Professional Development Plan

Name:
Morgan
Church

Date:
8/28/20

Career
Goals:
LCSW and
to work in
Mental
Health

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 Determine where your strengths & development needs exist

Consider

Technical & Functional Competencies and

Knowledge and Skills Behaviors

Select one to three areas where focused development would have the most impact on achieving your current and/or future goals

Create detailed action plans for development

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 Determining where to focus your development efforts

Where will development provide you with the greatest impact for your success?

 Consider the technical and functional knowledge and skills required for your success

 Recall prior feedback from professors, employers, family etc.,

 Determine where focused development would have the greatest impact on your ability to achieve your objectives successfully

 Consider your career/growth goals in determining which competencies would be most impactful if developed.

 Select from three areas that will be most beneficial for your development (e.g., leveraging a strength, strengthening a proficiency, or neutralizing a
weakness) and list them in the table below. Indicate with a check mark whether this is a strength, proficiency, or weakness.

I will see the greatest impact on my success by focusing development in the following areas:
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Competency/Behavior Strength Proficiency Weakness

to Leverage to Strengthen to Neutralize

1.

Compassion for others

2.

Knowledge of Mental Health Disorders

3.

Being on-time, prompt

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 Development Action Plan – Goal 1
Development Goal 1 I will improve on my level of compassion I display to others, so that I can be a better future LCSW.
What do you want to change? What will result from this
change? What would success look like?
I will know that I have been successful when a patient tells me I have made them feel heard, loved, or believed in my line of
work. And even then I plan to continue improving my skills of compassion/ empathy because it is an ongoing process.
Tasks/Activities Target Dates
When will you start/stop and
What specific tasks/activities will you do to help reach your goal? complete each action?
1. I have started this with my
support of BLM and will
Become involved with issues that don’t directly affect me, but I can empathize and continue supporting the
understand the perspective of those it does effect/harm. movement and people of color
until the day I die.
2. This will be an ongoing
process. I am starting today but
Respect the privacy of others; not pushing people to share too much before their ready I hope to never again push
someone into telling me/ doing
something they don’t feel
comfortable with.
3. I will start this goal today and
by 9/4 (one week) I will have
Encouraging others to meet their goals and making sure to praise people when they have made sure to congratulate at
an achievement.
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Support Needed/Barriers
To Overcome
What help will you need and from
whom? What barriers will you likely
face?
I have/ will continue to face backlash
from white supremacists, family
members, and those in opposition. But
the online community fueling this
movement are a great support, as well
as friends from college and others
allies.
This will be difficult because I am a
curious, problem-solver so I always
want to help people fix their problems
immediately. However, understanding
that I can’t always fix everyone’s issues
ASAP will be a valuable lesson from
this.
This would be difficult for me if the
person I am praising was not
appreciative of my support. But this is a
 least one person on an
achievement.
Development Action Plan – Goal 2
Development Goal 2 I will improve my knowledge of mental health disorders so that I can be an informed LCSW.
What do you want to change? What will result from this
change? What would success look like?
I will know that I have been successful when I feel comfortable diagnosing patients with a disorder/illness.
Tasks/Activities Target Dates
When will you start/stop and
What specific tasks/activities will you do to help reach your goal? complete each action?
1. I will start today and will have
until the end of the semester to
I will make sure to attend every class this semester in my ‘Mental Health in the US’ reflect whether or not I have
course. met my goal.
2. I will start this goal today and
plan to continue doing this
I will conduct my own, independent research into the classifications and symptoms of even into my time working as a
currently defined Mental Illnesses through reading. LCSW because this
information is very poignant to
the position and to staying
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needed challenge because not everyone
is going to be thankful for my positivity
and so a reality check with that might
actually be needed.
Support Needed/Barriers
To Overcome
What help will you need and from whom?
What barriers will you likely face?
I need the support of my parents and peers
to make sure that I am making a priority
of attending this zoom class twice a week.
It will be difficult because some days I just
don’t even want to get out of bed, but by
remembering how beneficial this will be
for my career, it will make it easier.
It will be difficult to find the motivation to
do independent reading outside of school
work. However, I think that my vested
interest in the subject matter will make it
more digestible.
 updated with the DSM.
3. This will be very trackable goal
as I will enroll in the course
I will take the Mental Health First Aid Training course through the School of Social and know it is completed by the
Work. time I am done.
Development Action Plan – Goal 3
Development Goal 3 I will improve my time management so that I do not miss appointments/ crucial time with patients.
What do you want to change? What will result from this
change? What would success look like?
I will know that I have been successful when I go a full year without being late to work.
Tasks/Activities Target Dates
When will you start/stop and
What specific tasks/activities will you do to help reach your goal? complete each action?
1. I will start today and it will be
over by 9/4. However,
I will make it to my current job, on time, every day this week. hopefully I can implement this
into my daily life beyond just
this week.
2. I will start today and it will be
over by 9/4. However,
I will make sure to turn in my assignments on time this week. hopefully I can implement this
into my daily life beyond just
this week.
3. I will start today and it will be
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I don’t think I’ll need anyone’s help or
face any barriers as I simply enroll in the
course, listen, and apply the learning.
Support Needed/Barriers
To Overcome
What help will you need and from whom?
What barriers will you likely face?
I will need to make sure to go to bed early
so that I can get enough sleep for the night
and wake up on time. I will also need to
leave 5 mins earlier to account for traffic.
I will need to make sure to stay on a set
time schedule so that I do not
procrastinate all my work until the very
end. My sister would be a huge help/
support in this mission.
I will not want to take the time to sit and
I will make a time schedule for everything I have to do this week. over by 9/4. However,
hopefully I can implement this
into my daily life beyond just
this week and beyond just
using my planner.
write this all out but the benefits of this
level of organization is unparalleled. My
mom could help me write it all out as she
is a very skilled secretary.

Professional Goals
Short-Term Goals (1 – 3 years):

Graduate UNC, apply for graduate school & attend, become a LCSW, have 2 years of clinical experience under my belt by
this time

Midrange Goals (5 - 6 years):

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Join the Air Force as LCSW to become a Mental Health Specialist, work toward enrolling in their doctoral program

Long-Term Goals (10 years):

Have completed my doctoral degree, finished up my commission in the Air Force, join a job in the private sector I love
doing
In- Completed Notes
Description of professional development activity completed Date(s)start progress
ed

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Professional Development Opportunities Completed

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