Field Instructor Training 2013 Anne E. (Ricky) Fortune, Ph.D., ACSW - Principal Investigator Estella Williamson, MSW – Director of Field Linda K. P. Mertz, LCSW-R – Project Coordinator Sarah Maynard, MSW – Doctoral Assistant

Agenda for Field Instructors’ Meeting Introductions Requirements for Interns Rotations Other requirements Supplemental Information

Internships in Aging Project (IAP) Objectives To increase the number of MSW-level social workers educated in gerontological social work practice To provide knowledge about aging to all MSW students To create new roles and opportunities for social workers in the aging field To help agencies develop and expand programs for the aging population

Participating Agencies – Past and Present Albany County NY Connects Alzheimer’s Association of NENY AARP Atria Shaker Bethlehem Senior Services Capital District Psychiatric Center Catholic Charities of Albany and Schenectady County Centro Civico of Amsterdam Center for Excellence in Aging & Community Wellness at SSW Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center Ellis Medicine, Ellis Mental Health Greene County Mental Health Good Samaritan Nursing Home Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley Jewish Family Services of NENY Montgomery County Office for Aging NYS Department of Health (IPRO) NYS Office for Aging NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Northeast Health (Eddy Ford Nursing Home, Marjorie Doyle Rockwell Center, Samaritan Hospital, Eddy PACE program, DayBreak, Eddy Geriatric Center) Palliative Care Program of Community Hospice Schenectady ARC Schenectady County Office for Aging Senior Services of Albany St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam St. Peter’s Hospital Stratton VA Medical Center Wellness Center of Capital Cardiology Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center

IAP Requirements for Interns Complete 96 days in field (more for advanced standing students) A rotational field experience Included in Field Time: Integrative seminar Professional development project (experiences with both direct service and administrative, etc.) 16 hours of outside training or education Optional: Participate on IAP committee

Why Rotations? Increase interns’ exposure to: the continuum of services for seniors – from healthy to end of life To different populations within aging i.e. Ethnic or cultural groups, rural, gay and lesbian, etc Enhance career choices for interns Encourage collaboration between agencies or departments Train interns in collaboration

What’s a Rotation? A meaningful learning experience which will increase intern skills Not a “drive by” Should develop different skills or exposures How many rotations are required? No less than two, no more than four

What Does a Rotation Look Like? Intra-agency vs. Inter-Agency Within 1 agency (intra-agency) Between several agencies (inter-agency) Block time (sequential) One agency or department for a period of time (8-10 weeks) and then move to another agency or department Integrated time (concurrent) Different agencies or departments during the same week

Planning Rotations How have you planned for the rotations at your site? How do you determine assignments? How do you assess if the work load will be too much or too little? Depth vs. Breadth – what can you do to give students some depth of learning within the structure of rotations?

Planning Rotations: Ideas Identifying learning needs of students Core competencies Student evaluation Identifying learning opportunities at agency Identifying who will be responsible (task supervisor) Planning the rotation Use of IAP learning agreement

Rotations: Challenges Communication and Coordination With the Intern Be clear about expectations around time and attendance, communication with all involved Between field instructor and task supervisors Evaluations With the school Linda is field liaison for all sites

Questions How have you dealt (or plan to deal) with communication between task and field supervisors? What has worked best? How do field instructors handle supervision when the student is at the other site?

What is the Role of the Field Instructor? Oversight of entirety of learning experience “taking the student through the journey” Evaluation Integration of theory and practice Transfer and integration of learning/skills across sites

Supervision Conceptual Shift Student as learner, not employee Training in field of aging services, not just agency Individualized to specific student However, the supervisor maintains the authority of knowing what is best Determining rotations and tasks assigned Pace of learning

Other Requirements : Integrative Seminars Every other week, on-site at agencies Case presentations & guest “experts” from community Previous topics include: Program evaluation & performance based outcomes End of life issues & palliative care Religious differences in aging & grief Elder abuse & fraud Housing options for the elderly Managed care

Other Requirements: Professional Development Projects Opportunity to develop a variety of skills in their field agency Clinical interns participate in management projects Management interns participate in clinical projects Examples for Clinical Students: Completed a needs assessment Planned & marketed a new group Wrote grant Examples for Macro Students: Co-lead support group for rehab patients Participated with Senior Center meals program Lead focus groups with seniors

Other Requirements: Professional Development Projects – Ideas Struggling for a professional development project for your intern? Work with another agency or department in your agency to develop a rotation that would focus on the different skill set Consider if your intern could represent your agency at Senior Issues Forum or other volunteer program

Other Requirements: Outside Education 16 hours required of education outside of your agency Purpose: to promote awareness of continuing education opportunities and to develop a culture of continued learning Examples Brown Bag lunches State Society on Aging Oct conference Senior Issues Forum

Benefits to Field Instructors Benefits from SSW Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) for first time supervisors Library privileges Course voucher for FI (if requested)

Benefits to Field Instructors From IAP Liaison from project will visit sites to support site development and monitor student learning Provide input to the project through service on committees Give feedback to the project through a focus group in the spring Opportunity to be a class guest lecturer Project listserv to get information on grants, web sites, conferences

Question For people who have supervised an IAP student before, what advice would you like to give to those who are starting this year?

IAP Committees Recruitment & Public Relations Field & Curriculum To implement a comprehensive plan to recruit and select students for IAP Includes planning Brown Bag Lunch Series Field & Curriculum To implement, monitor, and evaluate curriculum and field related aspects of IAP

Financial Sustainability Received funding from (2000-2013): The John A. Hartford Foundation The William Randolph Hearst Foundation NYS Legislature School of Social Welfare Schenectady Foundation Americorps ACES Project through the Foundation for Long Term Care Troy Savings Bank Foundation SSW alumni, other individual donors Hudson-Mohawk Area Health Education Consortium United Way Jewish Federation of NENY Support from agencies for their interns: Veteran’s Administration Susan Sherman Endowment (for JFS) NYS Office for Aging NYS Office for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Greene County Mental Health Center for Excellence in Aging and Community Wellness AARP NYS Dept. of Health /IPRO

Project Evaluation On-going program evaluation using focus groups with interns, field instructors, SSW faculty, and agency executives A longitudinal study of MSW students’ attitudes toward and knowledge about older people (finished Spring 2007) Exit survey of intern’s self-assessed competencies