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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.
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