Rotations in Field Education

1. Rotations in Field Education Virginia Cooke Robbins, LMSW-AP Director of Field Education University of Houston Noell L. Rowan, Ph.D. LCSW, CADC, ACSW Assistant Research Professor Kent School of Social Work University of Louisville HPPAE Orientation/Training NYAM February, 2008 www.socialworkleadership.org

2. What is rotation? • The moving of students in a planned and systematic fashion from one field setting to another in order to ensure that they experience the range of practice arenas, service delivery systems, and client populations. • (Cuzzi, Holden, Rutter, et. al. 1996) www.socialworkleadership.org

3. Why have rotations? • Range of Exposures • a. Diversity of the older adult population • b. Complexity of the service delivery system • c. Practice opportunities at all systems levels • d. Interdisciplinary practice opportunities Continued… www.socialworkleadership.org

4. Why have rotations? • Opportunity to study organizational context of social work practice in preparation for recommending change based on best practices in different agencies • Students become more focused on their own educational preparation and gaps in learning, with opportunities to address those gaps. www.socialworkleadership.org

5. Variations in the rotation model Categories of variance 1. Year (Foundation or Concentration/Advanced) 2. Length (1 semester or 2, 1 or 2 days per week) 3. Timing (concurrent, sequential, block) 4. Number of settings to be used (2-5) www.socialworkleadership.org

6. Variations in the rotation model Categories of variance 5. Type of agency setting (preventive program to end of life services) 6. Clientele (well elderly, functionally impaired, frail, end of life) 7. Learning assignments for students (direct practice, program planning and evaluation, community assessment and development, advocacy) 8. Number and type of field instructors www.socialworkleadership.org

7. Internal versus external rotation designs • Internal rotations: The assignment of students to different departments within a large agency system • 2. External rotations: The assignment of students to separate agencies either concurrently or sequentially during an academic year www.socialworkleadership.org

8. Variations in field instruction • One primary agency-based field instructor with task supervisors or preceptors in additional programs or agencies • Two or more agency-based field instructors, one for each rotation • A university-based field instructor with task supervisors or preceptors in agencies www.socialworkleadership.org

9. Kent School Student RotationExample: Internal RotationConcurrent Placement Practicum Placement Field Liaison Primary Supervisor Program A 3/4 Intern Program B 1/4 Supervisor Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville, Kentucky www.socialworkleadership.org

10. Kent School Student RotationExample: External RotationConcurrent Placement Program B 1/4 Field Liaison Primary Supervisor Program A 3/4 Intern Supervisor Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville, Kentucky www.socialworkleadership.org

11. How to ensure learning across multiple sites during rotations • Expressed Concern: That student learning becomes disjointed and lacking depth with multiple placement experiences • 2. The Challenge: To ensure conceptual linkage of experience within the diversity afforded by the rotations www.socialworkleadership.org

12. Strategies that have worked: • Orient students to the rotation model • Review the Older Adult Matrix with students • Use field instructors who are familiar with the work of all agencies to assist with learning transitions • Track student experiences • Use the tool to measure competencies for geriatric social work • Convene seminars for students www.socialworkleadership.org

13. More strategies that have worked 7. Faculty meets with agency supervisors to discuss what would be a win-win using a rotation model. 8. Be flexible with the number of hours in each agency site for a rotation throughout the practicum. 9. Engage students in community or university projects to enhance learning (e.g. Standardized Patient) www.socialworkleadership.org

14. What’s in it for the field instructor? www.socialworkleadership.org

15. New requirements (increased stress) • Instruct multiple students for shorter time periods • 2. Increase collaboration with other field instructors or preceptors within their own agency but in different service areas or in different agencies in the aging network • 3. Increased coordination of learning experiences for students www.socialworkleadership.org

16. New benefits (invigorating) • Can view their own practice in a larger context, incorporating connections for clients across the artificiality of defined agency boundaries • 2. Become equal partners with academic faculty in the educational process as they are engaged in developing, implementing, and refining the practicum learning experiences to reflect ongoing change in the community www.socialworkleadership.org

17. What’s in it for the field director? www.socialworkleadership.org

18. New requirements (increased stress) • Work with aging agencies in a different way, including creating, leading, and nurturing the consortium of agencies • Recruit and train faculty and field instructors • Recruit and orient students • Administer the rotation process • Participate in evaluation of the model www.socialworkleadership.org

19. New benefits (invigorating) • Shared academy responsibility with the practice community reduces isolation of the field director • Shared work so that with all pieces in place the model can run as efficiently as the traditional model • Generates collaborative research and teaching ventures that ultimately strengthen the educational opportunities for students www.socialworkleadership.org

20. YES !!! For the up-front, start-up tasks NO !!! In the long-term Will the field education office need additional resources to implement rotations? THE KEY: A strong consortium will assume most tasks. www.socialworkleadership.org

21. Checklist for ensuring successful implementation of rotations in aging agencies • Select students who have demonstrated good academic skills and experiential skills • Provide an orientation to rotation for students, field instructors and faculty advisors • Establish a strong partnership between MSW programs and participating agencies Continued… www.socialworkleadership.org

22. Checklist for ensuring successful implementation of rotations in aging agencies • Maintain strong avenues of communication between the university and field agencies • Assign students a field liaison who is an expert in the field of aging www.socialworkleadership.org

23. Checklist for ensuring successful implementation of rotations in aging agencies • Customize rotation to meet students’ learning requirements • Collaborate with aging agencies serving as field sites to arrange and organize rotations • Maintain ongoing communication between field instructors and preceptors or task supervisors across agencies or departments www.socialworkleadership.org

24. Checklist for ensuring successful implementation of rotations in aging agencies • Provide educational enrichment seminars for students in gerontology or geriatrics • Provide students with regularly scheduled integrative seminars with academic and field faculty for group advisement, information sharing and career mentoring www.socialworkleadership.org

25. Questions ??? www.socialworkleadership.org