Running head: BSW INTERVIEW PAPER

Melissa L. Lafferty
BSW Interview Paper (Competency 1)
SW 3010 Practice Method 1
October 11, 2013
em8149, 004144668

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BSW Interview Paper

For this assignment, I had to interview a BSW social worker working in an agency
setting. On Friday, October 4, 2013, I interviewed Melissa Coleman, a Families First
supervisor working for Orchards Childrens Services. Orchards Childrens Services is a nonprofit agency that seeks to protect and nurture children and youth by providing shelter,
sustenance, life and educational skills, and opportunities (Orchards, 2012). Orchards provides
services such as foster care, adoption, and family preservation. During the interview, Ms.
Coleman discussed information about her career and work at the agency. Ms. Coleman was very
friendly and eager to answer my questions; she is an example of a competent social worker who
takes great pride in her career.
Finding Someone to Interview
Originally, I found someone to interview during the first week of the course. One of the
women who colors my hair told me that her friend, Julia Rizzi, just obtained her BSW last year
and was working at Orchards Childrens Services as a family preservation counselor, but because
Ms. Rizzi was enrolled in a MSW program, I could not interview her. I then called Orchards
Childrens Services and asked about interviewing someone with a BSW, and the agency provided
me with the phone number of the Families First supervisor, Melissa Coleman. Getting in
contact with Ms. Coleman was challenging, as we kept missing each others phone calls, but
when we finally connected, she confirmed that she was in fact a BSW who was not working on
her masters degree. By the time we actually spoke on the phone, I was no longer nervous about
speaking with her and was eager to begin the interview. Ms. Coleman then arranged to meet
with me at her office on Friday, October 4, 2013 for the interview at 1:45 pm.

The

uneasy feelings that I experienced trying to find someone to interview are probably similar to the
feelings that many clients have about asking a social worker for help. I felt very nervous calling

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unfamiliar people, as I was unsure if they were friendly. Many clients may feel nervous asking a
social worker for help, as many people feel uncomfortable sharing their problems with others.
Although the social workers returned my calls, I could imagine how frustrated a client would feel
if he or she did not receive a return phone call from a social worker or other professional. As a
result, a client may become discouraged from seeking counseling or therapy.
Interviewing the Social Worker
On Friday, October 4, 2013, I drove to Orchards Childrens Services to interview Melissa
Coleman. During the interview, Ms. Coleman discussed information about her educational
background and work that she performs at Orchards. She also discussed her clientele and social
problems that Orchards addresses. Ms. Coleman concluded the interview with an evaluation of
her own personal effectiveness within the agency and the effectiveness of Orchards itself, as well
as indications of micro, mezzo, and macro social work addressed by the agency. I spent about an
hour at the agency and gained valuable information about Ms. Colemans career as a BSW social
worker and the type of work that Orchards performs.
Ms. Coleman graduated from the Wayne State University School of Social Work BSW
program in 2010 and now works as a Families First supervisor at Orchards Childrens
Services. She supervises four Families First case managers, one of them being Julia Rizzi.
Ms. Coleman additionally stated that Orchards is one of the most intensive, in-home family
preservation programs working with Child Protective Services (personal communication,
October 4, 2013). Orchards also investigates the abuse and neglect of children and is contracted
by the Department of Human Services. CPS works with Orchards to prevent children from
entering into foster care and keep children in their homes and with their families safely. In
addition, Families First counselors perform a wide variety of in-home activities with their

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clients and reduce any at-home risks.

Ms. Coleman then provided me with information regarding her clientele and the
social/personal problems that Orchards addresses. Orchards provides services for survivors of
domestic violence who are residing at Turning Point domestic violence shelter, which is the only
domestic violence shelter in Macomb County (M. Coleman, personal communication, October 4,
2013). In addition, when CPS has a category I or II child abuse or neglect case, they contact
Orchards to work with the families involved. In Michigan, CPS category I or II cases are the
most severe child abuse or neglect cases (Department of Human Services, 2013). Orchards also
addresses a vast variety of social concerns including domestic violence, abuse and neglect,
homelessness, housing/environmental concerns (e.g. hoarding), mental health, substance abuse,
medical neglect, and sexual abuse (M. Coleman, personal communication, October 4, 2013).
Additionally, Orchards family preservation workers reduce barriers of poverty and
transportation, help children enroll in school, and perform various tasks such as driving children
to doctors appointments and cleaning housing infestations. Ms. Coleman stated that Orchards
family preservation workers provide and perform anything and everything you can think of
and use a strength-based approach when working with clients. She also stated that her work is
very therapeutic for clients, and the workers help clients recognize their strengths and make
improvements to their situations, which can be very difficult to achieve.
Additionally, Ms. Coleman discussed her evaluation of her own effectiveness
within Orchards Childrens Services and the effectiveness of the agency itself. Ms. Coleman
stated that she believes that she is effective at her job, as her staff is generally very happy and
pleased with her work performance. In addition, the program manager performs a yearly
evaluation on Ms. Colemans performance, clients are provided with surveys to comment on

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workers performances, and CPS and Turning Point assess the effectiveness of workers
performances. Currently all of Ms. Colemans feedback has been positive. Furthermore, Ms.
Coleman believes that Orchards is an effective agency, as they undergo several yearly audits
through the State of Michigan and an accreditation through the National Association of Social
Workers. In addition, Orchards undergoes a self-evaluation process every two to three years and
has been named one of the best places to work in Metro Detroit (M. Coleman, personal
communication, October 4, 2013). Ms. Coleman loves her job at Orchards Childrens Services
and believes that the organization is very solid; there are only 285 employees, so everyone
knows each other and works well together.
Lastly, Ms. Coleman discussed indications of micro, mezzo, and
macro social work within Orchards Childrens Services. The agency primarily performs micro
social work practice, as workers spend much face-to-face time with their clients and can only
carry up to two cases at a time. Family preservation workers spend a minimum of 40 hours
(usually 10 hours per week) with their clients for 28 days. Ms. Coleman stated that this time
spent with clients is very intense and intimate, as well as crisis focused and hands-on. Workers
do not necessarily have to meet with clients in their homes, but the workers have to have direct
contact with their clients. Most visits are in-home, however, as workers are meeting clients at
their lowest points and often need to work in their direct environments. The main role of the
workers when working with clients is to teach basic life and parenting skills in order to preserve
families and reduce any at-home risks (M. Coleman, personal communication, October 4, 2013).
In addition, Orchards also performs mezzo and
macro social work practice, as the agency is very community based. Orchards has many yearly
events such as a bike giveaway, book bag giveaway, Halloween party, and health screenings.

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This year, Orchards gave away 400 bikes and over 1,000 book bags to needy families. The
agency also sends children to camp every summer and shopping with the Detroit Lions during
the holidays. Furthermore, Orchards also practices macro social work skills such as lobbying
and working with legislation to make changes and modifications to policies. The agency also
advocates for families, increases in foster care benefits, and the passing or not passing of bills
(M. Coleman, personal communication, October 4, 2013).
Summary and Conclusion of the Assessment
Overall, I enjoyed meeting with Ms.
Coleman and learning about her career as a BSW. Ms. Coleman graduated from Wayne State
University and now works as a Familys First supervisor at Orchards Childrens Services.
Orchards performs a vast variety of tasks including foster care, adoption, and family
preservation, and Ms. Coleman believes that this agency is very effective, and the workers help
improve the lives of many individuals. Although Orchards primarily performs micro social work
practice, there are indications of mezzo and macro social work within the agency as well. The
family preservation workers also have to perform many unique tasks such as cleaning
infestations, which I did not expect. Although this job seems very challenging, it also sounds
very rewarding, as one gets to preserve the lives of many individuals and keep families together.

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References

Department of Human Services. (2013). Childrens Protective Services Investigation Process.

State of Michigan. Retrieved from http://michigan.gov/dhs
/0,4562,7-124-7119_50648_7194-159484--,00.html
Orchards. (2012). Our Mission: Strengthening the Community through Quality Services to
Children and Families. Retrieved from http://www.orchards.org/about.html