Loretta Vitale Saks, MSW, LCSW-C
Director of Field Education
National Catholic School of Social Service
saks@cua.edu
Fall 2010
This presentation is the intellectual property of the author and may be used only with written permission and appropriate credit.
Overview of Presentation
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Social work curriculum at NCSSS
What is field education?
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Field instructor role
Developmental stages of internship
Supervisory relationship
Summary of field-related assignments
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At NCSSS
In social work education
Process recordings
NCSSS & CUA resources
Field Education at NCSSS
 BSW program
 Juniors
Spring semester (observational) experience
 Seniors
 16 hours/week; 480 hours/year; Tues & Thurs
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 MSW program
 Foundation year
16 hours/wk; 480 hrs/yr; Wed & Thurs
 Advanced 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
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Field Education at NCSSS
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A model that works: internship + integrative seminar
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3 credits (per semester) = internship hours + weekly
field seminar
Liaison = Seminar professor
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Your link to NCSSS and the Office of Field Education
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Visits agency at least once during year
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Consultant, mediator, problem solver, adviser, support
Instructor of weekly field seminar
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Facilitates discussion of field issues
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Supports what you are teaching and modeling
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Role plays; case presentations ; project presentations;
class exercises; guest speakers (field instructors!)
Our Courses
 Check out our course outlines
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BSW: http://ncsss.cua.edu/courses/outlines/ugrad.cfm
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Rigorous CUA requirements + generalist social work
program
MSW:
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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
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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.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
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.”
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.”
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(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).
Field Instructor Role*
Alfred Kadushin cites 3 primary supervisory
functions:
Educational
Administrative
Emotional-supportive
* Kadushin, A. (1992). Supervision in social work. New York: Columbia University Press.
Educational Role
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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
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Help student learn to evaluate self accurately
Student as adult learner
Help student take responsibility for learning
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We reinforce that in the classroom
Foster mutual process of reflection and exploration
Promote increasing student autonomy
Administrative Role
 Negotiate between student’s needs and agency’s
needs
 Consider 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 Role
 Provide a safe place for student to express
uncertainty, ‘not knowing,’ feelings of
inadequacy
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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 Internship
 Stage 1: Anticipation … Honeymoon
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Positive expectations … & anxieties
 Stage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting Reality
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“What’s wrong?
“This isn’t what I thought it would be.”
 Stage 3: Competence & Mastery
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Confidence grows
Expectations more realistic
 Stage 4: Closure & Termination
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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 relationship
 Opportunities for growth
 Task accomplishment
 Increasingly complex assignments
 Hoped for resolutions vs. staying ‘stuck’
 Concerns that can be discussed or avoided
Thinking about Supervision
 Self-assessment
 Education and experience
 Supervisory/teaching style
 Consider strengths, weaknesses, limitations
 Recall your own field experience
 Identify agency supports and stressors impacting you
 Remember that we’re here to offer support and
assistance
 Your assigned liaison
 Staff in Office of Field Education
Thinking about Supervision
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Recognize shift in role
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Helper of clients to mentor/educator/supervisor of
students
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Doer to explainer
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“Start where the student is”
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 Supervision
 Assessment of student
 Previous work/volunteer experience
 Student’s specific interests
 Theoretical knowledge
 Organizational understanding
 Attitudes and values
 Goals and objectives for placement
 Prior experience being supervised
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Expectations of field instructor
 Obstacles to learning
Getting Off to a Good Start
1.
Before student arrives
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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
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Intern who is part of the ‘team’
Getting Off to a Good Start
2. Plan orientation for intern(s)
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Tour of agency
Introduce student to everyone
Help student understand agency
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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 Start
Plan orientation for intern(s) (Cont’d)
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Information to review with student
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Required agency documentation
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Computer training
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Safety issues
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NASW Code of Ethics
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How student will introduce self to clients
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Confidentiality
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Limits to confidentiality
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Suicidality
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Threat of homicide
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Risk of abuse or neglect
Getting Off to a Good Start
Tasks and assignments
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During orientation period
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Assign reading about program-specific issues and populations
Review case files or program reports
Shadow field instructor and/or other staff
Identify appropriate assignments
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Learning experiences of increasing difficulty
To consider:
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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
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Supervisory meetings
Relationship building, an ongoing process
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Encourage student to submit agenda ahead of time
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Sample agenda in Field Manual (p. 48)
Meet regularly
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Call on liaison if need some help!
Minimum of 1 hr weekly
More availability early in the year
Important to meet throughout the year
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Keep challenging your student to grow
Who can student go to in your absence?
Developing the Supervisory
Relationship
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Discuss your role & student’s role
Personal Style Inventory can be helpful tool
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Field Manual, pp. 64ff
Create a good learning environment
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Discuss student’s concerns as they arise
Help student feel valued as person and colleague
Give feedback from strengths perspective
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More focus on + than –
Clear, consistent, supportive
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and also …
Critical, challenging and constructive
Developing the Supervisory
Relationship
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Review Learning Plan & student’s workload
regularly
Clarify purpose of assignments
Provide detailed directions
Clarify expectations for student’s
performance
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Use competency-based language
Encourage feedback from your student
Field-related Assignments
 BSW Seniors & Foundation Year MSWs
 Macro paper: understanding agency as organization
 Process recordings
 Psychosocial assessment
 Case presentation
 Macro project summary
 Clinical/Clinical Health concentrators
 Psychosocial assessment of client
 Process recordings
 Application of theory to treatment of client
Field-related Assignments
 Combined concentrators
 Clinical case presentation (1st semester)
 Project case presentation (2nd semester)
 Process recordings
 Social Change concentrators
 Presentation of planning activity or
 Presentation of analysis of policy
Process Recordings
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A detailed narrative of a client session or
meeting/group or event
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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.
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.
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.
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-awareness
 Learn to evaluate and assess own work
 Become comfortable sharing difficult feelings and
interactions
 Useful 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 Recordings
 What 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 Recordings
 Look for growth in ability to identify specific
techniques
 Beginning student won’t be consciously aware of
techniques
 More advanced student will have conscious awareness of
techniques used
 We’re all about theory … theory … theory
 As they are ready, students will be asked to apply theory
to content of interview (in analysis column)
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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.
Finding Support
 Feeling stuck? Questions? Concerns?
 Use Field Manual as resource
 Contact your field liaison
 Contact us
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202-319-5457
saks@cua.edu
 Ask to be connected with a ‘veteran’
field instructor