Rome Conference Menu

Workshop n. 7

PSYCHO SOCIAL ASSESSMENT

The impact of diversity on Life Style Analysis in the first treatment session

PURPOSE

This is a hands on, interactive workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to harvest the rich diversity present among conference participants and to return home with enhanced clinical social work skills and a deeper appreciation of diversity issues in our personal and professional lives. The dialogue among participants will focus on applying the concepts of diversity in our daily work and the every day lives of those individuals we work with in specific ways.

ACTIVITIES:

l. BRIEF PRESENTATION-The concept of life style, a conscious and unconscious road map, and its development in children including concepts of self, relations to others , and to the world. Identification of how these concepts interact with the basic life issues of love , work and relationships. Exploration of early life style development in diverse cultures and its impact on current functioning. Treatment implications of providing services to people from diverse cultures.

2. LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION -Identification and definition of diversity terms. Discussion of  SELECTIVE PERCEPTION  and its relevance to diversity issues. Definition of terms such as personal  boundaries  and central force of  EMPATHY in developing diversity skills. Discussion of DIVERSE CURATIVE ELEMENTS in the healing process. Identification of ways to develop a COMMON LANGUAGE in providing services to diverse populations.

3.SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS- Participants break into small groups. Groups are organized by birth order in family and from different countries. In an INFORMAL and RELAXED ATMOSPHERE  , like a coffee house or water break at the conference, participants, at their own pace , share early recollections from their childhood including specific events that come to mind. A group reporter, with the group's help, identifies common themes  and diversity issues that emerge  at the conclusion of the small group discussion .

4. LARGE GROUP FEEDBACK- The workshop reconvenes as a whole group and each group reporter presents the experience of their group. Identification of specific diversity issues  including  trust, empathy , personal boundary issues in various cultures. A brief discussion of the use of these concepts in clinical social work and the human services professions.

 CIF U.S.A. speaker/facilitator: Charlie Startup, a Licensed Independent Social Worker who was a CIF participant in Sweden. The focus of his work for the last twenty-five years has been with families and children. In addition he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in India , a high school teacher , and grant writer for human service

groups. Charlie , a former youth soccer coach , enjoys movies - especially by Fellini - and bicycling. His academic credentials include a B.A. from George Washington University, Master of Arts in Teaching from Oberlin College and Master of Social Science Administration from Case-Western Reserve University.