Independent Project
Independent Project
This is your final synthesis. The Independent Project is where you bring it all together: your thinking, values, style, and voice as a social worker working in the substance use field. There is no one "right" format. The goal is for you to create something that demonstrates integration, clarity, and imagination, and is sustainable for you.
You'll choose the structure, but your project should:
- Reflect on and apply course concepts in a meaningful way
- Show growth in your own clinical and self-awareness
- Offer something that's connected to practice, something a client, colleague, or supervisor might learn from or use.
This is not just a recap or review, it's a chance to synthesize, create, and stretch.
You're welcome to propose your own idea, but here are some examples to get your wheels turning:
- An expanded paper based on your Position Paper, integrating course concepts and your own development
- A critical literature synthesis on a treatment issue or population you care about
- A conceptual treatment philosophy statement: 3-5 pages laying out your theoretical compass and clinical stance
- A detailed psychoeducational workshop outline (audience: families, teens, BIPOC clients, clinicians, other populations, etc.)
- A values-based guide for working with a specific population (e.g. queer youth, clergy, unhoused clients, blended families, etc) can be written or an infographic
- A composite case with narrative, assessment, intervention plan, and ethical reflections
- A harm reduction toolkit or recovery resource you'd give to a specific population
- A SWOT analysis of your own readiness to do this work, including a plan with SMART goals for growth and resilience
- A zine, podcast episode or script, or brief audio/visual reflection paired with an analytical write-up
- A reflective essay mapping your shifting understanding of power, care, and addiction through a personal/professional lens (can be an expansion of your Critical Reflection paper)
- anything you can imagine and justify
Reminders:
- You'll turn in a proposal by 7/10 outlining your plan
- You can build from previous assignments (but you'll need to push ideas further)
- This project is graded on clarity, depth, and integration, not on polish or production value
- If you're not sure if your idea works, just ask. I'll help you shape it.
| Criteria | Excellent (5) | Good (3-4) | Needs Improvement (1-2) |
| Integration of Course Concepts | Synthesizes key ideas from across the course with depth and originality | References key concepts but may lack depth in connecting them | Limited or superficial integration of course material |
| Clinical Insight & Reflection | Demonstrates deep reflection on self, systems, ethics, and practice | Reflection is present; some areas underdeveloped | Lacks critical reflection or connection to practice |
| Format Fit & Creativity | Format enhances clarity, meaning, and clinical voice | Format is appropriate but may not deepen content | Format chosen feels unclear, rushed, or disconnected from purpose |
| Real-World Relevance | Clearly bridges theory and practice; feels applicable to work in the field | Mostly applicable; connections to practice could be clearer | Application to real-world practice is unclear or minimal |
| APA & Source Use | Uses 2-4 relevant sources at least; APA is correct or mostly clean | Sources are present but weakly integrated or improperly formatted | Few or no sources; APA not followed or missing citations |