Interview with a Professional

Interview with a Professional

In this activity, find and select a local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agency practitioner, a child welfare service provider, or a child protective service practitioner to interview. For example, you may interview a professional within a foster care placement agency, adoption agency, or respite care agency. You can also interview a child welfare service practitioner from a local child protective services agency. The purpose of this interview is to learn about the different ways that a professional can protect children while working in the field. Additionally, you will learn about the role of protective services and the need for multisystem involvement.

Ask questions that allow you to add to your knowledge about how protective services can assist children through various systems. In addition, review the questions that need to be addressed in the journal assignment to ensure that you can answer them all completely. You should prepare additional interview questions, building from these sample questions, below:

1. What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of working in your position?
2. In what ways do you think the child welfare system is effective at meeting the needs of today’s families?
3. What are some of the best methods that you use to protect children that you have discovered are neglected or abused?
4. What service delivery mechanisms are most helpful in working with child welfare services?
5. How are collaborations with different agencies utilized to protect abused or neglected children?

Then, prepare a reflective journal assignment on your interview that addresses three of the following questions:

1. What is the mission or job of your selected interviewee?
2. What is the primary service delivery mechanism utilized by the child welfare provider?
3. What are common ethical and legal issues experienced by the interviewee?
4. What advice would the interviewee give to a future human service practitioner?

You may include any additional information obtained from your interview in addition to your responses to the above four questions. Note that the interview may be in person, by phone, or via email.