BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Seminar for New Field Instructors
Fall 2013 – Spring 2014
Judith Perlstein
Laura Derman
jpo@bu.edu
lderman@bu.edu
264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215
617-353-3754
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The goal of this seminar is to promote the development of competent Masterslevel social work field instructors. Required of all field instructors supervising an
MSW intern for the first time, this twenty hour seminar combines a presentation
of theoretical and practical content by the instructor and an open agenda to
which participants bring questions, examples and suggestions.
Each session will focus on the student competencies to be developed and
corresponding supervisory competencies.
FIELD INSTRUCTOR COMPETENCIES
1. Develop an effective supervisory relationship
2. Teach social work competencies within agency/organization context
3. Attend to administrative aspects of field placement
4. Conduct educational assessment and provide constructive feedback to
support student’s learning
5. Collaborate with the school to develop appropriate student learning
opportunities and to resolve challenges
6. Develop professional identity as a field instructor
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required for participants to receive 20 continuing education credits.
Participants are asked to contact the instructor if they are unable to attend a
session.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Session I
Professional Identity
Student competency
1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.
After this session, participants will begin to:
1. Understand the expectations of and develop professional identity as a
field instructor through:
a. Articulating the functions of supervision
b. Identifying differences and similarities from employee supervision
c. Creating a safe and supportive supervisory relationship
2. Understand the social work competencies and how they apply in the field
placement.
3. Understand the role of the advisor in the school-agency-student triad.
4. Become familiar with School of Social Work resources (e.g., course
syllabi, professional development opportunities, faculty and student
support services.
5. Identify other aspects of field instruction for future discussion
a. Appropriate use of power and authority
b. Use of peers as consultants on field instruction practice e.g. coworkers, seminar participants and others
c. Identify questions and manage concerns in assuming the new field
instructor role.
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Session II
Supervision Structure and Educational Plan
Student competencies
1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1.
Develop a learning contract with specific assignments to teach the social
work competencies.
2.
Use constructive feedback on students’ knowledge, skills, and values as a
teaching tool through:
a. Direct conversation
b. Didactic teaching
c. Process analysis/recordings and other reflective writing
d. Role plays
e. Case discussions/de-briefing
f. Assessment and evaluation
3.
Hold a conversation with student that incorporates reciprocal feedback
about the learning process.
Session III
Learning Assessment
Student competency
10. Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups,
organizations and communities.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Develop an initial assessment of the student as a learner using:
a. Adult learning theory
b. Learning/work styles
c. Stages of learning
d. Cultural dimensions
2. Use supervision to:
a. Manage challenges, learning difficulties and opportunities.
b. Recognize and utilize appropriate boundaries, parallel processes and
communication styles.
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Session IV
Critical Thinking, Research and Practice
Student competencies
3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
6. Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Teach student critical thinking by:
a. Gathering and analyzing information from multiple sources
b. Recognizing the purposeful use and limitations of anecdotes
c. Gleaning principles to transfer learning across assignments.
2. Incorporate research-informed practice and practice-informed research,
including evidenced-based practices as applicable to the setting, in
student assignments and learning.
3. Identify opportunities for students to engage in evaluation and research,
as applicable to the setting.
4. Model effective communication and assist student in developing such.
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Session V
Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making
Mid-Year Site Visit
Student competency
2. Apply ethical principles to guide professional practice.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify ethical issues in social work practice and in supervision:
a. Use of professional standards, e.g. NASW Code of Ethics and
other frameworks
b. Recognize how ethical dimensions inform practice, (e.g., self disclosure, value differences, boundaries, confidentiality, student
or field instructor impairment, dual relationships, etc.)
2. Develop effective strategies for teaching students about value and ethical
dilemmas in practice, e.g., differences in cultural values and
professional/personal values conflicts.
3. Identify legal issues for field instructors and students, including:
confidentiality, malpractice and liability, contract compliance, informed
consent, duty to warn, mandated reporting, supervisory liability for
student's work, recordkeeping.
4. Utilize the site visit to identify the student’s accomplishments, areas for
growth and professional development.
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Session VI Difference and Cultural Competence
Mid-Year Assessment
Student competencies
4. Engage diversity and difference in practice.
5. Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Work with differences and similarities in the supervisory relationship (e.g.
culture, race, gender, age, class, ability and sexual orientation, etc.) by:
a. Identifying biases, stereotypes and assumptions based on these
b. Engaging supervisee in an ongoing discussion and examination of
how differences affect and enrich the supervisory relationship, the
agency context, and relationships with clients, consumers,
stakeholders and the community.
2. Understand the essential elements of a productive evaluation process
including addressing strengths and difficulties.
3. Identify challenges to evaluation and develop strategies for addressing
these.
4. Understand the role of the field instructor in partnership with the school as
gatekeepers for the profession to identify students who are not prepared to
continue in professional social work practice.
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Session VII Theory and Context as Applied to Practice
Deepening Practice during the Middle Phase
Student competencies
7. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment (HBSE).
9. Respond to context that shape practice.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify HBSE theory as applied to practice through discussion,
recordings/analyses, assigned reading, etc.
2. Help students understand the context within which they work, the
implications for practice and service delivery and identify opportunities for
change.
3. Move supervision to the next level through deepening practice
assignments and promoting more autonomous and independent work.
4. Identify opportunities for continued professional growth.
Session VIII
Social Work Policy in Practice
Student competency
8. Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being
and to deliver effective social work services.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Assist students in engaging in policy practice by:
a. Identifying all levels of policy in the practice setting
b. Analyzing the implications of the policies on clients/constituents,
service delivery, the workforce, etc.
2. Support students to advocate for improvements in policies that advance
the social and economic well-being of clients/constituents and/or deliver
effective practice.
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Session IX
Transitions/endings
Student competency:
1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself
accordingly.
10. Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families,
groups, organizations and communities.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Utilize the spring site visit to identify the student’s accomplishments,
areas for growth and future learning goals.
2. Anticipate the end of the year by:
a. Identifying assignments that will need to be
terminated/transitioned due to the ending of the internship
b. Identifying potential challenges to termination/transition, e.g.
student-client/constituent, student-field instructor, studentagency, etc. and develop strategies for addressing these.
3. Plan for the evaluation that includes a comprehensive review of the
year.
Session X
Evaluation: Student and Field Instructor
Student competency
10. Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families,
groups, organizations and communities.
After this session, participants will be able to:
1. Successfully complete the student final evaluation.
2. Review experience with social work field instruction and identify
areas of growth to build field instructor’s supervisory competence.
3. Renew commitment to supervise and/or identify potential obstacles
to continuing.
4. Provide feedback on seminar and other aspects of field instruction.
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Both Methods
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