Internships in Aging Project School of Social Welfare – University at Albany

1. Internships in Aging ProjectSchool of Social Welfare – University at Albany FIELD INSTRUCTORS ORIENTATION 2005 Anne E. (Ricky) Fortune, PhD, ACSW – Principal Investigator Bonita Sanchez, MSW – Director of Field Linda K. P. Mertz, CSW-R – Project Coordinator Anna Zendell, MSW – Doctoral Assistant

2. Agenda for Field Instructors’ Meeting • Introductions • Requirements for interns • Rotations • Other requirements • Supplemental information

3. 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

4. Alzheimer’s Association of NENY Bethlehem Senior Services Centro Civico of Amsterdam Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center Elder Network of the Capital Region Good Samaritan Nursing Home Jewish Family Services of NENY Montgomery County Office for Aging, Inc NYS Office for Aging NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Northeast Health (Eddy Ford Nursing Home, Marjorie Doyle Rockwell Center, Samaritan Hospital) Senior Services of Albany St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam St. Peter’s Hospital Stratton VA Medical Center Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center Participating Agencies for 2005-2006

5. IAP Requirements for Interns • Complete 95.5 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

6. 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

7. What’s a Rotation? 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 How many rotations are required? • No less than two, no more than four

8. 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?

9. 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 learning agreement

10. 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

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

12. 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 and 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

13. Other requirements for 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

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

15. 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 or Advisory Board • 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

16. Supplemental Information • Governance of IAP • Committee descriptions • Financial sustainability • Project evaluation

17. Advisory Board Makes recommendations to the Executive Committee Fosters collaboration regarding student education Reviews and provides feedback to committees Participates in reporting to funders Membership from all agencies involved in project and other interested parties Executive Committee Provides guidance for IAP Plans for continuation of project Fund raising Collaboration with school and with other agencies committee members selected for limited terms Governance for IAP

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

19. Financial Sustainability Received funding from (2000-2005): • The John A. Hartford Foundation • The William Randolph Hearst Foundation • NYS Legislature • School of Social Welfare • Troy Savings Bank Foundation • SSW alumni • Hudson-Mohawk Area Health Education Consortium • United Way • Jewish Federation of NENY • Support from agencies for their interns (2005-2006): • Veteran’s Administration • Susan Sherman Endowment (for JFS) • NYS Office for Aging • NYS Office for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services

20. Project Evaluation • Ongoing 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 • Exit survey of interns’ self-assessed competencies