Orientation to Field Education at NCSSS

1. Orientation to Field Education at NCSSS Loretta Vitale Saks, MSW, LCSW-C Director of Field Education National Catholic School of Social Service September 15, 2008 saks@cua.edu

2. Field Education at NCSSS BA program Juniors - spring semester placement 4 hours/week; 48 hours total Seniors 16 hours/week; 480 hours/year; usually Tues & Thurs MSW program Foundation year 16 hours/wk; 480 hrs/yr; usually Wed & Thurs Advanced year: Clinical; Clinical Health; SJSC; Combined 20 hours/wk; 600 hrs/yr; Tues, Wed, 1/2 days on Thurs Sometimes Combined students intern 22-24 hours/week

3. Field Education at NCSSS Field Education & Integrative Seminar 3 credits = internship hours + weekly seminar Weekly Field Integrative Seminar Liaison=Seminar professor Your link to NCSSS and the Office of Field Education Visits agency at least once during year Available for problem solving, consultation, information, support

4. Our Courses See course descriptions & outlines on-line http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses Ask to see student�s course outlines See course purposes in Field Manual

5. Field Education is � �an experiential form of teaching and learning (where) the social work student is helped to: consciously bring selected knowledge to the practice situation; develop competence in performing practice skills; learn to practice within the framework of social work values and ethics; develop a professional commitment to social work practice; evolve a practice style consistent with personal strengths and capacities; develop the ability to work effectively within an agency.�

6. Developmental Stages of Internship Stage 1: Anticipation Positive expectations, acceptance, anxieties Stage 2: Disillusionment Stage 3: Confrontation Need to get past disillusionment Face issues/blocks, gain independence and confidence Stage 4: Competence � Mastery Stage 5: Culmination � Termination

7. Getting Off to a Good Start Great to do for your intern �. Name on the door of student�s office (if there is one!) Student has mailbox Student�s voicemail box & e-mail ready for use Business cards (blank or imprinted!) Desk is available � with phone and computer access Talk to colleagues about student�s role in the agency Intern who is part of the �team�

8. Getting Off to a Good Start 2. Plan orientation for intern(s) Tour 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 Relevant article(s) Summer reading list (for next year�s intern!) Assign student to gather readings Social worker�s role

9. Getting Off to a Good Start Orientation (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

10. Getting Off to a Good Start Tasks and assignments 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 Consider: Agency's needs Student�s learning needs Student�s level of study and prior experience NCSSS educational requirements Provide early opportunities for client contact (BA, foundation MSW, clinical/combined/clinical health) or macro assignments (SJSC) Provide variety of learning experiences of increasing difficulty � �

11. Field Instructor Role * Alfred Kadushin cites 3 primary supervisory functions: Educational Administrative Supportive REMEMBER TO INVOLVE AUDIENCE IN DISCUSSION!!!!REMEMBER TO INVOLVE AUDIENCE IN DISCUSSION!!!!

12. Field Instructor Role �The quality of the field instructor is the most significant factor affecting students� satisfaction with the field placement.� � but field instructors are so busy � our expectation: you will have a good return on your investment in your intern!

13. Educational Role Teacher Orienting student to field 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 Foster mutual process of reflection and exploration Promote increasing student autonomy over time

14. Educational Role Begin simply Clarify purpose of assignments Provide detailed directions at first Review student�s workload regularly Clarify expectations for student�s performance Evaluate process recordings, audio- &/or videotapes, macro assignments/presentations Your feedback is critical to student�s growth

15. Administrative Role Negotiate between student�s needs and agency�s needs Consider student learning objectives, school requirements (Field Manual, p.12 ff), school assignments Consider agency requirements Create environment that permits student to do job well

16. Supportive Role Supervisory relationship provides most facilitative, supportive place for student to work out normal issues in personal and professional development Allow for expressions of uncertainty, �not knowing,� inadequacy Parallel processes Student - field instructor Client � student

17. Thinking about Supervision Start with self-assessment Education and experience Supervisory/teaching style Consider strengths, weaknesses, limitations Recall your own field experience Identify agency supports and stressors

18. Thinking about Supervision Recognize shift in your 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 Different levels of authority Within agency and with intern Employee to one who advocates for student�s positive learning experience

19. Thinking about Supervision Assessment of student Previous work/volunteer experience Student�s specific interests Theoretical knowledge Organizational understanding Attitudes and values Goals and objectives for placement Obstacles to learning

20. Thinking about Supervision Helpful to take Personal Style Inventory (Field Manual, p. 117 ff) Encourage student to take as well Looks at preferred ways of thinking & behaving in 4 dimensions along a continuum Much like Myers-Briggs Inventory Useful for discussing personal styles, and how they may impact the supervisory relationship

21. Personal Styles Inventory

22. Developing the Supervisory Relationship Supervisory meetings Relationship building, an ongoing process Call on liaison if need some help! Meet regularly Minimum of 1 hr weekly required More availability early in the year Important to meet throughout the year Keep challenging your student to grow Who else can student go to?

23. Developing the Supervisory Relationship Discuss your role & student�s role Not peers Boundaries are important 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 Clear, consistent, supportive and also � Critical, challenging and constructive

24.  Agenda suggestions: Sample agenda (Field Manual, p. 57) Can ask student to prepare agenda & submit ahead of time Review Learning Plan regularly: are we on target? Discuss clients, projects and assigned tasks What skills is student gaining? Help student link theory to practice Give feedback that is clear, consistent, ongoing More focus on + than - Practice skills and techniques Look ahead � Termination with clients, with field instructor, with agency Professional development

25. Sustaining the Supervisory Relationship Modeling Encourage an open, exploratory process of give-and-take as relationship develops Avoid being defensive as ask for feedback Explore different points of view � there isn�t only one right way Critical reflection on decision making process �Think aloud� about steps took to arrive at a decision; Were steps adequate? Did I omit alternatives? What assumptions did I make about the client? the community?

26. 2. Ask discriminating questions that require critical thinking to answer What are the pros/cons of being more confrontive/more supportive with client at this point in your work together? What are the themes of client material? Why do you think stakeholders aren�t buying into the project? Any ideas? 3. Help student move beyond �gathering� info to interpreting & evaluating Sustaining the Supervisory Relationship

27. Field Evaluation Process:A Continuous Feedback Loop

28. Continuous Feedback Loop Learning Plan & Evaluations look at: COMPETENCE 1: Student demonstrates growing use of self COMPETENCE 2: Student gains understanding of social work processes COMPETENCE 3: Student demonstrates understanding of agency COMPETENCE 4: Student utilizes supervisory process as adult learner COMPETENCE 5: Student demonstrates professional behavior

29. Learning Plan Work with student to develop & implement Learning Plan = road map Where is student going? (objectives) How to get there (learning experiences) How to know when have arrived (evaluation criteria) Use Final Evaluation as reference when writing Learning Plan See sample plan � pp 72 ff, Field Manual Due in field seminar week of Oct. 13

30. Sample Foundation YearLearning Plan

31. Advanced Year Learning Plan General Performance Examples: timeliness; teamwork; flexibility/adaptability. Professional behavior Examples: identify personal values or ethics issues that you believe may impact on placement; become knowledgeable about HIPAA. Knowledge development Examples: gain knowledge of application of theory to practice; gain knowledge of practice modalities (individual, group, etc.) and when each is appropriate to use; learn about different organizational theories. Skill development Examples: become comfortable with the use of assessment tools; learn how to develop treatment goals and plan treatment interventions; learn how to see and use self as part of the interaction with client; learn how to write a grant; learn to develop fundraising strategy.

32. Evaluation Process Ongoing process Use supervision & evaluation documents to guide the process Two formal student evaluations Early Assessment (midterm) (p 78) and Final Evaluation (p 80) 10-point scale: 1 ? 2 = Unsatisfactory = performance is well below expectations 3 ? 4 = Fair = performance is below expectations 5 ? 6 = Satisfactory = performance meets expectations 7 ? 8 = Very good = performance exceeds expectations 9 ?10 = Outstanding = performance far exceeds expectations NA = Not applicable IE = Insufficient experience to rate

33. Evaluation Process Early Assessment = threshold items Student performing at less than satisfactory level on some skills at Early Assessment time? Work with student to revise Learning Plan Aim at mastery of those weaker skills Final Evaluation Threshold items = skills judged to be most critical & essential Student needs to be performing at satisfactory level or better to continue

34. Field-related Assignments BA Seniors & Foundation Year MSWs Paper looking at agency as organization Process recordings Psychosocial assessment Case presentation Clinical/Clinical Health concentrator Psychosocial assessment of client Process recordings Application of theory to treatment of client

35. Field-related Assignments Combined concentrator Clinical case presentation (1st semester) Project case presentation (2nd semester) Process recordings SJSC concentrator Presentation of planning activity or Presentation of analysis of policy

36. Finding Support Feeling stuck? Questions? Concerns? Use Field Manual as resource Contact your liaison Phone and email info on p. 48, Field Manual Contact Director/Assistant Director of Field Education 202-319-5457 saks@cua.edu; thursby@cua.edu Ask to be connected with a �veteran�field instructor

37. NCSSS Web Resources NCSSS Field http://ncsss.cua.edu/field Announcements All field forms Information on being library �special borrower� Field Manual http://ncsss.cua.edu/degree_field/field/manual.cfm Course outlines http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses Career & Job Information http://ncsss.cua.edu/careers/

38. Additional Resources NCSSS research centers http://ncsss.cua.edu/centers/ Planned continuing education offerings Our faculty http://ncsss.cua.edu/faculty_staff/ CUA Mullen Library http://libraries.cua.edu/ Office of Disability Support Services http://disabilityservices.cua.edu/