I am attending Longwood University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in social work, and I will graduate in May 2024. I have experience working with the older adult population through my internships at Centra PACE in Farmville, VA and the Adult Services Division under Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services in northern Virginia. Through these experiences, I have developed and enhanced skills related to performing assessments, establishing rapport with clients, documentation, and advocacy. Additionally, my experiences have grown my knowledge of programs, policies, and theories that impact service delivery to the older adult population. My greatest strengths include empathy and critical thinking as it pertains to assessing and planning for each client’s intervention.

Below is a progress note that was completed during my internship with Fairfax County Adult Services.

Event Date: 04/08/2024

Case Manager: Mackenzie Rice

Note Type: Meeting with Professional

Subject: Meeting with Recreation Therapist about Client’s use of Senior Center Piano

BSW intern met with the CTRS at the James Lee Senior Center to discuss the client’s desire to use the center’s piano. The CTRS expressed concerns regarding the client’s behavior, as the client entered the senior center in the previous week and yelled at the recreational therapist while banging his walker into the floor. The client’s habit of stating that other people are not intelligent was also a concern for the center. The CTRS informed the intern that the client has a documented history of inappropriate behaviors at other senior centers in Fairfax County.

BSW intern explained that the client’s transition to assisted living has been stressful and that steps are being taken to alleviate the client’s stressors and behaviors. The intern explained that playing the piano is crucial for the client to make meaning in life and experience contentment. The workers discussed how the piano in the client’s assisted living facility is not working properly and asked if the center could accommodate the client by allowing the client to spend a small amount of time each week in the center strictly for piano use. The CTRS stated that she will speak with the director and update the intern on the director’s decision. The CTRS also stated that the piano in the assisted living facility can be fixed by the county as long as the facility submits a work order. BSW intern will contact the executive director of the facility to request that a work order is submitted for the piano to be made accessible.