Field Instructor Training: From Classroom to Practice

1. Field Instructor Training:From Classroom to Practice Tarleton State University Social Work Program Fall, 2012

2. Training Objectives • Module 1: • Describe the need for field instructor training • Define the mission and principles of the TSU Social Work Program and purpose of field education in the practice application of the curriculum • Demonstrate understanding of the importance of the field instructor in the professional development of students • Articulate the requirements of practicum regarding field instructor verification of credits and hours, supervision, and documentation

3. Training Objectives • Module 2 • Describe the importance of the agency orientation • Define the elements of a successful agency orientation • Identify strategies for incorporating these elements into instruction and supervision • Module 3 • Describe the impact of learning styles on the supervisory relationship • Define the characteristics of different learning styles • Identify strategies for adapting participants’ learning styles to meet the needs of students

4. Training Objectives • Module 4 • Articulate the purpose and rationale behind the Learning Contract • Describe ways to assess students for learning activities that meet practicum objectives • Define and apply the elements of writing behaviorally specific learning goals in the contract • Identify strategies for utilizing the learning contract in ongoing supervision and evaluation

5. Training Contents • Purpose of Field Instructor Training (Module 1) • Mission of Field Education (Module 1) • Conducting an Agency Orientation (Module 2) • Integrating Adult Learning Styles (Module 3) • Developing an Effective Learning Contract (Module 4)

6. Module 1 Purpose of Field Instructor Training/Understanding the Mission of Field Education

7. Purpose of Field Instructor Training • Designed to provide agency-based field instructors with up-to-date and specialized knowledge and skills necessary for effective field education and supervision. • Training is required for any social work practitioner providing supervision to social work students. • Field education is ‘the signature pedagogy of social work’ as deemed by the accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education. • Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards guidelines mandate that social work programs provide orientation and field instruction training to agency-based field instructors. • Field supervision requires advanced training due to a teaching element.

8. Transition from Practitioner to Educator • Being proficient with social work skills does not indicate expertise in teaching that skill. • Many studies have been conducted to identify the knowledge and skills necessary for effective field supervision. • Training models are being developed to reinforce field instructors’ focus on the development of student educational competencies in the practicum.

9. The Mission of Field Education • Field Education is the capstone of social work education • Students learn by doing, under the supervision of an experienced practitioner trained to instruct • Students apply social work knowledge and skills obtained in classroom • Goal of field practicum is for students to successfully integrate theory into practice • Field practicum prepares students to begin social work practice within an agency setting

10. Field Educator • The role of the field instructor is that of social work educator (hence, educator in the field) • The supervisory style and characteristics of the field instructor have a significant impact on students’ evaluations of the instructor and the placement experience • The quality of the field instructor is the most significant factor affecting students’ satisfaction with the field placement

11. Benefits of Field Educator • to significantly influence the education and training of a future social worker; • to influence all of the student’s future interactions with clients; • to play a role in shaping the future of social work practice and our profession

12. Challenges • create learning opportunities for students to integrate theory and practice • teach students how to practice social work, NOT how to do a particular job in a particular agency • help students learn how to use social work skills effectively • teach how to use social work knowledge and values to inform their actions • demonstrate understanding of how to use knowledge, values, and skills for effective practice, • help students see how to apply these abilities to any practice setting: • how to engage a client, • how to build rapport, • how to set goals, • how to develop tasks to reach those goals, • effective and ethical practice

13. Field Education Vision • first task: to create a vision of the qualities and characteristics the student should attain by the end of the placement • immediate vision: helping the student apply all of his or her knowledge to a practice setting • larger vision: instructor’s role in the life and professional development of the student, and their client’s well-being

14. Mission of Social Work Program and Curriculum • Instructors must understand and incorporate the mission and principles of the TSU Social Work Program and its course curriculum • Review TSU Social Work Program mission and curriculum • Identify ways into the agency mission relates to Social Work Program curriculum • Students should give instructors a copy of each course syllabus to aid understanding

15. Student Tasks to Match Curriculum Requirements and Student’s Abilities • Student activities should match practicum learning objectives, which are developed from TSU Social Work Program curriculum objectives • Instructors legally obligated for work of student; need to insure adequate instruction and supervision of practice

16. Incorporating Program’s Goals • Instructors are expected to support and reinforce the Social Work Program’s program goals: • Engage in evidence-based entry level social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations within a multicultural society • Practice according to the principles, values, and ethics that guide the social work profession • Influence social policies with the goal of alleviating poverty, oppression, and social injustice as well as advocating for human rights • Identify and affect the biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural functioning of people • Practice from a culturally-sensitive perspective which recognizes and appreciates diverse cultures, particularly those that differ from one’s own • Help students incorporate these in practice by: • Assessing agency’s integration of these goals • Asking the student to compare agency and social work program missions and the status in meeting both missions • Encouraging dialogue about challenges and differences between the idea and the read; ways to influence change

17. Activities to Match Curriculum Requirements and Ability • Student activities = practicum learning objectives= Social Work Program curriculum objectives • Instructors legally responsible for work of student; insure adequate instruction and supervision of practice, documentation

18. TSU Baccalaureate Social Work Program • BSW: Undergraduate major • Generalist practice with micro, mezzo, macro level assessments, interventions, evaluation • Practicum Credit Hours • 450 total hours (225 per semester; 16 hours per week) • Practicum Credit Requirements To be completed with Practicum Instructor: • Individualized Learning Contract: tasks designed to build competencies • Weekly instruction and supervision: to monitor progress, provide time for reflection & feedback • First Semester Mid-Term & Final Evaluation & Second Semester Final Evaluation: to describe and rate progress towards competencies, development • Evaluation cover sheet: signatures, hours, & recommendation submitted to field faculty

19. BSW Competencies • New CSWE standards to better categorize necessary social work skills and practice behaviors • Ten competencies are incorporated into new Learning Contracts and Evaluations, each with detailed practice expectations • Foundation focus: generalist practice at micro/mezzo/macro levels; professional roles, behavior, ethics

20. Partners In Education • Practicum education requires a three-way partnership: student, placement agency/field instructor, field faculty • Roles and Expectations focus on need for communication, coordination, understanding of Practicum as a class in which all have responsibilities and involvement • Expectations of Agencies focus on need for agency to support Field Instructor and provide a positive learning environment

21. Module 2 Conducting an Effective Agency Orientation

22. Importance of an Agency Orientation • A student’s first few days in a social work agency can set the tone for many months to come. (Some) Research Findings: • Research indicates that students benefit from agency orientation activities. • Students who participate early in the placement in activities designed to orient them to the agency, report that these activities enhance their field experience (Knight, 2001);

23. Importance of an Agency Orientation • Students who find the agency orientation helpful are more likely to believe their field instructor is helpful (Knight, 2001); • The majority of students who are given reading materials about their agency in the beginning of the placement report that these materials enhance their learning experience (Knight, 2001). 5. Students who have positive initial impressions of their field agencies have higher levels of overall satisfaction upon completion of the field placement (Fortune, 2001).

24. Guidelines for Agency Orientation Before Your Student Arrives • Prepare the physical location of where the student will be placed. • a desk, phone, office supplies, etc.; • at a minimum, access to a quiet workspace and all equipment needed to do professional work. • Communicate to other staff members the role and purpose of your student. • other staff members should understand that the student is not in the agency to make copies, run errands, etc. • Research on student satisfaction with field placements indicates that students want to feel like a part of the agency and want to be treated like a professional (Fortune & Abramson, 1993).

25. Guidelines for Agency Orientation Conduct a Tour of the Agency • Help students become familiar with the physical layout and departments of the agency. • Introduce students to important staff members as part of the tour. • administrative support, • other social workers, • the director of the social service aspect of the agency, • key personnel in other units having contact with social work.

26. Information to Include in Agency Orientation • An effective agency orientation should include information addressing each of the following areas, and can be included in an information packet or given verbally: 1) Important Policies and Procedures • Agency dress code • Parking • Hours of work, overtime expectations, and flexibility of hours • Times and dates of staff meetings • Policies regarding transportation of clients • Reimbursement procedures for expenses • Emergency contact information • Policies and procedures related to social work activities

27. Information in Agency Orientation 2. Agency Description: Written materials that can be provided to and reviewed with the student: • Clientele the agency serves • Eligibility requirements • Types of services provided • Services that are not provided • The role of the social worker in the agency • Organizational structure of the agency • Sources of funding and revenue for the agency • Accreditation standards or other regulatory requirements

28. Information in Agency Orientation 3. Identification • How students will identify themselves to clients and on written documents; • Undergraduate students should not identify themselves as social workers. Graduate students with undergraduate social work degrees can identify themselves as social workers in graduate training. • Develop a title with your student that accurately reflects the student’s role. • In all cases, it should be clear that the student is not an employee of the agency. Clients should understand that the student is practicing under supervision of a social worker.

29. Information in Agency Orientation 4. Confidentiality • Provide specific information for your student about confidentiality and potential disclosures of confidential information. • If in a clinical setting, HIPPA regulations should be described. • Most students understand general guidelines about confidentiality, but many will still have questions about specific situations.

30. Information in Agency Orientation • Confidentiality (cont) • Do not assume that a student knows how to manage conflicts about confidentiality • especially when pressed by authorities to divulge information. • Be sure the student knows to ask you about any concerns or questions regarding confidentiality as they arise. • Provide specific examples of situations that could involve confidentiality issues and guidelines for managing these events.

31. Information in Agency Orientation 5. Safety • Talk to your student about any safety precautions applicable to your agency or the surrounding area. • Many students beginning their placements have concerns about conducting home visits. • This is a good opportunity for student to learn about specific safety policies and practices. • If your agency has a security officer, arrange for the student to meet with him or her to learn about agency protocol, warning signs, prevention, and other questions.

32. Information in Agency Orientation 6. Agency Terminology • Provide your student with a glossary of agency abbreviations or terminology, particularly as they start to read agency files and reports. • Clarify exact definitions and use of critical terms like ‘stat’ and ‘Code Red’, as well as how to respond to priority communications.

33. Information in Agency Orientation 7. Making Referrals • Provide your student with information on how to locate and make referrals to community partners and resources. • Students can be given an orientation assignment of developing a resource packet to assist them and future students throughout the placement

34. Information in Agency Orientation 8. The Supervisory Relationship Ask the student about: • Their style of learning and communications • Previous supervision experiences, pro and con; • What they expect and need from supervision; • Cultural differences as possible factors in communications

35. Information in Agency Orientation • The Supervisory Relationship (cont) • Tell the student about your expectations for the supervisory relationship, including: • Your style of supervision • Roles and responsibilities for you and the student • Your vision of the working relationship • Your availability for scheduled and unscheduled supervision • Whom the student should contact when you are not available • Guidelines regarding assignments and submission deadlines • A tentative overview of how you see the placement progressing • Coordination and communication with any additional practicum instructors or task supervisors (others involved in student learning but without BSW or MSW degrees).

36. Coordination of Supervision If you share instructional responsibilities with another BSW or MSW field instructor or an agency task supervisor (an agency staff member involved in student learning but without a BSW or MSW degree): • Insure that you and the other supervisor or field instructor have met or talked about • joint planning, • expectations, • monitoring of progress, and • ways to share feedback with the student.

37. Coordination of Supervision • Develop clear lines of responsibility, authority, and reporting requirements for each of your roles; • Check frequently with the student and colleague to monitor effectiveness. • Insure the student to be open about any conflict arising with different perspectives or management styles; • Help student focus on positive aspects of learning from others.

38. Assignments for Field Seminar • Students are provided with two copies of the syllabus for both SWK 422 Field I and SWK 423 Field II along with assignment sheets and descriptions; one copy they keep and the other they are asked to provide to you. • These assignments are designed to coordinate with field experiences to enable them to apply classroom learning in their practice. • Please review these assignments. You must sign them before they are turned in. You have the authority to ask the student to modify the information they have included to complete the assignment.

39. Module 3 Adult Learning

40. Research Findings on Adult Learning Theory and Styles • Learning style differences have an influence on both students’ and field instructor’s perceptions of the field placement • Adults have specific learning needs that differ from the learning needs of children • The relationship between field instructors and students can be enhanced by recognizing and responding to learning style differences early in the placement.

41. Principles of Adult Learning • Adults have a need to be self-directed • Adults prefer to learn through experience rather than passively • Adult learners are motivated to learn what they perceive to have real valueand applicability in their lives • Adult learners must have immediate opportunities to practice

42. Learning Style Characteristics • Each student will have a different orientation to learning: a learning style • Learning styles refer to different ways individuals receive & process information • Learning styles differ among individuals and among cultures • Several models follow to illustrate different ways of thinking about learning

43. Learning Style Models • VARK: -visual, auditory, reading, kinesthetic • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator / Paragon • introversion or extroversion • intuition or sensation • thinking or feeling • judging or perceiving

44. Learning Style Models • Kolb’s Learning Theory: • Abstractness or Concreteness • Reflection or Activity • Abstract Conceptualization (AC) - learning by thinking • Active Experimentation (AE) - learning by doing • Concrete Experience (CE) - learning by feeling • Reflective Observation (RO) - learning by reflection, watching, and listening

45. Learning Style Models Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences • Linguistic Intelligence • Musical Intelligence • Logical-Mathematical Intelligence • Interpersonal Intelligence • Spatial Intelligence • Intrapersonal Intelligence • Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

46. Visual Learners • Learn best from information they can see or read • Prefer written instructions; remember information they read • Prefer visual aids to accompany verbal instructions • Learn how something is done through the observation of others • Enjoy information that is presented visually

47. Auditory Learners • Need to hear information to retain it • Prefer verbal instructions over written materials • Remember information through verbal repetition • Prefer to discuss ideas aloud in order to further process information • Enjoy group discussions and activities

48. Kinesthtetic Learners • Prefer to learn through experience • Obtain the greatest benefit by participation in an activity • Remember information that they experience directly • Enjoy acting out or recreating situations, such as role playing • Enjoy hands-on activities that involve active, practical participation

49. Adapting Your Learning Style • What kind of learner and teacher are you? • Incorporate characteristics of different learning styles in your teaching; • recognize and respond to the learning needs of each individual student, • particularly when your student has a different learning style than your own.

50. Teaching Strategies for Visual Learners • Variety of visual materials to facilitate learning process. • reading materials about the agency, client population, and interventions • Demonstrate how something is done, rather than telling; • Visual learners prefer to learn by observation before performing the task independently. • Allow students many opportunities to observe others. • Provide written instructions and encourage students to take notes during supervision sessions. • Visual learners are easily distracted by noise. • find a quiet place for students to work; keep the environment quiet