Orientation to Field Education at NCSSS

Loretta Vitale Saks, MSW, LCSW-CDirector of Field EducationNational Catholic School of Social Servicesaks@cua.eduFall 2010

This presentation is the intellectual property of the author and may be used only with written permission and appropriate credit.

Overview of Presentation Social work curriculum at NCSSS What is field education?

At NCSSS In social work education

Field instructor role Developmental stages of internship Supervisory relationship Summary of field-related assignments

Process recordings NCSSS & CUA resources

Field Education at NCSSSBSW program

Juniors Spring semester (observational) experience

Seniors 16 hours/week; 480 hours/year; Tues & Thurs

MSW program Foundation year

16 hours/wk; 480 hrs/yr; Wed & ThursAdvanced year: Clinical; Clinical Health; Social Change;

Combined 20 hours/wk; 600 hrs/yr; Tues, Wed, 1/2 days on Thurs Sometimes Combined students intern up to 24

hours/week

Field Education at NCSSS A model that works: internship + integrative

seminar 3 credits (per semester) = internship hours +

weekly field seminar Liaison = Seminar professor

Your link to NCSSS and the Office of Field Education Visits agency at least once during year Consultant, mediator, problem solver, adviser, support

Instructor of weekly field seminar Facilitates discussion of field issues Supports what you are teaching and modeling Role plays; case presentations ; project presentations;

class exercises; guest speakers (field instructors!)

Our CoursesCheck out our course outlines

BSW: http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses/outlines/ugrad.cfm Rigorous CUA requirements + generalist social

work program MSW:

http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses/Outlines/MSW/Foundation.cfm

http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses/outlines/MSW/Advanced.cfm

Emphasis on theory, discrete Ethics course

View curriculum in Field Manual Undergraduate Social Work major: p. 44 MSW: pp. 45-46

Field Education is …•“an experiential form of teaching and learning (where) the social work student is helped to:

1. consciously bring selected knowledge to the practice situation;

2. develop competence in performing practice skills;3. learn to practice within the framework of social

work values and ethics;4. develop a professional commitment to social work

practice;5. evolve a practice style consistent with personal

strengths and capacities;6. develop the ability to work effectively within an

agency.”Jenkins, Lowell and Sheafor, Bradford, editors (1981). An overview of social work field instruction in Quality instruction in social work. Longman: New York.

Field as Signature Pedagogy “Signature pedagogy represents the

central form 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.” (CSWE Educ. Policy 2.3)

Field instructors help students gain the skills and knowledge to put into practice what they read, discuss and write about in the classroom.

Field Instructor Role“The quality of the field instructor is the most significant

factor affecting students’ satisfaction with the field placement.” 1

We appreciate how busy field instructors are & provide as much support as possible. Here’s what field instructors have written in their evaluations of our field program:

“I look forward to having a student intern from NCSSS each year mainly due to the high caliber of students and the support and training available to me as a field instructor.”

“You are such a class act.” “Every time I reached out to the field education staff they were most

helpful. I really enjoyed working with people who are professional, caring, considerate and efficient.”

“The field seminar class was helpful to the student which, in turn, was helpful to me as a field instructor.”

1 Fortune, A.E. and Abramson, J.S. (1993). Predictors of satisfaction with field practicum among social work students. The Clinical Supervisor, 11(1), 95-110).

Alfred Kadushin cites 3 primary supervisory functions:EducationalAdministrativeEmotional-supportive

* Kadushin, A. (1992). Supervision in social work. New York: Columbia University Press.

Field Instructor Role*

Educational Role Teacher

Orientation sets the stage for the entire year Provide knowledge necessary to become social

worker, and the space to practice being a social worker

Let evaluation process guide what you teach Help student learn to evaluate self accurately

Student as adult learner Help student take responsibility for learning

We reinforce that in the classroom Foster mutual process of reflection and

exploration Promote increasing student autonomy

Administrative RoleNegotiate between student’s needs and

agency’s needsConsider student learning objectives, school

requirements (see Field Manual, pp. 11 - 18), school assignments

Consider agency requirements Consider your own strengths and interests

Create environment that permits student to do job well

Supportive RoleProvide a safe place for student to

express uncertainty, ‘not knowing,’ feelings of inadequacy

The field seminar provides a group forum where these concerns can be shared and normalized

Parallel process Intern - field instructor relationship parallels

client – intern relationship Student who feels supported by field instructor

will (hopefully) be similarly supportive of client Important to model professional boundaries

Developmental Stages of Field InternshipStage 1: Anticipation … Honeymoon

Positive expectations … & anxietiesStage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting Reality

“What’s wrong? “This isn’t what I thought it would be.”

Stage 3: Competence & Mastery Confidence grows Expectations more realistic

Stage 4: Closure & Termination Ambivalent process Time for reflection – on past endings, on growth

The information above is taken from Cochrane, Susan F. & Hanley, Marla Martin (1999) Learning through field: A developmental approach. (1999). Allyn & Bacon: Boston, MA; and Sweitzer, H. Frederick and King, Mary A. (2004). The successful internship: transformation & empowerment. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Canada.

Developmental Stages & the Supervisory Process

How student moves each stage will affect the supervisory process, offering:Obstacles to the supervisory relationshipOpportunities for growth

Task accomplishment Increasingly complex assignments

Hoped for resolutions vs. staying ‘stuck’Concerns that can be discussed or avoided

Thinking about SupervisionSelf-assessment

Education and experienceSupervisory/teaching styleConsider strengths, weaknesses, limitationsRecall your own field experienceIdentify agency supports and stressors

impacting youRemember that we’re here to offer support

and assistanceYour assigned liaisonStaff in Office of Field Education

Thinking about Supervision Recognize shift in role

Helper of clients to mentor/educator/supervisor of students

“Start where the student is” Doer to explainer

Practitioner to one who assists student with interpreting/applying theory to practice

Member of agency hierarchy to supervisor & evaluator of student

Employee to advocate for student’s positive learning experience

Ortiz Hendricks et al, quoting Perlman quoting Aptaker, (1966), (4-5).

Thinking about SupervisionAssessment of student

Previous work/volunteer experienceStudent’s specific interests Theoretical knowledgeOrganizational understandingAttitudes and valuesGoals and objectives for placementPrior experience being supervised

Expectations of field instructorObstacles to learning

Getting Off to a Good Start1. Before student arrives

Student’s mailbox & voicemail box/e-mail ready Desk, phone, computer and office space

identified Time set for orientation and initial supervisory

meeting Business cards (blank or imprinted) Talk to colleagues about student’s role in the

agency• Intern who is part of the ‘team’

Getting Off to a Good Start2. Plan orientation for intern(s)

Tour of agency Introduce student to everyone Help student understand agency

Mission and function Organizational structure Policies & procedures manual Glossary of relevant terms Staff names, emails and telephone extensions Social worker’s role in agency

Getting Off to a Good StartPlan orientation for intern(s) (Cont’d)

Information to review with student Required agency documentation Computer training Safety issues NASW Code of Ethics How student will introduce self to clients Confidentiality

Limits to confidentiality Suicidality Threat of homicide Risk of abuse or neglect

Getting Off to a Good Start3. Tasks and assignments

During orientation period Assign reading about program-specific issues and

populations Review case files or program reports Shadow field instructor and/or other staff

Identify appropriate assignments Learning experiences of increasing difficulty To consider:

Agency's needs Student’s learning needs Student’s level of study and prior experience NCSSS educational requirements

Think about micro – macro – mezzo assignments

Developing the Supervisory Relationship

Supervisory meetings Relationship building, an ongoing process

Call on liaison if need some help! Encourage student to submit agenda

ahead of time Sample agenda in Field Manual (p. 48)

Meet regularly Minimum of 1 hr weekly More availability early in the year Important to meet throughout the year

Keep challenging your student to grow Who can student go to in your absence?

Developing the Supervisory Relationship

Discuss your role & student’s role Personal Style Inventory can be helpful tool

Field Manual, pp. 64ff Create a good learning environment

Discuss student’s concerns as they arise Help student feel valued as person and colleague

Give feedback from strengths perspective More focus on + than – Clear, consistent, supportive

and also … Critical, challenging and constructive

Developing the Supervisory Relationship Review Learning Plan & student’s

workload regularly Clarify purpose of assignments Provide detailed directions Clarify expectations for student’s

performance Use competency-based language

Encourage feedback from your student

Field-related AssignmentsBSW Seniors & Foundation Year MSWs

Macro paper: understanding agency as organization

Process recordings Psychosocial assessmentCase presentationMacro project summary

Clinical/Clinical Health concentratorsPsychosocial assessment of clientProcess recordingsApplication of theory to treatment of client

Field-related AssignmentsCombined concentrators

Clinical case presentation (1st semester)Project case presentation (2nd semester)Process recordings

Social Change concentratorsPresentation of planning activity orPresentation of analysis of policy

Process Recordings A detailed narrative of a client session or

meeting/group or event More often, narration of part of a session or

meeting or event Never becomes part of agency records

Field Manual contains ‘traditional’ process recording template & format for macro process recording

A brief example …Analysis/Thinking

Content Dialogue Gut level feelings

Introduce myself, indicate my student status. State purpose of visit.   Nonverbal: She says she’s fine, but she doesn’t look so fine.Open-ended question to elicit more information. Validation of client’s tears.

SW: Hi Mrs. S. My name is Cindy Green – I’m a social work intern with Hospice of DC. (shake hands) We like to check in after someone’s loss to see how they are doing. How are you today?Mrs. S: Just fine, thanks.SW: How have you been doing since your husband died?Her eyes well up with tears.SW: You can be doing okay but still feeling sad.Mrs. S: I’m glad you came by today. I’ve been wanting to talk to someone about Herb. … Interview continued…

She didn’t ask that I visit her – I feel like I’m intruding.   I feel stupid asking this – of course she’s still going to be sad. I also feel sad, thinking about my dad’s death 6 years ago.  Oh no. Panic – she’s going to cry -- what do I say now?Relieved – I said the right thing.

Why Process Recordings?Foster development of student’s use of self

Gain self-awarenessLearn to evaluate and assess own workBecome comfortable sharing difficult feelings and

interactionsUseful supervisory tool

Field instructor can identify strengths as well as areas where student can grow

Together, can examine dynamics of client-student interaction

Encourages student’s application of theory to practice

Can role play alternate scenarios

Neuman, Karen M. and Friedman, Bruce D. Process recordings: Fine-tuning an old instrument. (1997). Journal of Social Work Education, 32 (2). 237-243.

Evaluating Process RecordingsWhat was effective? Ineffective? Why?Is student able to accurately distinguish

between thoughts and feelings?Is student able to set aside feelings that

could interfere with the process of the interview?

Look for student’s growth over time

Wilson, Suanna. Recording: Guidelines for social workers (1980). New York: The Free Press (25ff).

Evaluating Process RecordingsLook for growth in ability to identify

specific techniquesBeginning student won’t be consciously aware

of techniquesMore advanced student will have conscious

awareness of techniques usedWe’re all about theory … theory … theory

As they are ready, students will be asked to apply theory to content of interview (in analysis column) Cognitive-behavioral: probing for activating event Psychodynamic: probing for underlying meaning;

additive empathy

What the Research Says…Student satisfaction with field

instructors has been positively correlated with the frequency with which process recordings were assigned and reviewed.Satisfied students’ field instructors seen

as having better understanding of theory and practice.

Students felt they learned more.

Knight, C. (1994, October). Personal and supervisory determinants of MSW and BSW students’ perceptions of effective field instruction. Paper presented at Annual Conference of ABSWPD, San Francisco.

Finding SupportFeeling stuck? Questions? Concerns?

Use Field Manual as resourceContact your field liaisonContact us

202-319-5457saks@cua.edu

Ask to be connected with a ‘veteran’field instructor