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Orientation to Field Education at NCSSS
Loretta Vitale Saks, MSW, LCSW-C Director of Field Education National Catholic School of Social Service Fall 2010 This presentation is the intellectual property of the author and may be used only with written permission and appropriate credit.
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Overview of Presentation
Social work curriculum at NCSSS What is field education? At NCSSS In social work education Field instructor role Developmental stages of internship Supervisory relationship Summary of field-related assignments Process recordings NCSSS & CUA resources
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Field Education at NCSSS
BSW program Juniors Spring semester (observational) experience Seniors 16 hours/week; 480 hours/year; Tues & Thurs MSW program Foundation year 16 hours/wk; 480 hrs/yr; Wed & Thurs Advanced year: Clinical; Clinical Health; Social Change; Combined 20 hours/wk; 600 hrs/yr; Tues, Wed, 1/2 days on Thurs Sometimes Combined students intern up to 24 hours/week
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Field Education at NCSSS
A model that works: internship + integrative seminar 3 credits (per semester) = internship hours + weekly field seminar Liaison = Seminar professor Your link to NCSSS and the Office of Field Education Visits agency at least once during year Consultant, mediator, problem solver, adviser, support Instructor of weekly field seminar Facilitates discussion of field issues Supports what you are teaching and modeling Role plays; case presentations ; project presentations; class exercises; guest speakers (field instructors!)
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Our Courses Check out our course outlines
BSW: Rigorous CUA requirements + generalist social work program MSW: Emphasis on theory, discrete Ethics course View curriculum in Field Manual Undergraduate Social Work major: p. 44 MSW: pp
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Field Education is … “an experiential form of teaching and learning (where) the social work student is helped to: consciously bring selected knowledge to the practice situation; develop competence in performing practice skills; learn to practice within the framework of social work values and ethics; develop a professional commitment to social work practice; evolve a practice style consistent with personal strengths and capacities; develop the ability to work effectively within an agency.” Jenkins, Lowell and Sheafor, Bradford, editors (1981). An overview of social work field instruction in Quality instruction in social work. Longman: New York.
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Field as Signature Pedagogy
“Signature pedagogy represents the central form of instruction and learning in which a profession socializes its students to perform the role of practitioner. In social work, the signature pedagogy is field education.” (CSWE Educ. Policy 2.3) Field instructors help students gain the skills and knowledge to put into practice what they read, discuss and write about in the classroom.
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Field Instructor Role “The quality of the field instructor is the most significant factor affecting students’ satisfaction with the field placement.” 1 We appreciate how busy field instructors are & provide as much support as possible. Here’s what field instructors have written in their evaluations of our field program: “I look forward to having a student intern from NCSSS each year mainly due to the high caliber of students and the support and training available to me as a field instructor.” “You are such a class act.” “Every time I reached out to the field education staff they were most helpful. I really enjoyed working with people who are professional, caring, considerate and efficient.” “The field seminar class was helpful to the student which, in turn, was helpful to me as a field instructor.” 1 Fortune, A.E. and Abramson, J.S. (1993). Predictors of satisfaction with field practicum among social work students. The Clinical Supervisor, 11(1), ).
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Field Instructor Role*
Alfred Kadushin cites 3 primary supervisory functions: Educational Administrative Emotional-supportive * Kadushin, A. (1992). Supervision in social work. New York: Columbia University Press.
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Educational Role Teacher Student as adult learner
Orientation sets the stage for the entire year Provide knowledge necessary to become social worker, and the space to practice being a social worker Let evaluation process guide what you teach Help student learn to evaluate self accurately Student as adult learner Help student take responsibility for learning We reinforce that in the classroom Foster mutual process of reflection and exploration Promote increasing student autonomy
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Administrative Role Negotiate between student’s needs and agency’s needs Consider student learning objectives, school requirements (see Field Manual, pp ), school assignments Consider agency requirements Consider your own strengths and interests Create environment that permits student to do job well
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Supportive Role Provide a safe place for student to express uncertainty, ‘not knowing,’ feelings of inadequacy The field seminar provides a group forum where these concerns can be shared and normalized Parallel process Intern - field instructor relationship parallels client – intern relationship Student who feels supported by field instructor will (hopefully) be similarly supportive of client Important to model professional boundaries
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Developmental Stages of Field Internship
Stage 1: Anticipation … Honeymoon Positive expectations … & anxieties Stage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting Reality “What’s wrong? “This isn’t what I thought it would be.” Stage 3: Competence & Mastery Confidence grows Expectations more realistic Stage 4: Closure & Termination Ambivalent process Time for reflection – on past endings, on growth Apply to student as well as to field instructor The information above is taken from Cochrane, Susan F. & Hanley, Marla Martin (1999) Learning through field: A developmental approach. (1999). Allyn & Bacon: Boston, MA; and Sweitzer, H. Frederick and King, Mary A. (2004). The successful internship: transformation & empowerment. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Canada.
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Developmental Stages & the Supervisory Process
How student moves each stage will affect the supervisory process, offering: Obstacles to the supervisory relationship Opportunities for growth Task accomplishment Increasingly complex assignments Hoped for resolutions vs. staying ‘stuck’ Concerns that can be discussed or avoided
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Thinking about Supervision
Self-assessment Education and experience Supervisory/teaching style Consider strengths, weaknesses, limitations Recall your own field experience Identify agency supports and stressors impacting you Remember that we’re here to offer support and assistance Your assigned liaison Staff in Office of Field Education
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Thinking about Supervision
Recognize shift in role Helper of clients to mentor/educator/supervisor of students “Start where the student is” Doer to explainer Practitioner to one who assists student with interpreting/applying theory to practice Member of agency hierarchy to supervisor & evaluator of student Employee to advocate for student’s positive learning experience Ortiz Hendricks et al, quoting Perlman quoting Aptaker, (1966), (4-5).
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Thinking about Supervision
Assessment of student Previous work/volunteer experience Student’s specific interests Theoretical knowledge Organizational understanding Attitudes and values Goals and objectives for placement Prior experience being supervised Expectations of field instructor Obstacles to learning
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Getting Off to a Good Start
Before student arrives Student’s mailbox & voic box/ ready Desk, phone, computer and office space identified Time set for orientation and initial supervisory meeting Business cards (blank or imprinted) Talk to colleagues about student’s role in the agency Intern who is part of the ‘team’
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Getting Off to a Good Start
2. Plan orientation for intern(s) Tour of agency Introduce student to everyone Help student understand agency Mission and function Organizational structure Policies & procedures manual Glossary of relevant terms Staff names, s and telephone extensions Social worker’s role in agency
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Getting Off to a Good Start
Plan orientation for intern(s) (Cont’d) Information to review with student Required agency documentation Computer training Safety issues NASW Code of Ethics How student will introduce self to clients Confidentiality Limits to confidentiality Suicidality Threat of homicide Risk of abuse or neglect
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Getting Off to a Good Start
Tasks and assignments During orientation period Assign reading about program-specific issues and populations Review case files or program reports Shadow field instructor and/or other staff Identify appropriate assignments Learning experiences of increasing difficulty To consider: Agency's needs Student’s learning needs Student’s level of study and prior experience NCSSS educational requirements Think about micro – macro – mezzo assignments ’
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Developing the Supervisory Relationship
Supervisory meetings Relationship building, an ongoing process Call on liaison if need some help! Encourage student to submit agenda ahead of time Sample agenda in Field Manual (p. 48) Meet regularly Minimum of 1 hr weekly More availability early in the year Important to meet throughout the year Keep challenging your student to grow Who can student go to in your absence?
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Developing the Supervisory Relationship
Discuss your role & student’s role Personal Style Inventory can be helpful tool Field Manual, pp. 64ff Create a good learning environment Discuss student’s concerns as they arise Help student feel valued as person and colleague Give feedback from strengths perspective More focus on + than – Clear, consistent, supportive and also … Critical, challenging and constructive
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Developing the Supervisory Relationship
Review Learning Plan & student’s workload regularly Clarify purpose of assignments Provide detailed directions Clarify expectations for student’s performance Use competency-based language Encourage feedback from your student
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Field-related Assignments
BSW Seniors & Foundation Year MSWs Macro paper: understanding agency as organization Process recordings Psychosocial assessment Case presentation Macro project summary Clinical/Clinical Health concentrators Psychosocial assessment of client Application of theory to treatment of client
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Field-related Assignments
Combined concentrators Clinical case presentation (1st semester) Project case presentation (2nd semester) Process recordings Social Change concentrators Presentation of planning activity or Presentation of analysis of policy
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Process Recordings A detailed narrative of a client session or meeting/group or event More often, narration of part of a session or meeting or event Never becomes part of agency records Field Manual contains ‘traditional’ process recording template & format for macro process recording
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A brief example … Analysis/ Thinking Content Dialogue
Gut level feelings Introduce myself, indicate my student status. State purpose of visit. Nonverbal: She says she’s fine, but she doesn’t look so fine. Open-ended question to elicit more information. Validation of client’s tears. SW: Hi Mrs. S. My name is Cindy Green – I’m a social work intern with Hospice of DC. (shake hands) We like to check in after someone’s loss to see how they are doing. How are you today? Mrs. S: Just fine, thanks. SW: How have you been doing since your husband died? Her eyes well up with tears. SW: You can be doing okay but still feeling sad. Mrs. S: I’m glad you came by today. I’ve been wanting to talk to someone about Herb. … Interview continued… She didn’t ask that I visit her – I feel like I’m intruding. I feel stupid asking this – of course she’s still going to be sad. I also feel sad, thinking about my dad’s death 6 years ago. Oh no. Panic – she’s going to cry -- what do I say now? Relieved – I said the right thing.
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Why Process Recordings?
Foster development of student’s use of self Gain self-awareness Learn to evaluate and assess own work Become comfortable sharing difficult feelings and interactions Useful supervisory tool Field instructor can identify strengths as well as areas where student can grow Together, can examine dynamics of client-student interaction Encourages student’s application of theory to practice Can role play alternate scenarios Neuman, Karen M. and Friedman, Bruce D. Process recordings: Fine-tuning an old instrument. (1997). Journal of Social Work Education, 32 (2)
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Evaluating Process Recordings
What was effective? Ineffective? Why? Is student able to accurately distinguish between thoughts and feelings? Is student able to set aside feelings that could interfere with the process of the interview? Look for student’s growth over time Wilson, Suanna. Recording: Guidelines for social workers (1980). New York: The Free Press (25ff).
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Evaluating Process Recordings
Look for growth in ability to identify specific techniques Beginning student won’t be consciously aware of techniques More advanced student will have conscious awareness of techniques used We’re all about theory … theory … theory As they are ready, students will be asked to apply theory to content of interview (in analysis column) Cognitive-behavioral: probing for activating event Psychodynamic: probing for underlying meaning; additive empathy
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What the Research Says…
Student satisfaction with field instructors has been positively correlated with the frequency with which process recordings were assigned and reviewed. Satisfied students’ field instructors seen as having better understanding of theory and practice. Students felt they learned more. Knight, C. (1994, October). Personal and supervisory determinants of MSW and BSW students’ perceptions of effective field instruction. Paper presented at Annual Conference of ABSWPD, San Francisco.
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Finding Support Feeling stuck? Questions? Concerns?
Use Field Manual as resource Contact your field liaison Contact us Ask to be connected with a ‘veteran’ field instructor
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