criminal justice and foster system

8/11/2019 Criminal Justice and Foster System

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Hi Kristin!

These are the questions I was asked to answer in my admission paper. Let meknow what you thinkI effing hate writing! I tried to answer the questions without

starting every sentence with the question if you know what I mean .you caneither put whatever I should change in red and then save and resend to me orput it in parenthesis or whatever works for you.

Thanks Love you

Maren

a) What are your specific professional goals? How would the Saint LeoUniversity Master of Social Work Program, with its emphasis on advancedclinical practice, help you to achieve your goals?

b) What particular personal strengths do you bring to the social workprofession? What limitations do you perceive you have? How have bothbeen demonstrated?

c) What other personal or professional experiences or qualities do you see

as aiding you in your goals?

d) Please describe how you will complete the normal daytime work hours forinternships.


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When I graduated in 2010 with my bachelors degree in Criminology and

Psychology, I did not know what my specific professional goals were. I was sure I

wanted to continue my education in the mental health field but did not know

which degree to obtain or what career I wanted to pursue. There are numerous

concentrations and careers within the fields of psychology and criminology and I

wanted to know with confidence I was choosing the right path. I decided the best

way to do that was to gain experience in a work place setting.

Shortly after graduating, I began working as a Forensic Case Manager at The

Centers, a non-profit mental health facility in Ocala, Florida. This has been a

great way to gain experience and to be able to say with confidence what my

goals are.(give an example here of what you do and how it led you to figure out

what your career/education goals are, how the job combined both crim and

psych, etc, then combine it with the paragraph below rather than having 2

separate paragraphs)

I would like to obtain a Masters Degreeof Social Work and become a licensed

Clinical Social Worker. I enjoy working with forensic clients and would eventually

like to be qualified to conduct competency evaluations for the court.

This degree will be a pivotal step in achieving my goals. A Masters Degree in

Social Work would open the door to greater career choices and opportunities

(like what? give an example of a career). It would also enhance the level of care I

am capable of providing to the population I currently serve. (How would it

enhance this? Just give one example.)


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something about how this degree may help, give you more confidence, more

experience, more exposure to these situations)

I consider helping others not just a career but also a passion. I am currently

working with my co-workers to plan a 5k in our community to help raise

awareness about mental health. With the recent events that have happened

around the country and the events that happen in our own community everyday I

think it is important for mental health professionals to provide awareness about

the resources that are out there for those suffering with a mental illness.

Working as a Forensic Case Manager has provided me with an amazing

opportunity to gain professional experience and insight into the mental health

field. The agency I work for provides numerous trainings throughout the year to

enhance our ability to help our clients. I completed the Florida Forensic

Evaluator Training led by Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP last June. The Florida

Forensic Evaluator training is a three-day program that instructs mental health

professionals how to conduct evaluations for criminal court. I complete a yearly

training through The Centers on Co-Occurring Disorders and I am trained to

assess clients using the Functional Assessment Rating Scale.

I began pursuing my passion of helping people while still in college. I completed

200 hours of community service as a volunteer counselor at Help Line 211,

providing community referrals and short-term crisis counseling to those in need. I

was also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed community service

fraternity. I was an active member for four years, and served on the executive


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board, eventually moving my way up to President by my senior year. Upon

graduating I was awarded the Distinguished Service Key, the highest and most

prestigious award a chapter can bestow upon a member. It is presented to a

person who has distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their

chapter and exemplified the three cardinal principles of leadership, friendship and

service. Being a member of Alpha Omega has helped shape me into the person I

am today. I have no doubt that my personal experiences with Alpha Phi Omega

along with my professional experiences with the Centers will continue to aid me

in achieving my goals

Since beginning employment at The Centers, I have continuously discussed

going back to school with my supervisor. My supervisor is very supportive of my

decision and is more than willing to accommodate me while I am in my

internship. (Say something here about how pursuing this degree while still

working for the centers will help you at your job and help you in school, like how

things youre learning in your classes will help you service your clients, and how

the real life experiences youll encounter at work will give you actual examples of

the material youre learning)

criminal justice and foster system

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