Maximizing the Field Practicum I

1. Maximizing the Field Practicum I Department of Social Work – August 2013 Paul G. Clark, PhD, MSW / Molly E. Davis, EdD, MSW / Stacey D. Hardy, Ph.D., J.D., L.C.S.W

2. Introductions • Name • Agency Represented • Your role there • First time teaching field instructor? First time with GMU? • A positive characteristic of your favorite FI when you were an MSW student.

3. Workshop Goal • Enhance and enrich the partnership between the university field education program and community-based agencies toward producing competent, conscientious and compassionate social work professionals.

4. Workshop Objectives • Participants will: • Understand the philosophy and purpose of the field practicum experience in the context of social work education. • Explore the tools needed to direct high-impact learning experiences of social work students (e.g. critical thinking and ethical decision making). • Understand Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) competencies and how to translate these into experiential learning activities.

5. Workshop Objectives (cont.) • Learn techniques and strategies to strengthen the agency-based field program. • Understand the layers of university support and how to utilize university resources to prevent and address field issues. • Examine the field experience from beginning to end in terms of student, school and agency roles. • Value the role field education plays in defining the quality and nature of our profession.

6. Agenda • Overview of Social Work at GMU • The Field Philosophy • Field Training • Cultural Competence • Who’s Who - roles and responsibilities

7. Agenda • Documentation, Forms and the ipt system (software/technology) • The Field Practicum from Beginning to End • The Application, Matching and Referral process • Supervision - Clinical, Legal and Ethical Factors • Trouble-shooting and Problem Resolution • Evaluation and Transition

8. Overview of Social Work at GMU • Characteristics we Hope to Cultivate in Students and Future SW Colleagues: • Strong identity as a social worker (versus a “role” or “job”) • Social work core values-driven practice • Ability to problem solve and think critically and creatively • Social workers with initiative, collaborative skills, and the ability to integrate various contexts in any given situation

9. SW at GMU: How we get them there • BSW (junior and senior years) • MSW Foundation • MSW Concentration

10. Generalist Practice Foundation • BSW • Introduction to Social Work • Interpersonal Communication • Methods of Intervention (individuals, groups, families, communities) • Human Behavior (life course and macro systems) • Social Policy, Social Justice, and Policy Analysis/Advocacy • Research & Statistics • Senior year: 450 hours in the field

11. Generalist Practice Foundation • MSW Foundation Year • Communication and Technology for SW Practice • Direct Social Work Practice • Human Behavior & Social Systems • Social Policies, Programs, and Services and Social Policy Advocacy • Research Methods • Foundation year: 450 hours in the field

12. MSW Concentration: Clinical Practice • Core: • Advanced Clinical Practice • Community-Centered Clinical Practice • Psychopathology • Advanced Research in SW

13. MSW Concentration: Clinical Practice (cont.) • Advanced Clinical Practice & Policy: • Forensic SW Practice • Family Therapy • Trauma and Recovery • Military Social Work • Substance Abuse Interventions • Clinical Practice with Older Adults • Immigration Policy • Social Policy for Children and Youth • Aging Programs and Policies • Electives • Clinical Practicum: 600 hours in the field

14. MSW Concentration: Social Change • Core: • Social Work and the Law • Organizational Leadership for Social Workers • Empowering Communities for Change • Advanced Research in SW

15. MSW Concentration: Social Change (cont.) • Advanced Policy Courses: • Immigration Policy • Social Policy for Children and Youth • Aging Programs and Policies • Electives • Social Change Practicum: 600 hours in the field

16. The Field Philosophy • Field Instruction as an Investment • in the student • in the agency • in the profession • Field Instruction as Community Service • giving back • passing the torch to the “next generation” • Field Instruction as Professional Growth

17. Field Training • Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Guidelines • Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS, 2008) • Educational Policy 2.3 Signature Pedagogy: Field Education: “Signature pedagogy represents the forms 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.”

18. CSWE Competencies • CSWE Competencies (At all program levels – BSW and MSW) • Identify with the social work profession and behave professionally. • Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice. • Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments. • Engage diversity and difference in practice • Promote human rights and social justice.

19. CSWE Competencies (cont.) • Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. • Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment. • Engage in policy practice to deliver effective social work services. • Respond to and shape an ever-changing professional context. • Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

20. Cultural Competence – Working with People who have been Marginalized • Encourage cultural competence in training and supervision • Be mindful of cultural aspects of the organization or agency, service delivery and within the supervisory relationship • age • SES/educational background • gender • ethnicity/race • religion • sexual nature • others

21. Field-based Learning across the Curricula BSW Junior Year Human Service Experience Requirements • 60 hours in human service context BSW (Senior Year) and Foundation (1st year) MSW • Parallel curricula • BSW- 225 hours per semester* • MSW 1st year - 225 hours per semester* MSW (2nd year) Concentration year • Clinical AFI must be 3 years post masters (all other practicum levels require AFI to be 2 years post masters) • 300 hours per semester* * minimum requirement and does not include time required to attend field seminars

22. Who’s Who - Roles and Responsibilities • Field Director • Associate Field Director • Field Coordinator • Faculty Field Liaisons • Agency Field Instructors • Task Supervisors

23. Task Supervisors • MSW or Non-MSW field supervisors • assigned by the Agency Field Instructor to provide specialized instruction • reports to the Agency Field Instructor regularly regarding all matters related to the student’s performance • Agency Field Instructor maintains primary legal and supervisory responsibility for the student and related documentation

24. Documentation • All forms are found in the Field Manual, available online at: • http://chhs.gmu.edu/sw/fieldeducation • Format of documents may change to better reflect curriculum goals and professional competencies • Ipt system – Intern Placement Tracking • http://www.runiptca.com/web/login.php

25. Documentation (continued) • Weekly Journals • components: • Summary of field activities • Highlights and Challenges • Competencies demonstrated • Ethics / Values Issues • What would improve your learning; Learning objectives for next week • Used to document professional growth and skill development • Process Recordings (2 per semester or more)

26. Documentation (continued) • Time Log of Field Hours • should be submitted and signed weekly – • helps to identify if the student is on-track for completing requirements on schedule • Are there excessive absences? • Do activities reflect goals outlined in the learning agreement? • Do activities match what the student should be doing at that point in the semester? • Is supervision happening regularly • RISK MANAGMENT

27. Learning Agreement

28. Field Practicum from Beginning to End Placement Process:

29. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • The Interview • Identification of appropriate candidates • agency or student may decline opportunity for interview • Interview Strategy: Use of vignettes • best and worst case scenarios • information about skills and weaknesses • issues that may interfere with service delivery

30. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • The Interview – (cont.) • Interview Strategy: Review background • to match student to activities • to guide orientation and supervision • Interview Strategy: Introduction to organizational structure and agency functions

31. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Making the Offer: • Adapting employee policies • Background checks, drug testing, medical clearance, etc • Identifying an agency field coordinator • Functions as primary contact to GMU Field Program • Secure Offer for Internship • Is ALWAYS the agency’s decision to accept/fail to accept a student • Student follows up by completing electronic confirmation form and provides significant information regarding placement location and field instructor contact information

32. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Issue: Employmentwith/by Internship Setting – Generally not permitted • Petition for employment must be submitted AND approved before credit can be obtained for practicum • Never offer students employment in the middle of the practicum • this drastically changes their status with the agency and the practicum component of the Department of Social Work • consider a stipend as an alternative • any changes in the student’s status must be reviewed by the Field Liaison and Field Director

33. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Supervision • Required - 1 hour of clinical and/or administrative supervision weekly by the Agency Field Instructor (MSW) with access to AFI or preceptor daily • plan for AFI/task supervisor availability (i.e., vacations) • Frequent and regular communication with task supervisor • critical for evaluation and problem-solving • Preparation for supervision • use agendas, learning agreements and journals • Accountability • document, document, document • Mandating student accountability for hours, assignments, quality/ethically based work • Legal issues: Vicarious Liability & Risk Management

34. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Trouble-shooting and Problem Resolution • Student or Agency Field Instructor may initiate this process • Step One: monitor and document problem areas • verbally address with the student • establish plan for improvement • explore clinical and ethical concerns • consider a “Memo of Concern” • Step Two: contact Field Liaison for a meeting • Corrective Action Plan form • evaluation of progress toward problem resolution • Step Three: contact Field Director • evaluation for further intervention or field practicum termination or change

35. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Evaluation and Transition • Evaluation should be a continuous process • evaluation competencies should be reviewed in the beginning • there should be no “surprises” on the evaluation form • forms should be ACCURATELY reflect student competencies relative to level in the training program by semester • “grade” or reluctance to put information “on the record” should not interfere with ratings or narrative • students evaluate practicum experience and Agency Field Instructor as feedback to University and Field Education Program

36. Field Practicum from Beginning to End • Transition • begin early to prepare the student for transition with clients, the agency and “role” as student • “endings as beginnings”

37. A Final Thought • Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at CmabrigdeUinervtisy, • it deosn'tmttaer in wahtoredr the ltteers in a wrod are, • the olnyiprmoetnttihng is taht the frist and lsatltteer be at the rghitpclae. • The rset can be a toatlmses and you can sitllraed it wouthitporbelm. • Tihs is bcuseae the huamnmniddeos not raederveylteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

38. A few more?.... • A vheclieepxledod at a plociecehckipont near the UN haduqertares in Bagahdd on Mnodaykilinlg the bmober and an Irqaipolcieoffceir • Big ccunoil tax ineesacrstihsyaerhvaeseezueqd the inmcoes of mnaypneosenirs • A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageeneceacnrpintaet who deidaetfr a hatospildurg blender

39. Documentation (continued) • The Learning Agreement • a “contract” for the semester • tool to identify core competencies (BSW, MSW) • 2nd semester - should reflect increased autonomy and responsibility • used to evaluate progress and problems • micro, mezzo and macro activities as appropriate • protects the student, the agency and the school • an addendum can be submitted at any time to reflect changes to activities

40. Documentation (continued) • The Learning Agreement (continued) • S.M.A.R.T. Goals • Specific • Measurable • Achievable/Accountability • Realistic & Relevant • Timeline

41. Documentation (continued) • What Students Need to Submit to the Field Program • Learning Agreement • column (1) of LA/Eval document • approximately 3rd week of semester (to be kept in file at school) • Midterm • column (2) of LA/Eval document; the mid-term evaluation, reviewed with the student (and task supervisor, if appropriate) and signed by the AFI and student • journal entries for the first half of semester should be completed in IPT • time logs for first half of semester should be completed in IPT

42. Documentation (continued) • Evaluation Forms • includes both numerical ratings and narratives • the evaluation comprises 30% of the total grade at final • items reflect CSWE identified competencies • midterm evaluations should reflect the student’s progress toward competencies - excessive “5” ratings at midterm raise the question of the quality of experience for the second half of the semester, i.e., what are students gaining from the rest of practicum? • A pattern of excessive “1” ratings reflects significant underperformance

43. Essentially… • Students should be evaluated on how they are performing AT THEIR LEVEL, i.e., a first semester BSW student, second semester concentration MSW, etc. & over the semester time period. • problem areas and strengths should be clearly documented