Testimonial
I became interested in the trainee program with the Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC) because of my goal of working with children, youth, and families in direct practice; my experience with chronic and long-term illness (with family, friends, and my own) and their impact on one’s life; and from learning about social work in integrative health setting in one of my classes.
The social work traineeship with the PPC has provided a comprehensive experience that incorporates leadership development, reliance on evidence-based practice, client-centered care, and collaboration within a multidisciplinary team, all of which are consistent with the values of the social work profession. I feel most impacted by the leadership training, the experience of working within a multidisciplinary team, and the work on the capstone project.
The leadership training has provided helpful guidance in current work, and I expect it will continue to do so in the future. For example, the training offered assessments and taught skills to recognize how one’s traits influence personal leadership and communication styles and how to manage both the helpful and not so helpful aspects of those styles. It also presented approaches to identify and encourage traits and styles of others such that one can use that knowledge to encourage healthy and respectful working environments and relationships.
Training within a multidisciplinary team was educational both in learning from the different disciplines and witnessing the potential of team collaboration to provide care for patients and their families. As a result of the team’s commitment to quality improvement in care, I became interested in patients experiencing procedural anxiety, which became the focus of my capstone project—a resource for parents with tips for a smooth clinic visit.