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·-SOCIAL WORK EDUCATIO N AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:
A NATI ONAL SURVEY OF UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAMS
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova, Ph.D.Jane Addams College of Social Work
University ofIIJinois at ChicagoChicago, Illinois ( 1997)
1. Introduction
Social work education inthe fieldof developmental disabilities (DO) at University Affiliated Programs
(UAPs) wasexamined through a national survey of UAP social work faculty. Data were collected during the winter
and spring of 1996 by means ofan original 30 page mailed, self-administeredquestionnaire, which yielded a response
rate ef88 .3 percent.
The purposes of this broad-based. exploratory. descriptive study were: to describethe affiliation patterns
between UAPs and social work educational programs; to describe the status andcharacteristics of social work
training at UAPs~ to describe social work discipline coordinators' job activities and to identifyjob activities
considered to bethe most important for improving social work education inDO; to ascertain satisfaction with and
strategies for improving social work education in DO; and to determine what UAP organizational factors were
associated with increased UAP social work training.
II. Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
Table I provides a summary of thedemographic characteristics of respondents. The original intent was to survey
the SWDC or position equivalent areach UAP. H",,= , because: only22 of the 53 UAPs bada SWDC it W<lS necessary
to secure an alternative respondents. Foran additional 15 UAPs, analternative social worker respondent was secured. For
the remaining 16 UAPs, the most knowledgeable respondent aboutsocialworktraining at the UAP was secured based upon
thediscretion of the UAPccetact source. There is no way to ascertain thenon-SWDCs' knowledge base and familiarity
with the many dimensions of social work educationand UAPs surveyed in this research. Thus, the results presented should
be understood \Vithin this context.
lnstiture on Disability and Human DevelopmentUniversity cf Illinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fiusimons-c- ve Ph.D.
TABLE I: SELECT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS
Characteristic Number Percent
GenderFemal eMale
TotalRace
White (not Hispanic)HispanicAsianlPacific IslanderOther
TotalHighest Level of Education
MSWOther Master's degreeDSW or Ph .D. in Social WorkOth er Ph.D. or doctorate
Tola lYears Affiliated with UAP
045-910-1415-1920 or more years
TotalAge of Respondent
30-39-lO-l9
50-5960~9
70 or olderNo answer
TotalUAP Salary
$24.9 99 or less$25.000-$34.999$35 .000-$44.999$45.000 -$54.999$55.000-$64.999S65.000 or more
TolalUAP Job Classifica tion
Social Work Discip line Coo rdinator or DirectorSocial Worker. other roleSocial Worker at affiliated social work education.a.l programIDT Pre-service Training Coo rdinatorOth er (non-social worker)
Total
2
31 58.522 '1.5S3 100.0
' 8 90 .63 5.6I 1.9I 1.9
53 100.0
H ' 5.32 3.79 17.0
18 34.0S3 lOtt O
16 30 .219 35 ,97 13.25 9"6 11.3
53 100.0
5 9..26 49,018 H .O2 3.8I 1.9I 1.9
S3 100.0
8 15.18 15.1
12 22.6
" 26.4, 7.67 13.2
S3 100.0
22 41.5II 20,8, 7.58 15. 18 15.1
S3 100.0
insti~li.m Disabilityand HumanDevelopmentUniversity of llIinois at Chicago
NancyM. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph.D
TABLE I: SELECT DEMOGRAPIDC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS (Continued)
Characteristic
Faculty AppoinunentYesNo
Tolal
RankInstructor. lecturer. adjunct facultyAssistant ProfessorAssociate ProfessorFull ProfessorOther
Tolal
Facul~' Appoimmem Department"Social WorkMedicineJPediatricsEducationPsychologyAssociated HealthPsychiatryOther
Number Percent
46 86,87 13.2
53 100.0
17 37.010 21.79 19.68 17.42 4.3
46 100.0
20 43.SII 23.910 21.74 8.74 8.72 4.33 6.5
"Presented in proponion. Several respondents had faculty appointments in more than one department.
III. Demographic Characteristics o( University Affiliated Programs
Table II presents data for the characteristics that describe the UAPs in the study. The length of time the 53
programs have been full member UAPs averaged 16.4 years, with a minimwn of'two years and a maximwn of 24
years . The most recent year that UAP funding source data were available from the American Association of
University Affiliated Programs (AAUAP) was FY 1994. For this study' s purposes the following types of financial
data were obtained and anal yzed: total UAP funding. Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) UAP
core grant funding, and Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Grant (MCHLTG) funding . Total funding
infonnation was not available for two of the UAPs in the study. There was considerable variation in the total FY
1994 UAP funding for the 51 programs that funding information was available. The average total UAP budget was
S6.293.247 dollars . The ADD provided a core gran t to all but one of the UAPs in the study. Forty-four UAPs were
recipients of the customary core grant, $200,000 dollars. Seve~ programs received addit ional money for special
3
Institute on Disability and Human DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzs imons-Cr va Ph.D
VA P proj ects and trai ning init iatives fu nded by the ADD. The Mat ernal and Chi ld Health Bu reau provided a
leadership tra ining grant to 26 of the UA Ps in the stu dy, with an average award am ou nt of $612,773 dolla rs . The
length of time the 26 programs had been receiving the M CHLTG ranged from one to 30 years, averag ing a lmost 20
yea rs .
TAB LE II: SELECT VAP DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
Charac teristic
Years full member UAP0-56-1011 -1516-201 1 or moreNo answer
Tot a lTotal Funds
Less tha n 5999,9995 1.000.000 - 53,999,999$" .000.000 - $6.999.99957.000.000 - 59.999.999510.000.000 - 5 12.999,9995 13.000.000 - 5 15.999.999516.000.000 or more
Total
MCH funding award
Number Percent
7 13.212 11 .62 3 83 5.7
28 52.8I 1.9
53 100.0
" 7.826 51.010 19.63 5.93 5.92 3.93 5.9
51 JIIII.n
L
Less than 5400,0005400.000 ·5499.9995500.000·5599.9995600.000 - 5699.999$700.000 - $799.999$900.000 - $999.9995 1.000.000 or more
To(al
I1055I3I
26
3.838.519.319.33.8
11 .53.8
100.0
Insti-tute ~n Disabi lity and Human DevelopmentUniver sity of Illinois al Chicago
IV. Research Questions and Find ings
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cove Ph.D.
Question One: What are the affiliation patterns between Univers ity Affiliated Programs and social
work educational pro2;rams?
Respondents reported a total of 151 social wo rk educational programs (SWEPs) in thegeographic services
areas throughout the UAP network. The number of programs ranged from zero to eight wi th an average of2.9.
Over 90 percent ofal l VAPs had an affiliation with a least one SWEP. The most common type of program
affiliation was between UAPs and SWEPs at theparent university. Ninety-two percent of the 40 UAPs that had a
SWE P at their parent university reported an affiliation between the programs. The three most frequently cited types
of affiliations were: the UAP served as a field instruction site for social work students (97.3%); UAP social work
faculty had a joint UAP/social ,..ork educational program faculty appointment (51 .4%); and UAP social work staff
taught or guest lectured in a non-DO specific social work course (5 I.4%). In addition. almost 33 percent ofUAPs
had a affi liation with a social work educational program outs ide ofthc parent university. In summary, responden ts
reported having an affiliation ,..-ith 82 of the 151 SWEPs (54%) wi thin the UAP network 's geographic service area.
The results indicated that there is room for expanding the affil iations between UAPs and soc ial work educational
program s throughout the network.
(
0 • • Q~e~tion Two:
Progr ams?
What is the current status of pre-service social work training at Univers ity Affiliated
(
Almost 89 percent (47 out of 53) UAPs provided pre-service training to socia l work students for an average
of 16 years (range one to 32) . For approximately three-quarters of the programs, the training occ urred. as part of the IUAP's Interdisciplinary Tra ining Program. Only 17 programs (37 %) had a written social work training curriculum. ~ ~A total of 514 social work students were trained. during the academic years of 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 (based. on
data from 42 of the 47 UAPs who reported training social work students ). The average number of students trained
during the three year reporting period. per UAP was approximately 12, however there was considerable vari ation
among programs. The educational level ofsocial work trainees were 76.5 percent (n=393) masters ' level students ,
21 .6 percent (n=ll l) bachelors ' level stu dents , and 1.9 percent (0=10) doctoral level students. A majority of UAPs
s
Institute on Disability and Hwnan Developmen tUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova PhD.
(85.7%) had some form of financial support available for trainees during the three academic years surveyed. The
most commonly available type of financial support was Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Grant
stipends. The majority of respondents (73%) indicated that more students could have been trained at the UAP. The reasons
cited for nor training more students included : ( I) lack of social work students ' inte rest in the field of mental retardation and
developmental disabilities (47%); (2) lack of student referrals or app ropri ate student referrals from social work educational
programs (44%); (3) lack of social work educational program facul ty knowledge abou t V APs and the field of DO (17.6%), (4)
lack ofUAP staff to supervise trai nees (26.5%), and (5) lack of stipends ( O support trainees (8 .8%).
/ / Question Three: Do pre-service social work students receive adequate education about mental
ret ardation and developmental disabilities prior to commencement of UAP trainin g?
The data indicated that UAP social work students do not possess adequate knowledge about mental
retardation and other developmental disabilities prior to commencement of UAP training. Almost two-thirds of
respondents indicated that trainees possessed adequate knowledge in only four of th e 16 content areas surveyed. In
only two areas did greater than 50 percent of respondents believe students possessed adequate knowledge: ( I) normal
biological and psychological development; and (2) cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic variation.
Question Four: What mental ret ardation and developmental disability cur r iculum content areas
should pre-service social work students have introductory knowledge prior to commencement of UAP
training?
There was less consensus regarding the content a reas that trainees should have introductory knowledge prior
to the commencement of training. The content areas in which more thanhalfof respondents indicated trainees should
have introductory knowledge were: (I) cultural, ethnic, religious and economic varia tion (95.6%); abnormal
biological and psychological development (86.4%); normal biological and psychological development (81.8%);
prenatal and perinatal influences on development (64.4 %); methods of intervention with parents , siblings, and
families (62.2%); OD etiology, incidence, prevalence and effects (60%); impact of DO on parents, siblings and
families (57.8%): societal att itudes and social implications of 00 (57.8%); and the interdisciplinary team process
and the role of the social worker (55 .6%).
6
Institute on Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUniversity of Dlinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph,D,
Question Five: What are the characteri stics of pre-service social wo r k t raininJ: at University Affiliated
ProJ:r ams?
The major characteristics of UAP training examined in this study were: ( I) the loca tion of training. (2) the
method of training, (3) training with disability populations, (4) training wi th age groups, (5) DD curriculum training,
and (6) soc ial work stills training. It is important to note that the results are based upon the training context and
training content that the average pre-service social work student received during the three year reporting period .
There was considerable variation in the number and type ofpractice training locations. The modal number
of traini ng locations was one, however, locations ranged from one to five. Whi le a university medical center was the
most commonly reported training location (67%), the more recent emphasis in outreach and community-based
services was evident in the proportion of UAPs that provided training in non-university based settings, such as family
home and residential settings (53 .3%) , school or vocational sett ings (44.4%), and community-based clinics (8.9%) .
The method of tra ining for virtually al l of the UAPs that provided training was within the field instruction context
(97.6%), with three-quarters a lso combining courses, seminars, or another fonn of formaJ instruction .
The analysis of training with disab ility pop ulations revealed the greatest variation in the amount rather than
the ava ilability of training with each group. The greatest availability of training was with persons wi th mental
retardation (100 %) and with cerebral pals)' (100 %) . The greatest amount or competency level of training, as would
be expected, was with persons with mental retardation. Data indicated that the emphasis of tra ining by age group
was with families with children, especially families with children 12 years old and younger. In contrast, there
appears to be a deficit in training withadults age 56 years and older .
There was greate r variation among the UAPs in the training of social work skills than in the training of DD
curriculum. Overall, training was provided by the majority ofUAPs in the 16 DD curriculum content areas surveyed
(see Table III on page 8). Tbe two areas in v..hich all of the UAPs provided training were the interdisciplinary team
process and the role of social work, and the DD service delivery system. The variation in training abou t DO
throughout the network ofUAPs was in the amount or competency level of training, however, the majority ofUAPs
provided a moderate amount of training in a broad array of subjec t matter .
7
Institute on Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUniversity of lll inois al Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cove Ph.D
TABLE 01: UAP TRAlNL~G IN . 6 DO CURRICULUM CONTENT AREASBY COlllPETEN CY LEVEL OF TRAINING
SIUII Basic Awareness & NoApplication & Knowledge & Orientation Training
Content Area Transfer Leve l Skil l Level LevelInterdiscipl inary learn processand the role of social wo rk", 63.6 27.3 9.1 0.0
DO services. servicedelivery system. an d trends . 51.1 42.2 6.7 0.0
Impact of OD on parents.siblings, fami lies. 5 1.1 37.8 8.9 2.2
Methods of intervenu on withpatents. siblings. fami lies , 46.7 42.2 8.9 2.2
Role an d comribution of otherdisciplines in DO. 40.0 -'2 .2 15.6 2.2
Methods of assessment/diagnosis.forms of amelioration. treatment.rehabilitation an d education. 37.8 46.6 15.6 0.0
DO etiology. incidence.prevalence & effects. 35.6 42.2 22.2 0.0
Federal & state policies a nd lawsabout DO. 35.6 48.8 15.6 0.0
Cultura l. ethnic. religious a nd ·economic va riation. 31.1 37.8 28.9 2.2
Societa l alti tudes & socialimplications of 00. 31.1 46.7 22.2 0.0
Prenatal & perinatal infl uenceson development. 26.7 33.3 31.1 8.9
Legal righ ts an d remedies . 24.4 51.2 24,4 0.0History of services & treatment10 persons wi th 00'. 20.5 31.8 47.7 0.0
Nonnal biological andpsychological development. 11.1 26.7 46.6 15.6
H istory and contributionsocial work in 00-. 9.1 13.6 56.8 20.5
Abnonnal biological andpsycbclogical developm ent. 0.0 24.4 33.3 42.3
N-45. two respondent did not answer the question.'N : 44. three respondents did not answer the quest ion.
8
lnsntute on Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUniversity of Ilhnois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph D
In comparison, at least one VAP and up to 13 VAPs did not provide training in each of the 16 social work
skill areas surveyed (see Table IV below). The majority of VAPs provided training in consumer advocacy, case
management. and individual. family and group treatment methods . In addition, there was considerable diversity in
the amount or competencylevel of training in each of the skill areas. The only skill area in which over 50 percent of
VAPs provided a great amount of training was in client interview and assessment skills.
TABLE IV: UAP TRAINING IN 16 SOCIAL WORK SKI LL ARE ASBY COMPETENCY LEVEL OF TRAINING
Skill Basic Awareness & NoApplication & Knowledge & Orienta tion Training
Skill Area Transfer Level Skill Level Level
Conduct client interviews & assess ments. 53.3 26.7 6.7 13.3
Conduct and write diagnosticpsycho-social assessments . 46.7 20.0 20.0 13.3
Write client progress notes ..... 28.9 11.1 15.6
Case management . 40.0 37.8 15.6 6.6
Information and referral. 37.8 42.2 11.1 8.9
Individual. fami ly. and grouptreatment methods. 3D 28.9 31.1 6.7
Consumer advocacy. 28.9 40.0 28.9 2.2
Write se....ice delivery plans. 24.4 51.1 . 15.6 8.9
Facilitate a support group. 22.2 22.2 40.0 15.6
Facilitate a skills tra ining group. 17.8 26.7 40.0 15.5
Intake. 20.0 26.7 3D 20.0
Usc of standardized instruments
and measures for clinical practice. 17.8 22.2 40.0 20.0
Leadership skills. 17.8 46.7 26.7 8.8
Methods for evaluation of practice. 8 8 40.0 35.6 15.6
N=4S. llA'O respondent did noI.llflS\A'ef the questions .
9
Instira tc on Disability and Human DevelopmentUniversitycf lllincis al Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cove Ph.D
Qu estion Six: What ty pes of job activities do social work discipline coordinators engage in most
frequently?
The analysi s concerning social work discipline coordinators (SWDC) found that only 22 of the UAPs had a
SWDC. Respondents were provided with a list of J& job activities portrayed in the literature as constituting SWDC
job activities and were asked to rank time spent on a five point Likert type scale ("0" for no time to "4" for a very
great amount of time defined as "daily performance of the activity"). SWDCs spent thc most time, at least weekly,
performing internal UAP activities which centered on student training and clinica l services. The least performed
activities. that is less than monthly, were outreach and networking oriented activities, such as collaborating with
social workers from other UAPs and parti cipating on social work educational program curriculum comm..inees .
Quest ion Seven: What jo b activities are most important for improving social work educati on in the
field of mental reta rdat ion and developmental disabi lities?
Based upon the same list of 18 job act ivi ties, respondents rated the importance for improving social wo rk
education in the field of DO on a 4 point Likert type scale ("I " for unimportant defined as "no contribution to
improve social work education" to "4" for very important defined as"an activity crucial to improve social work
education". SWDCs indicated that all of the 18 job activities listed were important for improving social work
education about DO. The five job activities that scored highest in importance were: ( I) recruiting. selecting. and
training social work students (Mean 3.9); (2) consulting with DD community service agencies (Mean 3.4); (3)
serving as lia ison between the UAP and social work educational programs (Mean 3.3); (4) participating on the
VAP's interdisciplinary tra ining committee (Mean 3.3); and (5) directing/providing clinical services (Mean 3.2).
Question Eight: Are social work discipline coordinat or satisfied with social work educati on and UAPs
in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities?
In order to determine satisfaction with social work and VAPs in the field ofmental retardation and
developmental disabilities, respondents were asked to rank their level of satisfaction on eight dimensions related to
social work and VAPs. Severa l of the non-social worker respondents answered the satisfaction questions. Therefore.
three groups of respondents were used and compared in the analysis for this question: (1) social work discipline
10
lnsti'tute on Duebili ryand Iluman DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cove Ph_D
coordinators. (2) all other identified social workers, and (3) al l non-social workers. Respondents as a group had an
overall cautious sense of satisfaction with social work and UAPs in the field of DD. The area of least satisfaction
was in educat ion ofsocial wo rk students about DD at social work educational programs. The two areas of greatest
satisfaction were with pre-service training at the UAP and the relationship between UAPs and SWEPs. Social work
respondents generally reported greater satisfaction than non-social work respondents in all areas examined .
Question Nine: What strategies do social work discipl ine toordinators recommend for improving
social work educat ion in the field of mental retardat ion and developmental disabiliti fi?
Respondents indicated what strategies they would recommend to improve eight dimensions ofsocial work
and UAPs in the field of DO. Using open ended questions to obtain strategies enabled respondents to independently
generate ideas based upon their CMn perception of the needs and deficits of each dimension surveyed. As a result, a
broad array ofstrategies were recommended for each dimension. The strategies generally fell into one of three
categories: macro, meso, or micro level. Macro level initiatives entail broad scaled efforts to systemically impact the
UAP network or social work education policy . Examp les of macro level initiatives were lobbyi ng the CSWE to
change social work curriculum policy and developing UAP network social work training standards. Meso level
initiatives focus on a particular UAP in conjunction with the social work educational programs and other health and
social welfare agencies in the UAP's geographic service area . Examples of meso level stra tegies were having UAP. . '
social work faculty serve on social work educational program curri culum committees and having UAP social workers
establish field instruction sites at community agencies serving the 00 population. The final category, micro level,
entailed strategies targeting the internal operations of an individual UAP, The largest array of strategies focus on
micro level change. Examples included hiring additiona l social work faculty and increasing UAP funding for student
training. A common denominator, at al l three levels of change. entailed increased efforts and outreach on the part of
UAP social work faculty.
II
Instituteon Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUniversity ofDJinois al Chicago
Nancy M. fitzsimons-Cova Ph.D.
Question Ten: What University Affiliated Program organizational (actors are associated with
increased pre-service social work tr aining?
The three organizational variables used in the analyses were: (1) availability of the Maternal and Child
Health Leadership Training Grant. (2) UAP generation, and (3) budget size. Five variables were selected to
represent pre-service training: (1) the availability of training social work students. (2) the availability ofa written
social work trainingcurriculum in DO. (3) the total number ofstudents trained at each UAP during the three year
reporting period. (4) the amount of DO curriculum content training. and (5) the amount of social work skills
training. Two measures of association. both proportional reductionoferror (PRE) measures, were used to examine
the existence, direction, and degree of association between each of the organizational and pre-service training
variables: Lambda (A) and Gamma (y).
An initial assumption of this research was that UAPs that were recipients of the Maternal and Child Health
Leadership Training Grant would be more likely to have a more organized social work training program. resulting in
increased pre-service social work student training, The results of this analysis, generally supports this assumption.
There appeared to be a moderately positive association between the availability of MCH funding and two of the
variables measuringpre-service training: availabilityofa wri tten social work curriculum and amount of social work
skills trai~ing . Availability of MCH funding was strongly associated with training larger numbers of social work
students and providing a greater amount or competency level of DO content training.
The generation of UAPs. which represented the number of years as a full member program, appeared to be
positively associated with increased pre-service training on all five dimensions. However, the strength of the
associations varied and linearity varied slightlyamong the dimensions analyzed. First generation UAPs, those that
were founded between 1963 and 1974. ranked highest on four of the five pre-service training measures. Programs
that became UAPs during the second and third generations were fairly comparable in their percentilegroupings.
Therefore, based upon this preliminaryanalysis. programs that were founded during the formative period of the UAP
network appeared to be associated with increased pre-service social work training.
12
Institute on Disability and HwnanDevelopmentUniversity of Ulinoisat Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph.D
Th e final organizational variable, budget size, also appeared to be positively associated with increased pre-
service training on all five dimensions. However, the strength of the associations varied and linearity varied slightly
among the dimensions analyzed. In general, larger UAPs trained increased numbers ofsocial work students and
provided a higher competency level of DD curriculum content training.
V. Discussion of the Findings
Since the UAP network' s inception.., the profession of social work has been one of the core disciplines with
which interdisciplinary training efforts were targeted. Historically, the availability of specialized university training
of social workers at UAPs expanded the number ofspecialist social workers in the field of DD (McDonald-WikJer,
1987; Wiklcr. 1981). Based on the results of this study. training of pre-service social work students continues to be
of importance throughout the UAP network. Almost 90 percentof UAPs provided training to 514 social work;?!'~students during a three year period from 1993 to 1996. It seems reasonable to conclude that UAPs continue to make
an important contribution towards expanding the numbers of specialty social workers in the field of DO.
Virtually all of the UAPs provided training to social work students wi thin the field instruction context., with
three-quarters also combining course, seminar, or another form of'formal instruction. The results of this study
indicate that the essential characteristics ofsocial work training at UAPs are similar throughout the network.
Differences appear to be in the extent and emphasis of training dimensions. This would seem to be a strength for
UAPs in tcrms of greater flexibility in meeting students' individual needs and social work educational program
requirements.
. Deficits in social wo rk educational program curriculum about DO were evidenced in this study. Over two-
thirds of respondents, the majority ofwhom were social wo rkers. reportedstudents had adequate knowledge in only
one to four DO content areas. The two areas in which the majority of respondents indicated adequate training,
knowledge in normal biological and psychological development and cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic
variation. were not surprising given that they are CSWE mandatedareas in the social work education curriculum. It
should be noted that neither of these content areas necessarily address issues concerning DO. In addition, the two
13
Institute on Disa bihry and Human DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzs unons-Ceve Ph.D.
satisfaction questions referring to educational efforts in the field of DO at social work educational programs were
rated least favorably by social workerand non-social worker respondents alike.
Leadership in the field of DO is one of the core mandates for UAPs. Discipline faculty are calledupon to
provide leadership in their respective disciplines in the areas of practice, policy, and research. Only 22 programs had
a SWDC or position equivalent. SWDCs' spent the most time perfonning internal UAP related activities that
centered on student training and clinical services. These findings raise some concern regarding the extent with which
the leadership mandate is being fulfilled. However, in cases whereby the UAPs had a SWDC. the S\VDCs'
performed many functions, albeit to a lesser extent, whichcould be considered leadership functions outside of the
UAP (i.e.• consultation ,..'ith DO community agencies, presentation at conferences and other public forums, liaison
between UAP and social work educational programs). In addition, 86 percent of SWDCs had a faculty appointment,
with thc majority having an appointment in social work.
The examination of the affiliation between UAPs and social work educational programs found that over 90
percent had an affiliation ....i th at least one educational program in their geographic service area. Based on the results
of the affiliation patterns, it appears as though there is a good foundation from which UAP and social work
educational program faculty can expand and strengthen their relationships.
A priority of this study was to generate ideas and identify activities for improvingeducation of social
workers for practice with persons with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities and their families.
This was accomplished via two courses of inquiry. First, SWDCs rated 18 job activities in tenns of there importance
for improving social work: education in DO. This study found that SWDCs regarded all of the job activities they
perfonned as important . The results may indicate that SWDCs view the current state ofsocial work: education in 00
as so deficient that any course of action would be of benefit. It is also possible that the broad nature of the question
contributed to the absence ofclearly delineated priority efforts. The second course of inquiry entailed asking
respondents, social workers and non-social workers alike, to identify strategies for improving social work education
about DO. The broad nature of these questions may have contributed towards generating a wide array of strategies
which generally fell into one of three categories: macro, meso, and micro. Macro initiatives entailedbroad scaled
14
Institute on Disability and IIwnan DevelopmentUniversity of llIinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph.D.
efforts to systematically impact the UAP network and social work education policy. Meso level initiatives focused on
a particular UAP in conjunction with the social work educational programs and other types of programs in the
geographicservice area. Micro level initiatives entailed strategies targeting the internal operations of an individual
UAP. The results of both courses of inquiry indicate that there are multiple avenues that could be undertaken for
improving social work education in DO, but there is a lack ofconsensus regarding themost beneficialcourse of
action. Regardless of the direction taken., increasedefforts on the part of UAP social work faculty would be required.
The preferredcurriculum method for educating social 'work students about DOwas not directly addressed.
However, the findings do make somecontributioos to thediscourse surrounding thistopic. Theredoes not appear to bea
COllSClSUS among UAP social workers regarding thepreferred method for educating social " o rk students about DD. Three
different curriculummodels have been proposed in the literature: infusion. elective, and linkage (Dew eaver & Kropf,
1992). The function that themajority ofUAPs perform as a field instruction site isan excel lent example of educating
students aboutDD through thelinkage model. The limitationof this model is that only students linked to an extemaI fucilit)'
receive training about the special needs population. The infusionmodel ensures that all students receive an introduction to
DOcurriculum content. while theelectivemodel provides increased content to a smaller number ofstudents. This study
found that the majorityof SWDC and other UAP respondents had a faculty appointment, withover 40 percent having an
appointment in social work. The nature of the curriculum taught by UAPsocialworkers at social work educational
programs was not described in this study, therefore it is difficult to determine howmuch, ifany, DD curriculum contentwas
imparted. However, thepotential for expanding theeducation of socialwork students for practice with the DD population
through both the infusionand elective models eonJd be enhanced b)' tapping into the expertise of UAP social work faculty.
VI. Implicalions orIhe Research
Implication of the research will bebriefing examined in four areas: (I ) implications for social work
educational programs, (2) implications for UAP social workers, (3) implications for UAP administrators, and (4)
implications for the AAUAP, ADD, and Bureau of Maternal and Child Health.
IS
Institute on Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUnivo:rsit)· of Illinois at Chicago
A. Implications for Social Work Educational Programs.
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova Ph,D,
This study can contribute to social work educational programs' preparation of social work students for
practice with person with DO and their families along several different dimensions. The rankingof DO content
areas that students should have introductory knowledge illuminates what content is of greatest importance. This
information can be used to develop an informedcourse of action to improve curriculum content that would benefit all
social work students. The lack of expertise in the field of DO among social work faculty has been cited as a reason
for not incorporating DO content in the social work educationcurriculum. The expertise at UAPs can be utilized to
strengthen the social work curriculum in a variety of way which include: (1) UAP staff provide in-service training to
social \...ork faculty on subject matter pertaining to DO and ways to infuse the content in existing curriculum; (2)
UAP staff guest lecture in foundation and advanced courses; (3) UAP staff develop and teach elective courses about
DO: and (4) social work educational programs publicize. encourage and afford students the opportunity to take
coursesoffered by the UAP. Finally, the network-wide emphasis on training to work with children and families
indicates that the majority of UAPs can also provide field instruction for students interested in this area of practice.
as well as for training specialist social workers in the field of DO.
B. Implications for UAP Social Wor k Staff and Faculty
Four broad implications. that have particular salience for SWDCs and other UAP social work faculty. will
be expanded upon. First. the descriptive infonnation contained in this study can be used by social work faculty to
evaluate the status of social work training at their UAP \\11b network-wide activities. Depending upon the particular
results of the self-evaluation. social work faculty can use the information to develop a course of action to strengthen
their program and to justify to UAP administration theneed for additional resources.
Secondly. the lack of networking among UAP SWDCs and other social work faculty was madeclear by the
results of this study. Development of a UAP social work newsletter, connecting through electronic mail, and the
development of a web page are strategies that could be undertaken to establish ties throughout the network . A
potential undertakingof UAP social workers could be to share existing curriculumsand then develop a generic
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Irisntureo~ Disability and HwnanDevelopmentUniversityofIllinois at Chicago
Nancy M. Fuzsimc ns-Cova Ph,D.
training curricu lum. This would be ofparticula r benefit to new UAPs that have no or less training experience and to
smaller UAPs that have fewer resources.
Thirdly, the results of this study, supported by a body of literature, demonstrated the fact that social work
educational programs do not adequately educate social work students for practice with the DO population. This
information, along with a reiteration of the interdisciplinary training mission of UAPs, can be used to at minimum
justify the expenditure of current resources as well as to justify the need for greate r resources to provide training for
additional students .
Finally, the authorizing legislation ofUAPs has placed greater emphasis on outreach and technical assistance
related activities. One way to accomplish this mandate, that would be of benefit to UAPs and social work
educational programs alike. would be to afford social work faculty the opportunity to expand their relationships with
social \..o rk educat ional programs in their geographic service area. Another outreach strategy would be for UAP
social work faculty to develop field instruction sites at community-based DO service provider agencies. This strategy
can contribute along several dimensions. First , it affords UAPs that do not provide direct services greater
involvement in the training of social work students, which contributes towards fulfillment of the UAP
interdisciplinary training mandate. Secondly, it addresses the problem that some UAPs have with lack of resources
to increase the number of students trained . Thirdly , it expands the availability and array of relevant field instruction
options in the field of DO. Finally, it assists DO service provider agencies with the development of field instruction
placements that fulfill the requirements of social work educational programs,
C. Implicat ions for University Affiliated Program Administrat ors
The interdisciplinary tra ining mandate of UAPs is as relevant today for the discip line of social work as it was
when the network was first conceptualized. In order for SWDCs and other UAP social work faculty to assume a
leadership position and use their expertise to strengthen socia l work education in the field of DO, administration
support is imperative. Four areas ofsupport could be of particular benefit: ( I) assis tance in securing additiona l
money to support social work student tra ining; (2) assistance in estab lishing and strengthening affiliat ions between
the UAP and social work educational programs; (3) hiring and supporting a social work discipline coordinator with
17
Instituteon Disability and HwnanDevelopmentUniversityof Dlinois at Chicago
NancyM. Fitzsimons-Cove Ph,D
the expecta tion and resources to assume a leadership role: and (4) providing financial support for social work faculty
to attend at minimum the national AAUAP and AAMR conferences.
The study can also be used as a template from which UAP administrators can evaluate the statu s of social
work training at their particular program. In addition. the results could also be used as a "general indicator" of the
nature of DO content tra ining within the interdisciplinary context at UAPs. lfin fact interdisciplinary training is a
priority. or at minimum regarded as important. then the results of this study can be used to enhance and strengthen
student training throughout the net work.
D. Implications for the American Association of University Affiliated Programs. theAdministration on Developmental Disabilities, and the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health
In this age of smaller federa l government and increased accountability, this study can be used by the
AAUAP, ADD, and MCH Bureau to justify the continued importance of interdisciplinary training in the field of DO
at UAPs. part icula rly in the discipline of social work.
The results of this study have particular relevance for the U.S. Bureau of Matemal and Child Health given
the finding that the availability of MCH funding for leadership training at UAPs is associated wi th increased pre-
service social work student tra ining. These findings, along with earlier research on the impact of MCH funding at
UAPs, could be used to support the need for addit ional funding to expand the number of UAPs that receive the
leadership grant.
The need to strengthen the ties among SWDCs and other social work faculty was illustrated in this study.
The AAUAP and ADD could aid in this effort by awarding one of the UAPs a small grant to serve as a clearinghouse
for information about social work education and UAPs in the field of DO. The clearinghouse could solicit articles
from UAP social work faculty about local and national efforts and disseminate the information in a newsletter. The
clearinghouse could also develop and maintain a listing of resources, both personnel and curriculum materials. with
which social work educational programs and other interested parties could access to aid in improving social work
curriculum and practice in the field of DO,
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In.'<ti~uI'.--on Disability and Human DevelopmentUniversityorDiinois at Chicago
VII. Conclusion
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova PhD
The purpose of this research was to "discover" and "describe" the resources available at University
Affiliated Programs foraddressing the deficits in sociaJ " nil< educationin the fieldof DO. Then:suIts indicatethat the
national network afUAPs isa valuable and viableresource to aid social work educational programs in preparing both
generalistand DDspecialist socialworkers. It is 00\'.' time to shiftthe discourse away from one of "blame" and "barriers".
to oneof shared opportunity, responsibility,collaboration, and building 00 strengths. VAPs, by mandate, are charged with
PrO\idinginterdisciplinarystudent trainingand with prO\iding leadership in thedisciplines involved in the field ofD D
Most VAPsalready haveafliliarions with soeialwork educational programs. It seems ooIy logical that collaboration
between SWEPs and UAPs, ona national scale. couldgo a long way towards remedying the deficits in social work
education.
Formore infonnationcontact:
Nancy M. Fitzsimons-Cova, Ph.D.Institute on Disability and Human DevelopmentUniversity of illinois at Chicago1640 W. Roosevelt RoadChicago. Illinois 60608-6904(3 12)9%-1002e-mail: Nfitzs I@;.uic.cdu
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institute on Disability and Hwnan DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
CITED LITERATURE
Nancy M. Fitzsim-ms COVt Ph_D
DeWeaver, K.L., Kropf, N.P.: Persons with mental retardation: Forgotten minority in education. Journalof Social Work Education 28;36-46, 1992.
Mclronald-Wikler, L.: Disabilities: Developmental. In: Encyclooedia of Social Work. ]8th EditionA. Minahan et al. (eds.), pp. 422-434. Silver Springs, MD, National Association of SocialWorkers, 1987.
Wikler, L.: Social work educationand developmental disabilities. In: Rehabilitation Services and theSocial Work Role: Challenge for Change. J.A. Browne. B.A. Kirlin, 5. Watts (eds.), pp. 288295. Baltimore, MD, Williams & Wilkins, 1981.
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