant over estimation. I have furthered my knowledge of the contributing elements of MI which included the stages of change model, the techniques used to work with ambivalence resistance. Most importantly, I have learnt above all else MI is about allowing the client to be the expert and for me to be mindful of the type of language that I use. The spirit of MI I have no real problem with other than perhaps on occasions avoiding the expert trap generally I do present myself within the spirit of this model. The application of this particular model Im using at work in a tentative way, in other words Im applying it in certain situations where perhaps I feel confident to use it. An example of this would be, when clients seem to be making rash decisions to leave treatment or are displaying ambivalence about an abstinent approach. After reviewing the DVD it is clear to me that I lack confidence in the application of the MI approach. I do however feel though that practice and reviewing my practice can only help with me developing my implementation of this approach. I feel that I need to be more mindful of the language I use whilst working with clients. As it became apparent to me whilst reviewing the DVD that I can without realising fall into traps. An example of this would be at the end of the session I asked my client if I could give him something to take away. On reflection, I could have asked him how he felt he could assess his decision on getting a shed. My future development is going to involve applying reviewing my practice, what I have started to look for at my work setting in my own practice and that of my work colleagues is to identify what clearly is not MI. Some observations I have acknowledged not only with this approach are the ethical conflicts that can arise between benevolence autonomy . On reflection, the example I used earlier on in this assignment with a male client whose partner remains in active addiction. His autonomy was to return home after treatment completion my interest or benevolence is with the safety of the client. As a professional, I know it would be risky for him to return home to someone who remains actively taking illicit drugs. The question is do I then use MI as a way to manipulate the client? My answer is yes of course I do. Questionably is this really in the pure spirit of the approach? Appendix A The Stages of Change Intervention process using the Stages of Change model Source; Adapted from the work of Prochaska and DiCliemente

Besides his military abilities, what made Alexander successful? What were the most important consequences of his conquests? :: essays research papers

Alexander was successful because of his willingness and ambition to be the best that he could be as a leader. In the beginning of his success, him and his army were deprived of money so he sought quick and decisive battles to gain money and supplies from the conquered territory. Because of Alexander’s ambition to be on the top, he thought of countless ways to be victories in battle, Alexander â€Å"won a smashing victory in characteristic style: He led a cavalry charge across the river into the teeth of the enemy on the opposite bank, almost losing his life in the process and winning the devotion of his soldiers. The coast of Asia Minor now open, Alexander captured the coastal cities, denying them to the Persian fleet (Craig, 105).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason what Alexander was so successful was because of his greediness. Craig states that while Alexander was in Tyre, Darius offered him his daughter and his entire empire west of the Euphrates River in exchange for an alliance and an end to the invasion but Alexander wanted the whole empire. So Alexander’s greediness motivated him to create more battles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander seemed to be a very curious type of person. Alexander was filled with plans for the future, â€Å"for the consolidation and organization of his empire; for geographic exploration; for new cites and roads, and harbors; perhaps even for further conquests in the west (Craig, 107).† As history has shown it, Alexander was one of the greatest generals the world has seen, â€Å"he never lost a battle or failed in a siege, and with a modest army, he conquered a vast empire. He had rare organizational talents, and his plans for creating a multinational empire was the only intelligent way to consolidate his conquests (Craig, 107).† Also, Alexander established many new cities, which these cites promoted commerce and prosperity and introduced Hellenistic civilizations into new areas, as stated in Craig.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander’s most important consequences of his conquests was when he came to Persepolis, the Persian capitol, which held splendid palaces and the royal treasury, â€Å"this bonanza ended his financial troubles and put a vast sum of money into circulation, with economic consequences that lasted for centuries (Craig, 107).† Also, as part of his grand scheme of amalgamation and conquest, â€Å"he married the Bactrian princess Roxane and enrolled thirty thousand young Bactrians to be trained for his army (Craig, 107).

Effective Leadership of the Registered Nurse in Home Care Essay

It is difficult to define what makes an â€Å"effective† leadership in home care, but most of people would be able to distinguish between effective and weak leadership. Leading is associated with ‘leading the way’. Professionals who can see a way forward and can explain this to nurses and enthuse them to follow that path are often considered to be demonstrating leadership. In the language often used to describe leadership in home care this interprets as people who both have vision and are able to communicate the vision to nurses and to motivate them into taking action. Leadership is important in the initiatives intended to develop and improve home care services. This type of leadership is essential in effective management of home care. Effective leadership and team working Leadership is essentially about relationships with staff. One can’t be a leader unless employees are prepared to go alongside or to follow one’s lead. Creating a good team is not a one-off activity that can be achieved through an ‘away day’, although this also can be a useful mechanism. It is a continuing process that should to be continually worked at. The team may be very diverse in knowledge, skills and experience. Effective leadership in a multi-disciplinary context can be hindered by lack of understanding of each other’s roles (Kadushin 67). Therefore, the effective leader must ensure that there is opportunity and encouragement to explore the differences rather than leaving them partially recognized and potentially damaging. Leadership style There is a fairly wide unanimity that there is no one right way to be an effective leader in home care (Zarit 34). As every situation is different, leaders often have to be flexible in choosing what style to adopt. Leaders should be able to balance the needs of the individuals, the staff and the task. Style is often considered as a continuum of possibilities between the opposing approaches of being very directive or consultative to the point of delegating decisions. A very directive style, for example, would be to tell a nurse exactly what to do without discussing anything. The opposite would be a delegating style. Here the leader hands over most, if not all, of the decision making. There are dangers in both of these styles. Therefore, effective leader will adopt a mixture of directive and consultative styles according to the situation and the people and tasks involved. Some of the approaches that effective leader can take come between a directive style and complete delegation. These are the following (Austin 90): ââ€"   selling – the leader explains his or her decision to staff and overcome any objections; ââ€"   shaping – the leader takes the key decisions and then involve staff in shaping how to implement decisions; ââ€"   consulting – the leader invites comment and ideas and considers these in coming to key decisions; ââ€"   selective delegation – the leader delegates decisions within a framework that defines the boundaries of the delegated authority. The leader also ensures that the person to whom he or she has delegated has the training and support to carry out the role. If nurses are frightened of being blamed if mistakes are made it is important for leader to ensure that individuals are not put at risk. The further the leader comes down this list of approaches, the more freedom the leader is perceived to be offering staff. Staffs often want to have some freedom. This is in case, if they are well prepared for the responsibilities that involvement and delegation bring. It is important, however, for the leader to be aware of the expectations in any environment and to use appropriate styles that will work for the employees. Power in effective leadership Leader with power can get things done and can stop things from happening. The use of power on staff can cause misery and fear or give the confidence of approval and protection. Effective leaders are often thought to be powerful people whose power on staff gives the confidence of approval and protection. Power of leadership is an energy that can be used in different ways in home care according to the source from which the power is derived. Effective leader needs some power to lead or manage staff because nurses who are to carry out the tasks and activities need to be empowered to do it. However, it is often more effective to be able to work influentially within an environment where many nurses hold power. Leadership roles The very important early stages involve developing the vision of the tasks in a way that encourages nurses to see its value (Austin 67). This vision has to be communicated to nurses. Then it has to be turned into a set of plans that provide the strategy through which the tasks will be accomplished. The effective leader then has to help everyone to maintain progress towards achieving successful outcomes. This is often connected with being a lighthouse and providing the beam of light that directs the nurses. The role of the effective leader is often described as being connected with vision and values and the role of the manager as ensuring effective and efficient actions. The role of the effective leader can be seen as to develop, communicate and maintain the vision. The leader motivates everyone to progress in the right direction and ensures that the strategy is enacted with plans, activities and tasks. Most projects, particularly those in home care settings, include complex settings having many different views and expectations. In such settings it is always difficult to take action because nurses will be interested, concerned or vulnerable. Therefore, the leader will need negotiating and teaching skills. Conclusion Effective leaders in home care have to go backwards through the stages of creating a successful team many times before things run smoothly. Life is never as simple as models and styles might suggest. Leaders in teams can help nurses to understand what is happening and often can facilitate productive discussions when storming seems to be distracting the tasks. If emphasis is placed on the value and importance of achieving the goals successfully, discussions must be kept focused about how to progress. It is usually helpful to ensure that every nurse is involved in discussions about working practice because if they are not, there will be a feeling of exclusion and maybe fear of blame. Effective leaders within the team contribute to ensuring that the common commitment to achieving the good results.

Tarantino essays

Tarantino essays Tarantino: Writer, Director, Actor, Lunatic Youve seen it before. Its been mocked in several movies. You may have even pretended to do it with your buddies. Its the slow motion walk scene from Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs. Little did Tarantino know, that this scene though would set his life into fast forward and secure his place as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. From Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill Volume Two, Tarantino has turned Hollywood and the world upside down with his edgy and gruesome movies, not only as a writer/director but also as an actor as well. Tarantino began his passion as a clerk at a video store in L.A. Tarantino first started by writing the script to the movie True Romance about an in-experienced call girl and comic book nerd. This movie really set Tarantino on the map as a promising, new, young, artist with great ideas. With his foot in the door Tarantino was ready to take the step from new and young to brilliant and innovative. Reservoir Dogs premiered in 1992 at the Sundance Film Festival. This movie was really the first step for Tarantino to go out and set him self apart from most other directors. Tarantino uses several shots in most of his movies and first used some in this great epic. He borrows Scorceses trunk shot showing the view out of a trunk as people look in. He also shows a bloody Nova, which is also shown in Pulp Fiction. Tarantino has always used several different styles to get his point across. He especially likes gangster films, as evident in Reservoir Dogs, Samurai movies and westerns. ...

10 Descriptive Essay Topics on Canadian Food

10 Descriptive Essay Topics on Canadian Food There are cuisines that are well-known to everybody, like French or Chinese. Canadian cuisine isn’t among them – in other countries you will rarely see a place where you can taste authentic Canadian food. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a lot to offer to those who are willing to taste it. 1. The Origins of Poutine are Shrouded in Mystery Poutine is the iconic Canadian dish, consisting of French fries and cheese curds topped with gravy. Despite being relatively young (it appeared back in 1950s), nobody really knows for sure where it comes from and who invented it. Several regions in Canada claim this honor, while some scholars believe that it came from the northern UK, where a dish known as â€Å"chips, cheese and gravy† has been known since 1900s. The etymology of the name is unclear as well: it may be a gallicization of the English word â€Å"pudding†, a derivation from a slang word meaning â€Å"mess†, with half a dozen other theories going around. 2. Canada Produces 80 Percent of Maple Syrup in the World Maple leaf on Canada’s flag is not a coincidence – not only does the tree symbolize Canadian landscape, but also serves as a source of a typically Canadian foodstuff – maple syrup. Widely used in culinary, eaten with pancakes, waffles, added to oatmeal, it is praised by chefs all over the world for its unique flavor – which is all the more interesting because there is no clear explanation of the chemistry behind it. 3. Canada is the Largest Ice Wine Producer in the World Who would have thought? Canadians are perceived as a more of a beer-swigging nation, yet it didn’t prevent them from creating a delicious ice wine of their own. Unlike most other wine-growing regions, Canada freezes in winter, which is perfect for production of this particular beverage. By law, Canadian winemakers aren’t allowed to call their product ice-wine unless grapes for it were picked at a temperature higher than −8  Ã‚ °C and pressed shortly afterwards. 4. Canadians Eat Beaver Tails Well, not exactly. ‘Beaver Tails’ is the name of a fried pastry fashioned after the tail of the iconic Canadian animal. These are accompanied by an insane range of different toppings, such as candy, fruit, bananas, chocolate, cinnamon and many others. They are served warm and are sold in more than 80 locations across the country. 5. Cod Tongues Are Considered a Delicacy in Newfoundland Cod tongue (or, rather, a gelatinous piece of flesh from the fish’s throat) possesses a unique appeal for the residents of Newfoundland. Like so many other delicacies, it was first eaten out of necessity – anybody willing to sift through the piles of discarded cod heads could have any number of their ‘tongues’ for free, and collecting them was a common job for kids willing to earn an extra buck. Today, however, they are now longer discarded, but considered to be a valuable foodstuff in their own right, cooked in a number of different ways and served even in upscale restaurants. 6. Pemmican – the Precursor of Energy Bars Long before the concept was developed by the food industry, the First Nations of North America have created energy bars of their own. Pemmican consists of dried meat pounded into powder and then mixed with cranberries, Saskatoon berries, blueberries, chokecherries and melted fat. The resulting mixture can be stored for long periods of time, doesn’t take up much space and provides an excellent source of fats and protein. Although the procedure of its preparation has been perfected in modern times, the recipe remains virtually unchanged since the time it first appeared. 7. A Butter Tart is a Traditional Canadian Dessert A butter tart is a dessert that follows the general trends of Canadian cuisine – in the sense that its list of ingredients would give any proponent of healthy eating a heart attack. Your typical butter tart is a small buttery pastry crust filled to the brim with butter, syrup, sugar and egg with an addition of raisins and/or nuts. It is a sweet dish universally loved throughout the country, especially in the eastern provinces. 8. Bacon – the Most Canadian Food In Canada it is called pea meal bacon, but the rest of the world call this variety Canadian bacon. In fact, it is simply lean pork loin without bones brined and rolled in cornmeal. In the past it was rolled in ground yellow peas to extend its shelf life, and the name didn’t change since then. 9. The Canadians Invented Ice Beer Beer has for a long time been one of the most widespread alcoholic beverages in Canada, but local breweries didn’t do much in a way of direct innovation. One notable exception is the so-called ice beer. It is prepared using a special technology that includes freezing of each batch of beer and skimming the layer of ice, which allows for higher alcohol content while retaining the beverage’s peculiar taste. 10. Tourtiere – National Canadian Dish Originating from France Popular mostly in French-influenced areas of the country, the recipe of tourtiere has been perfected for generations since its appearance in 1600s. It is a peculiar meat pie, consisting of a crust filled with meat mixed with spices usually associated with desserts, like clove and allspice. Usually it is cooked for Christmas, but in the recent years it more and more commonly turns into an all-year staple. Canadian cuisine may not be the most exquisite and health-oriented out there, but it still has a lot of charm and perfectly expresses the national character. And for those willing to go deeper, it has a lot of surprises. If you need to write in this field, we have ready-made topics on Canadian food and writing guide on descriptive essays. Using them you’ll be able to create a great piece of academic essay writing. References Albaba, Ken. Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. Santa-Barbara, California, 2011. Print Dojny, Brooke. New England Home Cooking: 350 recipes from town and country, land and sea, hearth and home. Boston, Mass: Harvard Common Press, 1999. Print Eagleson, Janet, Rosemary Hasner. The Maple Syrup Book. Erin, Canada: Boston Mills Press, 2006. Print Krauss, Clifford. â€Å"Quebec Finds Pride in Greasy Favorite.† The New York Times. Apr. 26 2004 Lawlor, Julia. â€Å"Frozen Vines (and Fingers) Yield a Sweet Reward.† The New York Times Feb. 25 2010 Morton, Mark. Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities. Toronto, Canada: Insomniac Press, 2004. Print Sekukles, Kate. â€Å"A Staple from Quebec, Embarrassing but Adored.† The New York Times May. 23 2007

Electric Commerce and Applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Electric Commerce and Applications - Essay Example In relation to this aspect four organizations i.e. DBS Bank Ltd, United Overseas Bank Limited, Lloyds TSB and Barclays Bank have been selected from the banking sector to recognize and to compare their privacy policies in comparison to certain recognized privacy protection features. The features of privacy protection in the websites help the organizations to keep their consumers’ and members’ information safe from any kind of threat. This aspect can largely ensure that consumer confidence towards a company’ website remains intact. A few of the recognised privacy protection features include proper maintenance of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), prevention of information from being disclosed to the third party, ensuring information security, upholding accountability of collected information, ensuring accuracy of the collected information and making use of the method disabling the cookies (Locke, n.d.). The privacy protection related features are described below that are quite crucial for a website to maintain. By ensuring compliance with these features a website can largely ensure that it is able to build a strong relationship with its consumer as well as its members. Personally Identifiable Information (PII): While dealing with the online trader, the organizations generally collect the personal information of the consumers before trading. The Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes information regarding name, contract number, address and email id (Business Link, n.d.; Real Media, 2007). Disclosure of Information to Third Party: The collected consumer information is not shared with any third person. However, it is shared only at the time when the information is required by the law for inspection.

The Relationship Between Domination and Resistance Essay

The Relationship Between Domination and Resistance - Essay Example The absolute power of the monarch was then displayed to all in the (punishing of the) body of the prisoner. In later centuries, systems changed. Prisons were introduced, and prisoners were subject to strict discipline and control. Discipline meant that almost every bodily movement of prisoners was sought to be controlled - the space they used, the movements (exercises) they did, the food they ate and even their sleep. The panopticon, a circular design for prison houses (designed by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century) with the warder's room in the center, allowed the warder to view a prisoner at any time; this made the prisoner feel that he was constantly being watched. This drill of prison life led to the transformation of people into obedient zombies, which facilitated the exercise of control by the state. The way the death penalty is administered in many countries of the world, including the US, is evidence that state sanctioned violence still exits. Such violence is orchestrated in a bizarre, ritualistic manner to make it appear as a necessary tool of the state justice system. But when we consider that capital punishment does not deter crime in any way, it becomes evident that it continues as a throwback to a primitive and uncivilized way of treating fellow humans. Dwight Conquergood gives some horrifying facts about the administration of the death penalty in the US. For instance, the US is one among a handful of countries, which allows the death penalty for a minor. Besides, a greater part of those who are on death row are minorities; a large percentage of women charged for serious crime are lesbian; one in seven persons are wrongly executed (!); and all this, though capital punishment is much more costly to administer than a life sentence. (Conquergood 2002)Power is thus used by t he state to reinforce the viewpoint of the majority. An impression of humaneness is sought to be created through the sanitation of the whole process of killing by the state. Prisoners are made to participate in their own annihilation. When a person on death row accepts the fact that he has no way to escape his fate, he is 'persuaded' to go through silly rituals of stating what he wants for a last meal, articulating his 'last wish' before death and so on. (Conquergood 2002)In the face of the exercise of such raw and violent power by the state against those who dare to express opinions contrary to what the state sanctions, political prisoners in Turkey have refined hunger strikes as a way of expressing their dissent. Patrick Anderson chronicles the longest lasting such strike, which started in Oct 2000 in Turkish prisons as a protest against shifting of prisoners to solitary cells. The strike has been carefully managed by the strikers so that they do not die of starvation soon. The st rikers have developed methods to see that their emaciated bodies survive - by drinking more liquids, by using potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride and so on. (Anderson 2004). Moving from the details of the narration, what is horrifying is the fact that in almost all countries of the world, including those which claim to be developed, the legal and justice system exists for the privileged class.Power operates outside prison gates too - through the mechanism of the market economy. An 'upper' class