Addressing Social Justice in Fieldwork

Seattle is a diverse community full of a variety of cultures. My first level II fieldwork was
located north of Seattle, Washington and has a high population of Russian and Farsi speaking
individuals. Working in a skilled nursing facility, the majority of clients seen are in the adult to
older adult population. Age is one of the greatest risk factors of developing a cognitive
impairment. I would administer a cognitive screening assessment often, however, these were not
appropriate for those non-English speaking individuals. I researched and educated the therapy
department on a universal cognitive screening tool called the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. It is
now possible for therapists in this facility to screen for cognitive impairment to those who are
non-English speaking.