SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
CAPSTONE GUIDELINES
Summer 2024
(2022 EPAS)
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
Capstone Purpose 3
II.
Requirements and Submission Procedures 3
III.
Academic Integrity 3
IV.
Format 4
V.
Capstone Assessment Rubric and Scoring 6
VI.
Recommended Timeline to Prepare Capstone 10
3
Capstone Purpose
The Capstone is a practicum-related, learning experience designed to have students demonstrate the
competency-based knowledge and skills of advanced clinical social work. The Capstone also serves as an
outcome measure for the Program, allowing the faculty to assess areas in the curriculum that need
enhancements or modifications.
Required Submission Procedures
• The Capstone must include the School of Social Work Honor Code Attestation, or it will not be
accepted and marked late, if after the deadline for submission:
I understand that as a social work student in FIU’s School of Social Work, I am a
member of an ethical community. By submitting this required coursework, I attest
that I have followed the FIU School of Social Work Student Honor Pledge.
• Students present competency-based learning and a clinical client case from the advanced clinical
placement to a panel of two faculty members and one field instructor.
• Presentation time is twenty minutes. Fifteen additional minutes are reserved for feedback from the
panel. No questions will be asked after your presentation.
• The assessment and intervention plan must be written by the student and must be in narrative format.
No check-off lists or computer-generated plans or assessments will be accepted.
• Students must provide one copy of the PowerPoint presentation, assessment, intervention plan, and
three, evidence-based research articles to the panel by the due date provided in SOW 6534. These are
provided to the panel members prior to the panel dates for review.
• All sources used must be cited using APA format.
Additional Information
• Dates for Capstone presentations will be randomly selected by students during class SOW 6534.
• Presentations will be scored using the Assessment Rubric for MSW Capstone Presentation.
• A passing score is an average score of 27 or above and only one score below 3 on one competency.
• Students will have points deducted from their final score for late Capstone submissions.
• If a student does not pass the Capstone (receives a total summary score of less than 27 or any score of
below 3 on one more competencies), the student must revise and present the Capstone again towards
the end of the semester.
• If the student does not pass the second Capstone, the student will not be able to graduate in that
semester. The student will receive an “IN” (incomplete) for SOW 6534 and will need to register for
SOW 5905, a 1-credit independent study course, for the following semester.
Academic Integrity
Students completing the Capstone must abide by the University’s Student Conduct and Honor Code.
Academic and professional misconduct will not be tolerated. Students who are found to have engaged in
academic and/or professional misconduct related to the e-portfolio will receive a “0” and will be unable to
pass. Additional attempts to complete the Capstone will not be given to students who have failed due to
academic and/or professional misconduct. Students who are found to have engaged in any of these
behaviors will be reported to the appropriate University process for further review and may be referred to
a Student Review Committee.
4
Capstone Format: Using MS PowerPoint, students must include the following on
presentation slides:
Use the
Capstone
Rubric to Check
Your Work
1. Introduce your agency, services provided, population served, and your role as social work
intern
2. Introduce your client (individual, family, group) using the information you collected from
completing the biopsychosocial assessment with your client.
a. Present Client Demographics (you will likely have additional information):
i. Name: (do not use client’s real name to protect confidentiality)
ii. Age
iii. Gender: How does the client identify? What pronouns do they prefer?
iv. Race and Ethnicity: How does the client identify?
v. Housing/Living situation: Who lives with client and what are their relationships
to the client? How long has the client lived in that location?
vi. Occupation/Job history (for children, what grade are they in?)
See Rubric
Competency 7
3. Present an ecomap using your client’s biopsychosocial information
See Rubric
Competency 7
4. Present the client’s presenting problem(s) and how client’s needs/goals were prioritized
with the client’s participation. If used at the agency and/or discussed with supervisor,
present DSM diagnosis.
See Rubric
Competency 6
5. Present client’s strengths, risk factors, and copings skills (positive and/or negative).
See Rubric
Competency 7
6. Present how you used your knowledge of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice when
working with clients who have diverse lived experiences, intersectional identities, and
have experienced social, racial, economic, and environmental barriers that impacted
access to services.
a. What forms of social, racial, economic, and environmental oppression, discrimination,
alienation or privilege has your client experienced and what has been the impact on
their lives and how they access services? If your client experienced historical trauma,
present its impact on their lived experience.
b. How did you apply this knowledge when working with your client during the
assessment process (learning from/about your client) and/or the intervention process
(using the evidence-based intervention techniques with your client) and/or the
evaluation process (did any identified barriers impact client reaching goal/s)?
c. Include at least one citation of research that informed your work with this client.
See Rubric
Competencies 2
and 3
7. Present the social work theory (theories) that guided your intervention process with the
client, including why you chose that theory as it relates to the intervention.
See Rubric
Competency 8
8. Present the evidence-informed intervention and how it was used with the client.
See Rubric
Competency 8
9. Present a summary of at least three, peer-reviewed, research articles from the past 10 years
that support the evidence-informed intervention used with the client.
See Rubric
Competency 4
10. Present a summary of the intervention/treatment/care/service plan developed with the
client.
See Rubric
Competency 8
11. Present the evaluation process for the intervention and its overall effectiveness
a. Explain the assessment tools you used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
used (client self-report, pre/post assessments, others) and present the evaluation
outcomes.
See Rubric
Competency 9
5
12. Present the name and a brief description of one federal, state, or local social policy that
impacts the client population at the agency.
a. Present one change to the social policy that you recommend to advance human
rights and improve clients’ lives and/or client services to improve clients’ lives
and/or client services and explain what action(s) you could take to advocate for that
change.
See Rubric
Competencies 2
and 5
13. Present at least one professional challenge that you encountered during internship using
the NASW Code of Ethics and how you managed that challenge (use of supervision,
counseling, etc.).
See Rubric
Competency 1
14. Present how you demonstrated attainment of at least one Council on Social Work
Education (CSWE) competency using detailed examples.
See Rubric
Competency 1
6
CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
This rubric is used by panel members along with the Capstone Guidelines to evaluate the presentation and documents provided.
Pages 3- 4 (above) of the Guidelines includes all format and content requirements for the Capstone.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
No professional
challenge or 2022
CSWE competency were
presented.
Did not clearly
communicate orally or
in writing (frequent
grammar/ spelling
mistakes that affected
the clarity).
Presented a limited
reflection on a
professional challenge
experienced and/or how
the challenge was
managed, using the
NASW Code of Ethics
and/or did not present
how one 2022 CSWE
competency was
reached.
Demonstrated limited
ability to communicate
clearly and
professionally (some
grammar/ spelling
mistakes).
Presented sufficiently
reflection on a
professional challenge
experienced and how
the challenge was
managed, using the
NASW Code of Ethics
and how one 2022
CSWE competency
was reached.
Demonstrated clear,
professional oral and
written communication
(few grammar/ spelling
errors.
Presented significant
reflection on a
professional challenge
experienced and how
the challenge was
managed, using the
NASW Code of Ethics
and how at least one
2022 CSWE
competency was
reached.
Demonstrated clear,
professional oral and
written communication
(no grammar/ spelling
errors)
Presented extensive
reflection on a
professional challenge
experienced and how
the challenge was
managed, using the
NASW Code of Ethics
and how at least one
2022 CSWE
competency was
reached.
Demonstrated clear,
professional oral and
written communication
(no grammar/ spelling
errors) and
communication skills
enhanced the
presentation
considerably.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present an
understanding of the
impacts of social, racial,
economic, and
environmental
oppression,
discrimination. If
applicable, did not
discuss impact of
privilege and/or
historical trauma on
client’s lived experience,
Presented limited
understanding of the
impacts of social, racial,
economic, and
environmental
oppression,
discrimination. If
applicable, discussed
impact of privilege and/or
historical trauma on
client’s lived experience,
including access to
Sufficiently presented
the impacts of social,
racial, economic, and
environmental
oppression,
discrimination. If
applicable, discussed
impact of privilege
and/or historical trauma
on client’s lived
experience, including
access to services.
Significantly presented
the impacts of social,
racial, economic, and
environmental
oppression,
discrimination. If
applicable, discussed
impact of privilege
and/or historical trauma
on client’s lived
experience, including
access to services.
Extensively presented
the impacts of social,
racial, economic, and
environmental
oppression,
discrimination. If
applicable, discussed
impact of privilege
and/or historical trauma
on client’s lived
experience, including
access to services.
7
including access to
services.
services.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present evidence
of having researched and
applied knowledge of
working with diverse
populations using anti-
racist and anti-
oppressive lenses during
the assessment,
intervention, or
evaluation process.
Presented limited
evidence of having
researched and applied
knowledge of working
with diverse populations
using anti-racist and anti-
oppressive lenses during
the assessment,
intervention, or
evaluation process.
Presented sufficient
evidence of having
researched and applied
knowledge of working
with diverse populations
using anti-racist and
anti-oppressive lenses
during the assessment,
intervention, or
evaluation process.
Presented significant
evidence of having
researched and applied
knowledge of working
with diverse populations
using anti-racist and
anti-oppressive lenses
for more than one area:
assessment, intervention,
or evaluation process.
Presented extensive
evidence of having
researched and applied
knowledge of working
with diverse populations
using anti-racist and
anti-oppressive lenses
for all areas:
assessment, intervention,
and evaluation
processes.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present peer-
reviewed research
articles from the last 10
years for the evidence-
informed intervention
selected.
Did not provide the 3,
peer-reviewed research
articles with the
documents required.
Presented less than 3,
peer-reviewed research
articles from the last 10
years for the evidence-
informed intervention
selected; demonstrated
limited understanding of
the link between
research and practice.
Sufficiently presented
3, peer-reviewed
research articles from
the past 10 years for
the evidence- informed
intervention selected;
demonstrated
understanding of the
link between research
and practice.
Significantly presented
3, peer-reviewed
research articles from
the past 10 years for
the evidence- informed
intervention selected;
demonstrated
substantial
understanding of the
link between research
and practice.
Extensively presented
3, peer-reviewed
research articles from
the past 10 years for
the evidence- informed
intervention selected;
demonstrated
extensive knowledge
and understanding of
the link between
research and practice.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present any
federal, state, or local
social policy that
impacts the client
population at the
agency and/or
recommended change
to advance human
Did not clearly present a
federal, state, or local
social policy that
impacts the client
population at the agency
and/or did not clearly
present a recommended
change to advance
Sufficiently presented
a federal, state, or local
social policy that
impacts the client
population at the
agency and a
recommended change
to advance human
Significantly presented
a federal, state, or local
social policy that
impacts the client
population at the
agency and a
recommended change
to advance human
Extensively presented a
federal, state, or local
social policy that
impacts the client
population at the
agency and a
recommended change
to advance human
8
rights and improve
clients’ lives and/or
client services.
Did not present any
actions to advocate for
that change
human rights and
improve clients’ lives
and/or client services.
Did not clearly present
at least one action to
advocate for that
change.
rights and improve
clients’ lives and/or
client services and one
action to advocate for
that change.
rights and improve
clients’ lives and/or
client services and one
action to advocate for
that change.
rights and improve
clients’ lives and/or
client services and one
action to advocate for
that change.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not discuss client’s
presenting problem or
how client’s needs/goals
were prioritized with
client’s participation.
Presented limited
information about
client’s presenting
problem or how client’s
needs/goals were
prioritized with client’s
participation.
Sufficiently presented
client’s presenting
problem and how
client’s needs/goals
were prioritized with
client’s participation.
Significantly presented
client’s presenting
problem and how
client’s needs/goals
were prioritized with
client’s participation.
Extensively presented
client’s presenting
problem and how
client’s needs/goals
were prioritized with
client’s participation.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present client
demographics, ecomap,
or strengths and risk
factors.
Required
biopsychosocial
assessment was not
provided.
Presented limited
information about client
demographics, ecomap,
and strengths and risk
factors.
Required
biopsychosocial
assessment was
provided but was
incomplete and/or did
not follow format
guidelines.
Sufficiently presented
client demographics,
ecomap, and strengths
and risk factors.
Required
biopsychosocial
assessment was
provided and followed
format guidelines.
Significantly presented
client demographics,
ecomap, and strengths
and risk factors.
Required
biopsychosocial
assessment was
provided and followed
format guidelines.
Extensively presented
client demographics,
ecomap, and strengths
and risk factors.
Required
biopsychosocial
assessment was
provided and followed
format guidelines.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present a
summary of the client’s
intervention plan, how
the evidence-informed
intervention was
implemented or a
Presented limited
information about
client’s intervention
plan, how the evidence-
informed intervention
was implemented, and a
Sufficiently presented
a summary of the
client’s intervention
plan, how the
evidence-informed
intervention was
Significantly presented
a summary of the
client’s intervention,
how the evidence-
informed intervention
was implemented and
Extensively presented
a summary of the
client’s intervention
plan, how the
evidence-informed
intervention was
9
relevant social work
theory that guided the
intervention process.
Required intervention
plan was not provided.
relevant social work
theory that guided the
intervention process.
Required intervention
plan was provided but
was incomplete and/or
did not follow format
guidelines.
implemented, and a
relevant social work
theory that guided the
intervention process.
Required intervention
plan was provided and
followed format
guidelines.
a relevant social work
theory that guided the
intervention process.
Required intervention
plan was provided and
followed format
guidelines.
implemented and a
relevant social work
theory that guided the
intervention process.
Required intervention
plan was provided and
followed format
guidelines.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Did not present
evaluation outcomes or
evaluation tools used to
assess the effectiveness
of the intervention
selected.
Did not clearly and/or
fully present evaluation
outcomes or evaluation
tools used to assess the
effectiveness of the
intervention selected.
Sufficiently presented
evaluation outcomes
and evaluation tools
used to assess the
effectiveness of the
intervention selected.
Substantially presented
evaluation outcomes
and evaluation tools
with substantial
information about how
the effectiveness of the
intervention selected
was assessed.
Presented evaluation
outcomes and
evaluation tools with
extensive information
about how the
effectiveness of the
intervention selected
was assessed,
including discussion
about researched
evaluation tools that
could have been used
even though the
agency does not
require that.
1
Unacceptable
2
Not Yet Competent
3
Competent
4
Above Expectations
5
Exceptional
Many writing and
grammar errors
significantly impacted the
reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Some writing and grammar
errors impacted the
reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate the
presentation.
Reviewer’s ability to
understand the
presentation was not
impacted by writing
and grammar errors.
Writing and grammar
significantly enhanced
the reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Writing and grammar
comprehensively enhanced
the reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
10
Oral presentation
significantly impacted the
reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Oral presentation
somewhat impacted the
reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Oral presentation
allowed reviewers to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Oral presentation
significantly enhanced
the reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Oral presentation
comprehensively
enhanced the
reviewer’s ability to
understand and evaluate
the presentation.
Scoring:
• Unacceptable (1) = There is little evidence of readiness for clinical social work practice.
• Not Yet Competent (2) = There is some evidence of readiness for clinical social work practice but it has not met an acceptable level.
• Competent (3) = There is clear evidence of satisfactory readiness for clinical social work practice.
• Above Expectations (4) = There is convincing evidence of above satisfactory readiness for clinical social work practice.
• Exceptional (5) = There is convincing evidence of superior readiness for clinical social work practice in every competency.
Total Score = Sum of Scores for All 9 Competencies Passing score is an average score of 27 or above and
*The Communication Skills scores at the end of the rubric do not factor into total score. only one score below 3 on one competency.
Possible Scores: Exceptional = 43-45 and no score less than 3 on any competency
Above Expectations = 36 – 42.99 and no score less than 3 on any competency
Competent = 27 – 35.99 and no score less than 3 on any competency
Acceptable = 27 or above and only one score below 3 on one competency
Not Yet Competent = 18 – 26.99 and only one score below 3 on one competency: Not Passing
Unacceptable = Less than 18 and/or a score below 3 on more than one competency: Not Passing
CAPSTONE RECOMMENDED TIMELINE
This is a recommendation for successfully preparing your capstone. Some students may find that they need more time to work on certain aspects of this
presentation than others.
MSW II SEMESTER Complete these tasks by the week shown. First week # is for MSW II in summer, second week # is for MSW II in fall or spring.
Week 3 (summer semester)/ Week 5 (fall/spring semesters):
Research evidence-based interventions for commonly presenting issues at your
practicum and/or review the research evidence on the interventions that your agency requires you to use. Contact Health Librarian, Ramces Marsilli,
[email protected], for help searching.
Discuss capstone assignment with Field Instructor (show assignment if necessary).
Week 9 (summer semester)/ Week 12 (fall/spring semesters):
Select a case by week 12 of the semester (fall/spring) or by week 9 of the
11
semester (summer).
Research evidence-based interventions for the case you have chosen. Ideally, you should be doing this prior to implementing an intervention.
Discuss with Field Instructor.
Select how you are going to evaluate the outcome of the intervention.
Week 12 (summer semester)/ Week 16 (fall/spring semesters):
Select three articles that supported and informed your choice of intervention.
Begin to work on case assessment.
Begin to work on treatment plan.
MSW III SEMESTER Complete these tasks by the week shown. First week # is for MSW III in summer, second week # is for MSW III in fall or spring.
Week 1: Create slides using MS PowerPoint for each required section.
Week 2 (summer semester) / Week 5 (fall/spring semesters): Schedule an appointment with a faculty member to go over your capstone in week 4-6
Week 4-5 (summer semester)/ Week 5-7 (fall/spring semesters): Meet with faculty to go over your capstone and receive feedback.
Week 6-7 (summer semester) /8-10 (fall/spring semesters): Edit your PowerPoint AND Practice your presentation alone and in front of people and adjust
accordingly (time constraints).
Your PowerPoint presentation will be due week 7 (summer)/week 10 (fall/spring). You will present the week following that due date.