Part 1: Select a psychiatric disorder or mental illness listed in the DSM-5, write a brief overview of the illness and provide a rationale for selecting the illness as it pertains to assessment.
Part 2: Review the literature and select one valid and reliable instrument that a social worker could possibly use for an assessment with the identified population. The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate critical thinking skills as an advanced generalist practitioner. Use knowledge gained through readings, classroom discussions, field practicum and/or work-related experience.
Review and provide the following information:
Purpose of the instrument
Description of the instrument
Norms, scoring, reliability and validity score
A copy of the instrument (do not spend money to purchase an instrument; rather, provide a list of the questions of the instrument in an Appendix in your paper)
Part 3: Critique the instrument from a culturally competent perspective. Use the NASW Cultural Competence Standards (PDF) (Links to an external site.) for this purpose.
Identify two standards that were not infused in the instrument selected for the critique. Some of the questions that could be considered to assess the cultural congruence of the instrument include (but are not limited to): Do the instruments take into account diversity issues? Could the instrument be used with any population, or is it specific to a certain population? What are the possible challenges a social worker might encounter while using the instrument for assessment? Are there any ethical issues that should be considered?
After you have identified the gaps, identify at least two ways to strengthen the instrument from a culturally competent perspective and provide substantive recommendations for questions/statements in the instrument.
