Integrative Processing Model

For nearly 25 years, I worked as a journalist, editor, and public relations director before transitioning
to a career in nonprofit human services administration. I started in the field with no formal education in the
human services, just a desire to help others and a need to earn a paycheck to pay the bills. Along the way I
discovered that I enjoy working for nonprofit organizations and that I seem to be good at it. Much of what I
learned over the years about running a nonprofit was garnered through hands-on experience and working one-
on-one with clients.

My preferred style of learning is the accommodating style, through active experimentation coupled
with concrete experience. I tend to be hands on and learn best by doing rather than observing others.
“…people who rely on this cognitive style are most comfortable with modifying what they do in a given
situation depending upon the circumstances rather than adhering to a preconceived plan or following a
theoretical approach” (Kiser, p. 113).

However, many of the skills I cultivated during my years as a journalist fall in line with the Integrative
Processing Model and assist me in the decision-making process in my current career field of human services
administration. Observation, self-awareness, application of knowledge or theory, critical thinking and decision
making all played as much of a role in my news reporting career as they do in my current role as a nonprofit
executive director.

Our nonprofit organization offers a variety of programs to address the impact of incarceration on our
community. It has truly been an eye-opening experience for me to learn about the many challenges justice-
involved individuals face when re-entering the community following a period of incarceration. I have spent
quite a bit of time talking with re-entering individuals, their families, and other agencies that work with them
to learn about those challenges and how we can developing programming to support them.

I recently encountered one young man who had worked for me through a youth employment program
many years ago. He had gotten into some trouble and eventually ended up spending five years in prison. I
learned from him about his criminal history, substance use disorder, family problems, and how he wanted to
go back to school so he could turn his life around. Despite my best efforts to connect this young man to
resources in the community that could support him, he was resistant and recently was arrested again.

Although I wasn’t able to connect that young man to services that would help keep him from
recidivating, my experience in working with him has helped me to look at how our organization approaches
services for this population. In reflecting on my conversations with the young man, I can clearly see missed
opportunities to build support services using evidence-based practices, as called for in the Integrative
Processing Model. “This approach calls upon human services professionals to be knowledgeable about
documented best practices associated with their work. Relevant to this trend, at the programmatic level,
human services organizations are increasingly required to offer programs and services that yield documented
benefits” (Kiser, p. 121)

Kiser (1998) notes that using the Integrative Processing Model routinely helps to “internalize it as
an on-going method for thinking about and learning from practice experiences.” It can enhance
learning during the field experience and become a habit that supports professional growth (Kiser,
1998).

References
Kiser, P.M. (2016). Learning to learn from experience: Understanding learning styles and the integrative
processing model. In The Human services internship: Getting the most from your
experience (4th ed., pp. 109-136). Boston, MA: Cenage Learning.

Kiser, P.M. (1998). The Integrative Processing Model: A framework for learning in the field
experience. Human service education: A journal of the National Organization of Human
Service Education, 18(1), 3-14. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/assets/Journal/1998.pdf