Taking Stock and Moving Forward: What We Can Learn from HPPAE Graduates

1. www.socialworkleadership.org Taking Stock and Moving Forward: What We Can Learn from HPPAE Graduates

2. www.socialworkleadership.org Sang E. Lee Associate Professor School of Social Work San Jose State University

3. www.socialworkleadership.org Publication Lee, S. E., Damron-Rodriguez, J., Lawrance, F. P., & Volland, P. J. (2009). Geriatric social work career tracking: Graduates of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE). Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 52(4), 336-353.

4. www.socialworkleadership.org Rationale & Purpose • Little knowledge about the linkage between training students in aging and their actual contribution to the aging workforce. • Focus on tracking the career outcomes of MSW graduates with training in aging, the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE). • Six demonstration sites, including 11 universities and 130 community agencies for three years, 2000 - 2003

5. www.socialworkleadership.org Profiles of HPPAE Students

6. www.socialworkleadership.org Procedures • Career Tracking Survey was mailed after graduation at two points in time • Four months – to all graduates • One to two years – to graduates of year one (2000-2001) and year two (2001-2002) • Response rates • 52% at four months post graduation • 44% at one to two year post graduation • Adapted from the Standardized Instrument for Graduates of Gerontology Programs (AGHE, 1989)

7. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

8. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

9. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

10. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

11. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

12. www.socialworkleadership.org Findings

13. www.socialworkleadership.org Future Research Questions for Social Work Education • Possible gap between expectation of rapidly growing job opportunity and what graduates experienced in the field. • Identify factors impeding prospective workers’ interest and intention in working in the field of aging and developing strategies to overcome them.

14. Emily A. Greenfield, PhD Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey www.emilyagreenfield.com Stepping into the Past to Envision the Future: Graduates’ Perspectives on the HPPAE

15. www.socialworkleadership.org HPPAE as a Multi-Faceted Model • Rotational field model • University-community partnerships • Targeted student recruitment • Expanded role of field instructor • Competency-based education • Leadership development

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17. www.socialworkleadership.org Research Questions • What did graduates find most useful in terms of six components? • What else did they find useful? • What did graduates identify as areas for improvement?

18. www.socialworkleadership.org Method • About one-third of graduates who completed program between 2007 and 2010 (n = 212) • Item non-response: men and micro practice • Data analysis: Content analysis and counting

19. www.socialworkleadership.org Which element most useful? Percentage of Graduates

20. www.socialworkleadership.org Other elements? Percentage of Graduates

21. www.socialworkleadership.org Areas for improvement? Percentage of Graduates

22. www.socialworkleadership.org Not Surprising Surprising • Importance of field education • Vastness of the field of aging • Developing specialized knowledge • Minimal mention of leadership • Minimal mention of social/economic justice • Additional program elements • Need for additional training

23. www.socialworkleadership.org Moving Forward: A Case Example • Program elements • Emphasis on continuing education • Career assistance shortly before graduation • Leadership development • Career tracking efforts http://www.hartfordpartnership.org/media/files/HPPAE_Career_Tracking_Survey_10-09-08.pdf

24. Tongtan (Bert) Chantarat, MPH, CLC Center for Evaluation and Applied Research The New York Academy of Medicine Current Analysis and Future Research

25. www.socialworkleadership.org To learn about graduates’ work since obtaining MSW and how HPPAE participation affected their career trajectory Administered annually from 2008 – 2011 via Survey Monkey Last revision in 2009 Intention is for participants to complete the survey repeatedly in order to track careers at multiple points in time Career Tracking Survey Pose

26. www.socialworkleadership.org Current and previous employment Position, setting, agency, primary responsibilities, salary and work hours Sources used to obtain current employment Professional qualifications and activities Licensure, affiliation with professional organizations, role, awards Experience as a field instructor for social worker students Content

27. www.socialworkleadership.org Interest in aging Experience participating in HPPAE program Demographic and background information (i.e. gender, race/ethnicity, education) Content (cont.)

28. www.socialworkleadership.org Majority of students are female and Caucasian 92% employed 75% in aging 60% non-profit, 20% for-profit, 20% government/public 23% working in one of their HPPAE placements Participating in HPPAE increased their interest in working with older adults HPPAE prepared them for their career Some Findings

29. www.socialworkleadership.org Information provided in open ended questions included: “Allowed me to learn more about different ways the aging community can be served” “Being able to learn how to work most effectively with older adults in different settings. HPPAE made me realize just how much I wanted to work with this population. My field instructor were wonderful and helped me gain insight into social work and working with the aging population” Some Findings (cont.)

30. www.socialworkleadership.org Send us your study proposal and explanation of your data needs (and IRB approval, if available) Sign data use agreement Share data via secured FTP server Logistics for Accessing Career Tracking Data

31. www.socialworkleadership.org Tongtan (Bert) Chantarat, MPH, CLC Center for Evaluation and Applied Research The New York Academy of Medicine tchantarat@nyam.org 212-822-7349 Contact Information