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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Arthur Teodosio JrPsychology, 2011

Personal Statement

My journey through college has brought forth growth and insight in the direction of my career. The undergraduate degree that I have chosen is Psychology. The reason for this choice was to compliment my certification as a Substance Abuse Counselor in California. I have grown as a counselor by understanding the concepts and was able to apply it during my practice. I have been working as Substance Abuse Counselor for 2 years. During that time I have grown as individual that has the ability to relate to others and to help them through their suffering. The field of Addiction is an interesting field in that the disease is able to destroy the individual and an environment. My interest in this field is to satisfy my need to help others. I was able to recognize how others used to ask my opinion and even direction. I have always had the inclination to understand what another person is going through and felt that I have the natural ability to listen. My goal is to continue on in this field of substance abuse treatment and my goal is to find an opportunity to work with the military. I hope to fulfill my experience as a counselor to understand the needs of society and how I can help the growth of others. After receiving my BA in Psychology I will continue my experience in the helping field. During this time I will continue to work and pursue a Masters degree. The degree that I am most interested in is Public Health. I feel that my experience in Substance Abuse treatment will be a stepping stone to understand the needs of the public. I hope to secure a position as a Director of a clinic or the possibility of working for the County in Health and Human Services. My interest in Public Health is to utilize my own strengths in implementing ideas and organization. I have always been the type of individual that likes to organize functions amongst my own friends which I also know how to delegate to others in the need of putting a function together. I feel that during my journey I can harness these skills and utilize towards my practice.My name is Arthur Teodosio Jr. I will be graduating this year at Argosy University in Psychology. I have been working as a Substance Abuse Counselor for 2 years. I hope that with this degree it will lead me closer towards the service of others and the community. My intentions are to further my educational career in Public Health and to utilize my leadership skills for the county.

Resume

Arthur Teodosio Jr. CADCAAmbitious, highly disciplined, team-player, independentSUMMARY Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADCA) with 1 year educational work and over 2

years direct experience working in the field of Substance Abuse Counseling outpatient services. Familiarized working in Medication assisted treatment as well as working with veterans in the homeless population.

EDUCATION Argosy University 2009-Present Major: BA Psychology Expected completion date: Fall 2011UCSD Extension- Spring 2009

Professional Certificate in Alcohol & Drug Counseling  EXPERIENCE CRC Health Group-Fashion Valley Clinic December 09 –PresentMedication Assisted Treatment Modality Intake Coordinator-Screening, Assessments, Case Management Substance Abuse Counselor-one on one sessions The ability to work well under minimal supervision Communicate with treatment team to support patient care Ability to work with mentally ill patients Intern at VVSD-Founders Program April 09-July 10 Case Management Attend weekly supervisions to discuss client cases Communicate with program director to inform status of clients in the program  Merchandise Stocker (AM Shift) September 2005-May 2010

INTEREST Active in Church FellowshipAlways looking for opportunities to grow as a counselorEnjoy outdoor activities and Self-defense classes

 

Reflection

Throughout my tenure at Argosy I have gained an enlightened experience through my journey of Psychology. I have gained a better understanding of Psychological theories which has enhanced my skills as a counselor. I was able to take what I have learned and practically apply it to my place of employment.

I have noticed that each class would build and reinforce our learning of psychological terms. This has helped me to remember and process what I have been learning throughout each term. Each class helped me build a foundation in Psychology and gave me a sense of direction of where I essentially would like to use my skills.

The challenges that I have faced in the beginning of my course work was my writing skills. As I continued to take each course and go through each module I was able to recognize the improvement in my writing. I have also learned to manage my time more productively because of working full time.

I have had a wonderful learning experience at Argosy. I attribute my growth as counselor to my instructors and to the learning curriculum provided by Argosy.

Table of Contents

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

Research SkillsCommunication Skills: Oral and WrittenEthics and Diversity AwarenessFoundations of PsychologyApplied PsychologyInterpersonal Effectiveness**Include work samples and projects with a Title Page and organized accordingly to demonstrate each of the Program Outcomes above

Cognitive Abilities

False Memories 

The concept of false memory is defined as “memory of something that did not happen” (Ashcraft, M. & Radvansky, G.). In the experiment there were words that were bunch together. The words were all similar in relation. The experiment would add a word that would be in the mix of words but not in the words exposed. The word that was not exposed is what you would call a special

distracter. According to the data I was exposed only to the special distracter in the first trial. The next six trials I was able to not recall the special distracter.

A doctor with a stethoscope is a common combination to see. The reason why an individual may recall seeing a doctor with a stethoscope is only because they think he would be wearing one. The individual would be able to recall if the doctor did not have a stethoscope is to ask the doctor. The individual would need to recognize that he does not have one which will allow for the memory to

store the information. False memory has been recognized in the judicial system. The reason is that an individual may

recall incidents that did not happen. The individual may recall what he thinks in combination with what he may have seen in the media. An eyewitness memory would be considered valid if there

were more witnesses to take a stand.

Eye witness testimonies should carry weight in a trial. The court system should be able to recognize that there are false memories but if an individual has been seen by numerous citizens they should be able to take that into account. If there is only one witness than the judicial system

should be able to talk to the individual and possibly bring in expert witness to validate his

perception.

 

Research SkillsValidity of Research

 The article that I have chosen in indentifying the validity of the research was “Sense of Coherence as a Stable Predictor for Methadone Maintenance (MMT) Outcome”. This research article measured the sense of coherence (SOC) in patients that are being treated for methadone. The SOC scores indicate retention and abstinence rates of patients in treatment. The higher the score the more likely the individual will be

participating in the program and abstaining from illicit drug use. The characteristic of the SOC scores are “meaningfulness, comprehensibility, and manageability”

(Antonovsky). The relation between the scores and the characteristic is that it describes the stability of the patients which may indicate the success of the treatment.

Fortunately this article indicates the reliability and the validity of the research. The discrepancies include that the research was done in only one clinic

which it will be more conclusive if this was done at multiple clinics. Another look at the research is that after the year has elapsed there were a total of 77 participants that

were able to complete the questionnaire. At the beginning of the research there were a total of 90 participants.

The experiment conducted was a between-subject design and is a one-group pretest/post-test study. The beginning of the research each participant would fill out a questionnaire and a urine analysis was given. The information gathered would be

used as a baseline for the research. After one year the participants would take the same questionnaire and another urine analysis was given (urine analysis was given twice a month throughout treatment). The importance of this research in relation to

my research question is that the information gathered can be used to show the effectiveness of methadone treatment. It can indicate the stability of those that who

were to continue treatment. After careful analysis of this article I have learned what I should be

searching for in finding solid references. This article allowed me to filter out what can be good for my research and information that may not be effective to include in my

paper. My research question is how effective is medication assisted treatment in working with opiate addiction. Methadone treatment has been ideal in helping opiate

addicts discontinue use of illicit opiate abuse. This article was able to indicate how effective is methadone treatment in describing the effectiveness of treatment without

talking directly about the methadone.

Communication SkillsCounseling Crises

 My experience working as a substance abuse counselor has been exciting and challenging. The

exciting part of the position is that I can take what I have learned in school and apply what I have learned in live sessions. Seeing my patients has allowed me to find myself as a counselor. I have encountered many problems as a counselor. Some are just typical crises interventions that

need to be addressed and also the stigma that surrounds methadone clinics. My clinic that I work for in particular is focused on addressing the substance abuse issues with the patients. The old methadone clinics used to be called juice bars where paying customers used to get

there methadone without needing to see anybody. That is ineffective in recovery which does not allow the person to change his or her behavior.

In the beginning of my counseling journey I felt confident in what I was doing because of my training in school. When I did come across some problems I felt that I was able to

resolve it myself without the need of the supervisor or the director. I do recall one event from a patient that I have not met yet. I was called to see him because he was having a panic attack. When I first encountered my patient I was assessing him and asking him some questions to figure out what was going on with him. The patient appeared to be flush red and kept on talking in a tangent. When I was unable to reach him myself, I had the patient

sit down and went to call my supervisor. Afterwards, we allowed him to calm down and communicate with him to hear what was going on. Unfortunately, the patient was taking a lot of

medication on top of the methadone which had an adverse effect to his body. We asked the patient if he wanted an ambulance but he denied that assistance because he did not want to get in trouble. What I did notice was that he started to calm down a bit but he was still having panic attacks. We kept on pushing him for us to call an ambulance but he still resisted. At the end of

the event the patient decided to leave on his own. This experience has allowed me to see how effective it can be to have a team help diffuse a

situation. At times you are going to have to call on someone to help you out in a moment like this otherwise you might not have done all that you can. I have also learned that you can only do so much as an individual. Sometimes the presence of another person can be effective in helping

another. I feel that in this profession I am always going to need help. The reason is that I am only capable of doing so much and if I am able to seek out the help of another that has much more experience

than me then it will be effective treatment. That is the reason why we have clinical supervisor and the directors. They can help you when you need assistance and guide you if you are just

beginning to work as a counselor.

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

I would like to believe that prejudice is preventable and can be reduced. Chapter 9 has provided some techniques that can be applied in helping reduce prejudices. The

question that I would like to ask is; what can we do to apply what we have learned and bring diversity into a higher level?

I would like to address some of the techniques used in the micro-level and provide my own input. The book explores suppression, self-regulation and

interactional strategies to help prevent prejudices. One common theme that I have found in all three of these techniques is that it is most effective in individuals that are motivated to change. My concern is for those that do not want to change. How can we produce the thought of change into someone that does not want to accept the idea of

diversity? I believe that education is the answer and that the media is an awesome tool to implement the idea of diversity which can help reduce prejudice. I believe that the

more people see minorities that have made the “America Dream” and a blend of different cultural backgrounds on TV the more it will be common in our society. If we

can educate and also show that the acceptance of another culture can bring growth in our humanity, maybe this nation can truly live by the thought of equal opportunity. If our society can see the positive results that can happen through the acceptance of

another culture we will begin to see the internal motivation of an individual. Hopefully! I would like to address my original question. What can we do to apply

what we have learned and bring diversity into a higher level? The way that we can apply what we have learned is to live by the idea of diversity. Diversity can be the new value we all live by. For example, in a group setting we should focus on our objective and what we are trying to solve. Our prejudices can be counterproductive which will not allow us to find a solution as a community or a group. The idea of diversity is to find strength within each individual experience and develop a solution to a problem. That problem can be anything from developing new ways to keeping the community

safe to coming up with new ideas in any business.

Finding a remedy for prejudices is not as easy as typing the answer out on a piece of paper or reading it from a book. Yes, we have grown as a society in addressing these

issues but we have not grown on a conscious level to see each other as equals. At least on an individual level I have chose to work on myself internally. I believe that if we can

work on ourselves from the inside and with the help of others to help address some issues we can grow as individuals which makes a community better.

Foundations of PsychologySocrates and Plato

The good life for an individual can be defined as an individual reaching his or her own potential. The good life can be seen as the success of one’s career. The good life can mean having a family and owning a home. The good life can also be achieved through reaching her or

his goal in a sport. The best way to achieve these goals is to have insight about yourself and know what you are capable of doing. In reaching a potential you have to recognize your

strengths and your weaknesses. You must be able to face your fears and overcome your own obstacles. In other words, you must “know thyself”.

Socrates statement “know thyself” has come a long way in the field of psychology and in life. As human beings we need to recognize our own faults in order to bring change into our lives. If we do not recognize our faults or setbacks it is hard for us to grow as a person and in society. Recognizing are setbacks means gaining knowledge about ourselves. In the textbook History of Psychology the author states that “As knowledge increases, virtue increases” (King,

Viney, & Woody)in reference to Socrates. We can infer that as we gain knowledge our understanding of virtue will increase. We can conclude that “Because virtue includes a host of socially desirable behaviors, knowledge is the means by which the individual and society may advance”( King, Viney, & Woody). Socrates believed in this statement that society will not be

able to grow unless the individual can understand himself. Plato the pupil of Socrates developed his own philosophy which was strongly

influenced by his teacher. Plato shared the same thought in regards to human nature in regards to ignorance being a strong influence in misguidance of a society. In the textbook, History of

Psychology, states that “He accepted the Socratic notion that ignorance is the major culprit in wrongdoing” (King, Viney, & Woody). Plato believed that through education and learning the individual can move in accordance with society. Plato later developed the theory of forms in

relation to his understanding of the person. Plato had a view which was strongly based on the thought of dualism. Plato believed that the body “reveals the changing, illusory, temporal world” (King, Viney, & Woody) and the soul “reveals the world of forms through reason” (King, Viney, &

Woody). Plato’s theory of forms indicates that the “world of absolute being, perfect, unchanging, and independent of individuals and particulars and known only through reason”

(King, Viney, & Woody). The soul is what reveals the true world and according to Plato the soul is immortal.

 

 

Applied Psychology

The way that I would like to describe my personality is that of one who

displays optimism with an easy going demeanor. I feel that I am an approachable person at times and other times I can put myself in a position where I am

concentrating and that I don’t want to be bothered. I would generally like to say that I am calm, collective, with a hidden drive to succeed. Out of all of these traits I would

like to say that I am most associated of being an optimistic person. I feel that more personality has been shaped by my experiences and by

my environment (includes home and family). I have a strong support system which consists of my family. Growing up my parents have not dictated my direction but have

been more of a guide and emphasizing what can allow me to be more successful. When I made a commitment to continue my education it has presented more opportunities

which have allowed me to be very optimistic about my direction. After high school my surroundings were not the best of places to be around which drug use has hindered my growth. Once I was able to see a lighter side of life and came to a realization of

where my life was being directed the change began to happen. It was a slow start at first which being surrounded by friends that were not involved has helped out. It has helped out by them being honest with me by what they observed and also what they have heard. My personality has taken up a more optimistic role since growing out of

my earlier experiences. The chosen theory that I am most attracted to is the humanistic theory of

the personality but at the same time I also feel that the understanding of past experiences can help an individual change his or her behaviors. Humanistic theory

focuses on the present which I feel that if an individual can see what his or her behavior was like in the past and what it has equated to it will allow him of her to

possibly be motivated to make that change. One behavior that I would like to change is to be caught up in work gossip. I try my best to walk away as soon as I know I hear

something coming up but I am just so curious to find out what is going on even though the information is useless for me. I feel that the best approach is to understand the

information presented to me is going to be useless. It has no intrinsic value for me and that it might even pose assumptions on my own co-workers. When I think about it is

my own curiosity and my own helping nature to find out what I can do. This course allowed me to see the menial aspect of my characteristics

which include where I can be more productive and use my time most efficiently. I know have the tools to be successful and to driven its jut the desire to be it all together and

follow through.

Interpersonal EffectivenessDecisions

The best decision I have made in the past was to change my degree from Business to Psychology. The way that I have

processed this decision was to look at it through a holistic approach. I viewed in a way that would not benefit one aspect of my life but in a way where I would see overall

growth. I have always like business and I do believe that I have a good business sense but I love to learn about self and to be able to apply what I have learned to help out

others. The worst decision I have made in my life was to

stop going to school. I went to school for two years after high school and just decided to stop. I was attracted to a

lifestyle that pretty much did not get me anywhere. Obviously I did not put much thought in that process but in an optimistic approach it was a learning experience for me.

Based on those two decisions I have learned to look at what will bring me success and growth in my life. I base my decisions on rational thought not just what may sound good or looks good. I have made some immediate

decisions in the past but only if the consequence are not so threatening. The way that I will know if the decision was a great decision is the result that comes after it. Otherwise it would be a time to assess where I went wrong and what do

I need to do change the outcome.

Critical Thinking

Organizational Commitment 

Shamika would be an example of an employee that has utilized her own strengths and was able to apply the benefits provided by Ace Enterprise. Shamika’s commitment with Ace Enterprise has lead to growth in her personal life and significant growth in her career. Shamika’s lifestyle and work ethic is an example of organizational commitment. Her example can also be used to describe Equity Theory and Goal-setting Theory. Shamika’s commitment with Ace Enterprise is expressed by committing 12 years with her company. Shamika has also showed continued interest by participating in work activities. Shamika’s example has described three commitment aspects of an individual working for an organization. The three aspects are affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Affective commitment is “the employee’s emotional attachment to the organization” (Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology). Shamika’s longevity with the company is an example of her emotional attachment. She is happy at her place of employment and she has developed healthy relationships with her coworkers. This can is also shown with her ability to play with the company softball team. Continuance commitment is “commitment to continue with the organization because there are costs associating with leaving the company” (Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology). The cost for Shamika leaving the company could be her seniority and having established herself with Ace Enterprise. Shamika is also comfortable where she is at and feels that there is no reason to find another employment. The last dimension of organization commitment is normative commitment. Normative commitment is “the sense of duty or obligation to commit to the company” (Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology). An example of continuance commitment would be the feeling associated with leaving the company. Shamika feels that work has provided her with the right training and has allowed her to grow in her career. She has also helped create a new department which she may feel obligated to commit to the company. Shamika’s feels that since work has provided a lot for her she feels obligated to commit to the company.Shamika’s work place hygiene does not seem to affect her productivity at work. If Shamika was unhappy at her place of employment she may indirectly damage her own reputation. She may begin arriving at work late. She may not engage with her supervisor as much. She might move into a direction of self-sabotaging herself without being aware. The example provided for Shamika can be placed and looked at through different theories. The first theory that will be described will be the Equity theory. The equity theory is how an individual “strive to behave in ways that maintain a psychological balance when they compare their inputs and outcomes with other people’s inputs and outcomes” (Argosy 2011, Industrial/Organizational Psychology). Shamika in relation to her coworkers is aware that her input and her output are well balanced. Shamika is content with the input in at her work and is presently happy with the output. Her relationship with her coworkers is excellent. She is able to acknowledge that her training and her credentials will allow her to be competitive prospect with another company but she is satisfied with her present conditions. The next theory is the Goal setting theory. Goal setting theory is the idea that an individual’s goal is what motivates them to move forward. Shamika’s work experience has set her up for goals that continue to motivate her. Shamika continues to be challenged at her job which keeps her stimulated and motivated to be with Ace Enterprise. Ace was able to provide her with the right training and supervision that has guided her growth with Ace. Shamika’s organizational commitment has been reinforced from Ace Enterprise. Ace Enterprise provided Shamika with the right guidance and encouraged her growth with the company. Shamika was in a suitable environment that has made her comfortable with the company which kept her loyal to Ace Enterprise.

My Future in Learning

I do continue seeing myself as a lifelong learner. Since going back to school after a five year lay off I have been able to recognize the value in learning. I have learned that there are theories and new treatment methods always developing. In order to be a clinician you must be a lifetime learner in order to keep up with the shifting ideas. Also there can also be the opportunity in developing a new theory with a team.

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