INNOVATIONS IN FIELD INNOVATIONS IN FIELD INSTRUCTION: INSTRUCTION:

A PILOT PROJECT A PILOT PROJECT

Marian Klemek, MSW, LCSWMarian Klemek, MSW, LCSWCoordinator of Field EducationCoordinator of Field Education

Nancy Meyer-Adams, Ph.D, MSWNancy Meyer-Adams, Ph.D, MSWUndergraduate Program CoordinatorUndergraduate Program CoordinatorCSULB, Department of Social WorkCSULB, Department of Social Work

September 5, 2008September 5, 2008

Bending over backwardsBending over backwards

More students than you had More students than you had plannedplanned

What to do?What to do?

Putting our heads Putting our heads togethertogether

• Finding a solution to benefit Finding a solution to benefit agencies, field instructors and agencies, field instructors and studentsstudents

NEW IDEA!NEW IDEA!

• Instead of finding new internships, Instead of finding new internships, can we find a new way to work with can we find a new way to work with the internships we have already the internships we have already established?established?

What is the junior What is the junior practicum?practicum?

BASW students’ first hands-on experience in a social work BASW students’ first hands-on experience in a social work agencyagency

• Preparation for senior fieldPreparation for senior field• 80 hours in the agency (8 hours per week for 10 weeks)80 hours in the agency (8 hours per week for 10 weeks)• Goals: Goals:

– Understand generalist social work at a micro, mezzo and macro Understand generalist social work at a micro, mezzo and macro levellevel

– Observe social workers in action by shadowingObserve social workers in action by shadowing– Understand the function of the agency and the social work Understand the function of the agency and the social work

services provided to clientsservices provided to clients– Complete a written assignment based on activities in the agencyComplete a written assignment based on activities in the agency

Practicum AssignmentsPracticum Assignments

• BASW students must complete a minimum of BASW students must complete a minimum of 4 interviews with:4 interviews with:– An agency administrator to learn more about the An agency administrator to learn more about the

function of the agencyfunction of the agency– Two individual clients (in whatever capacity that Two individual clients (in whatever capacity that

would be appropriate-e.g. information & referral, would be appropriate-e.g. information & referral, initial intake, etc.)initial intake, etc.)

– One collateral contact, to understand what and One collateral contact, to understand what and how relevant information about a client is shared how relevant information about a client is shared and with whom within the context of confidentialityand with whom within the context of confidentiality

AND THE IDEA IS…..AND THE IDEA IS…..

• Field Instructor supervises 2Field Instructor supervises 2ndnd year year MSW student/2MSW student/2ndnd year MSW student year MSW student mentors junior BASW student for mentors junior BASW student for their 80 hour practicum experience!their 80 hour practicum experience!

Why second- year MSW Why second- year MSW students: students:

• They have successfully completed one They have successfully completed one year of internshipyear of internship

• They are enrolled in an administrative They are enrolled in an administrative practice class and learn about practice class and learn about supervisionsupervision

• They rarely experience the role of They rarely experience the role of supervisor even in a macro placement supervisor even in a macro placement

• After graduation, social workers who are After graduation, social workers who are promoted, are usually promoted into promoted, are usually promoted into supervisory roles, with no previous supervisory roles, with no previous hands-on experiencehands-on experience

How it was organizedHow it was organized

• Letters sent to field instructors of all Letters sent to field instructors of all 22ndnd year MSW students year MSW students

• Interested field instructors Interested field instructors approached their studentsapproached their students

• Confirmation sent to usConfirmation sent to us• Arrangements were made for a pre-Arrangements were made for a pre-

placement interview placement interview • BASW student accepted for placementBASW student accepted for placement

Our first try:Our first try:

• Cohort of 10 junior BASW students and 10 Cohort of 10 junior BASW students and 10 22ndnd year MSW students year MSW students

• The agencies includedThe agencies included– Hospice CareHospice Care– Mental health agenciesMental health agencies– School placementsSchool placements– Domestic violence agenciesDomestic violence agencies

• The BASW students were matched with The BASW students were matched with agencies by their experience, learning agencies by their experience, learning needs and geography. If the agency was needs and geography. If the agency was participating in the project, the student participating in the project, the student was mentored by a 2was mentored by a 2ndnd year MSW student year MSW student

MSW ActivitiesMSW Activities

• Participated, along with their field instructors, Participated, along with their field instructors, in the pre-placement interview with the BASW in the pre-placement interview with the BASW studentstudent

• Under the guidance of their field instructors, Under the guidance of their field instructors, made plans for the BASW’s experiences in the made plans for the BASW’s experiences in the agency agency

• Provided the one hour of supervision with the Provided the one hour of supervision with the BASW studentBASW student

• Monitored the BASW’s progressMonitored the BASW’s progress• Completed the BASW’s evaluation at the end Completed the BASW’s evaluation at the end

of the practicum with additional guidance of the practicum with additional guidance from their field instructorsfrom their field instructors

BASW ActivitiesBASW Activities

• Shadowed the MSW student, as well as Shadowed the MSW student, as well as other MSW students/practitioners other MSW students/practitioners – Home visitsHome visits– Initial intakesInitial intakes– Information & referralsInformation & referrals– Co-facilitated/participated in groupsCo-facilitated/participated in groups– Attended staff meetings, team meetings, and Attended staff meetings, team meetings, and

interdisciplinary meetingsinterdisciplinary meetings– Attended Group SupervisionAttended Group Supervision

Evaluation of the Evaluation of the project project

• Field InstructorsField Instructors– Final Evaluation of Field Experience (Feedback Final Evaluation of Field Experience (Feedback

for liaisons and department)for liaisons and department)– MSW (Comprehensive Skills Evaluation) & MSW (Comprehensive Skills Evaluation) &

BASW (Student Evaluation by Supervisor)BASW (Student Evaluation by Supervisor)– Pilot Project QuestionnairePilot Project Questionnaire

• MSW studentsMSW students– Beginning and Mid-semester Pilot Project Beginning and Mid-semester Pilot Project

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire– Focus groupsFocus groups

• BASW students BASW students – Agency EvaluationAgency Evaluation– Focus groupsFocus groups

What we learnedWhat we learned

• Field InstructorsField Instructors– Excellent learning opportunity for both Excellent learning opportunity for both

BASW and MSW studentsBASW and MSW students– Met expectationsMet expectations– MSW students brought mentoring MSW students brought mentoring

issues to their own supervision issues to their own supervision – Other feedback from the audience?Other feedback from the audience?

What we learnedWhat we learned

• MSW StudentsMSW Students– Apprehensive at first about their own skill level Apprehensive at first about their own skill level

• Can I do this?Can I do this?• Will I let the BASW student down?Will I let the BASW student down?

– Built confidence in their own skillsBuilt confidence in their own skills• TeachingTeaching• Role modelingRole modeling• Supervisory/mentoring Supervisory/mentoring • Interviewing and appropriate interventionsInterviewing and appropriate interventions• Time managementTime management• Delegating appropriate learning experiences and Delegating appropriate learning experiences and

taskstasks– Provided a first experience in supervisionProvided a first experience in supervision– Learned from each other (MSW & BASW)Learned from each other (MSW & BASW)– Adjust their schedules to accommodate the new Adjust their schedules to accommodate the new

rolerole

What we learnedWhat we learned

• BASW StudentsBASW Students– Helped reduce anxiety about first field Helped reduce anxiety about first field

experienceexperience– A variety of experience were made A variety of experience were made

availableavailable– Shadowed several social workers and Shadowed several social workers and

able to observe different styles of able to observe different styles of interventionintervention

– Felt supported by both mentor and field Felt supported by both mentor and field instructorinstructor

The focus groupsThe focus groups

The MSW students told The MSW students told us…us…

• They would definitely recommend They would definitely recommend that this program continuethat this program continue

• ““I think by far this was one of the best I think by far this was one of the best experiences for students to have”experiences for students to have”

• They must know their threshold and They must know their threshold and what they can and cannot take onwhat they can and cannot take on

• It would have been helpful to plan for It would have been helpful to plan for this earlierthis earlier

The MSW students told The MSW students told us…us…

• They worked collaboratively with their field They worked collaboratively with their field instructor to develop a game plan which was instructor to develop a game plan which was successfulsuccessful

• “ “It was a reciprocal learning experience; it It was a reciprocal learning experience; it solidified what I learned at the agency to pass on solidified what I learned at the agency to pass on to someone else and to get a fresh perspective on to someone else and to get a fresh perspective on difficult situations…it definitely impacted my difficult situations…it definitely impacted my educational experience”educational experience”

• ““An opportunity to see if I wanted to be a An opportunity to see if I wanted to be a supervisor and what were my strengths and what supervisor and what were my strengths and what are the things I needed to work on to pursue are the things I needed to work on to pursue that”that”

The BASW students told The BASW students told us..us..

It should definitely be continued next yearIt should definitely be continued next year• The MSW students should be recognized The MSW students should be recognized

for their contribution, and the extra time for their contribution, and the extra time • The shadowing and feedback made it an The shadowing and feedback made it an

excellent learning experienceexcellent learning experience• It helped relieve anxiety because the It helped relieve anxiety because the

mentor was also a student in the learning mentor was also a student in the learning rolerole

• It was not very planned out at the It was not very planned out at the beginning, but got better as the practicum beginning, but got better as the practicum continuedcontinued

The BASW students told The BASW students told us…us…

• There was some confusion about roles There was some confusion about roles and who was my field instructorand who was my field instructor

• They felt very supported as new internsThey felt very supported as new interns• ““The MSW made a conscious effort to The MSW made a conscious effort to

be considerate of what my skills were be considerate of what my skills were and how to build on those…also to and how to build on those…also to bring awareness to things I could work bring awareness to things I could work on.” She also made me aware of what a on.” She also made me aware of what a social worker does at the agency…the social worker does at the agency…the ins and outs of that agency.”ins and outs of that agency.”

Our goal is….Our goal is….

• To give MSW students another learning To give MSW students another learning opportunity and have:opportunity and have:– An experience integrating knowledge about An experience integrating knowledge about

supervision into practicesupervision into practice– More understanding and insight about the role of More understanding and insight about the role of

a supervisora supervisor

• To continue to provide excellent field To continue to provide excellent field placements for our BASW students as they:placements for our BASW students as they:– Enter the workforce as a bachelor level social Enter the workforce as a bachelor level social

workerworker– Enter the MSW programEnter the MSW program

• Interested in learningInterested in learning

how you can participate?how you can participate?

Go to www.csulb.edu/depts/socialwkGo to www.csulb.edu/depts/socialwk