September 2014 Geriatric Social Work Competencies Marilyn Luptak, PhD, MSW, LICSW Associate Professor & Chair, MSW Aging Concentration Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar ( ) Spafford Endowed Chair in Social Work ( ) University of Utah College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT

Competency-Based Education and Evaluation (CBE)  Essential Elements CBE: 1. Adoption of a defined set of specific skills (competencies) as a framework for education in a field of practice 2. Applying the competencies to individual student learning goals 3. Assessment of student skill level, at the beginning of training and upon completion, using the identified set of competencies (Bogo et al., 2004)  Geriatric Competence: A specific range of knowledge, values and skills needed to address the needs of older adults and their families

Geriatrics and Gerontology Professional Competencies  Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)  Association for Gerontology in Higher Education  American Association of Colleges of Nursing  Association of American Medical Colleges  American Geriatrics Society (AGS)  American Society of Consultant Pharmacists  Interprofessional Team Care Competencies  Multidisciplinary Competencies for Entry Level, Partnership for Health in Aging (through AGS)

Competencies: Social Work  Since 1998, Hartford social work (SW) curriculum development projects have used a competency-based approach to infuse gerontological SW content in classroom and field curricula that: o Focus on student outcomes based in practice behaviors o Stipulate 10 competencies common to generalist and advanced SW practice  The gero competencies are linked to current CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) practice behaviors Council on Social Work Education & the Social Work Leadership Institute (2009)

National Incorporation of Gero Social Work Competencies I. CSWE 2008 EPAS: o A competency-based outcome approach to curriculum design o A focus on student outcomes based in practice behaviors o Competencies are measurable practice behaviors II. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative Task Force for Advanced Gero Practice (2009): o Relating Gero social work knowledge and practice behaviors to EPAS

Evidence Supports Geriatric Social Workers’ Competence In and Effectiveness To: 1) Promote Self Determination through Older Person and Family Centered Solutions Social Work enhances the developmental, problem solving, and coping capacities of older people and their families. 2) Develop Linkages to Appropriate, Accessible and Acceptable Services Social work promotes the effective, coordinated, and humane operating of systems that provide resources and services to older people and their families. 3) Respect the Diversity of the Older Population Social work recognizes the need and strengths of persons who differ based on culture, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability.

Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II With Life-Long Leadership Skills  Domains of geriatric social work with 10 skills in each: I.Values, ethics and theoretical perspectives II.Assessment III.Intervention IV.Aging services, programs and policies V.Leadership in the practice environment of aging  Rating on 5-point Likert scale: Not skilled at all - Beginning skill - Moderate skill - Advanced skill - Expert skill  “Cannot Assess” for Field Instructors Council on Social Work Education & the Social Work Leadership Institute (2009)

Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II With Life-Long Leadership Skills

 SW Skills Related to Interprofessional Practice: o Understand the perspective and values of SW in relation to working effectively with other disciplines in geriatric interdisciplinary practice. o Advocate on behalf of clients with agencies and other professionals to help elders obtain quality services. o Assess “self-in-relation” in order to motivate yourself and others including trainees, students, and staff toward mutual, meaningful achievement of a focused goal or committed standard of practice. Council on Social Work Education and the Social Work Leadership Institute (2009)

Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II With Life-Long Leadership Skills  SW Skills Related to Interprofessional Practice (contd): o Create a shared organizational mission, vision, values and policies responding to ever changing service systems in order to promote coordinated, optimal services for older persons. o Build collaborations across disciplines and the service spectrum to assess access, continuity, and reduce gaps in services to older adults. o Manage individual (personal) and multi-stakeholder (interpersonal) processes at the community, interagency, and intra-agency levels in order to inspire, leverage power, and resources to optimize services for older adults.

Evaluation of HPPAE Sites  Assessing HPPAE students’ learning pre- and post- field education via the GSW Competency Scale II is a key component of the evaluation  Additional evaluation components o Describing development of elements of the HPPAE model with community/school collaboration o Measuring the increase in geriatric social work student placements and stipends