New Field Instructor Training

*We will use transcription during the presentation. If you need support with accessibility, please contact the Office of Field Education

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Presented by:

Christina Dadswell, LMSW, Assistant Director

and Talia Ingham, LLMSW, Field Faculty

Office of Field Education, University of Michigan

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Agenda

• Field Education Team
• What is field education
• New student placing process
• Important policies
• Field instructor credentials
• CSWE Social Work competencies
• Field instructor responsibilities/supervision
• Student requirements and technical standards

Yanni Robinson

Assistant Director

(Online)

she/ her

Christina Dadswell

Assistant Director

(Residential)

she/her

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Erin Khang

Director of Field Education

she/ her

The Office of Field Education Team

Chi Tran

Program Assistant

she/her

Sara Castillo

Office Manager

she/her

The Office of Field Education Team

Claire Peterson

Placing Coordinator

she/her

Feyi Adunbi

Field Faculty

she/her

Miriam Connolly

Field Faculty

she/her

Amy Burandt

Field Faculty

she/her

The Office of Field Education Team

Stacy Peterson

Field Faculty

she/her

Zaynab Boussi

Field Faculty

she/her

Rosalva Osorio Cooksy

Field Faculty

she/they

The Office of Field Education Team

Rachel Naasko

Field Faculty

she/her

Mona Berry

Field Faculty

she/her

The Office of Field Education Team

Talia Ingham

Field Faculty

she/her

Aimee Vantine

Field Faculty

she/her

The Office of Field Education Team

Field Education Team

MSW Student

Field Instructor

(Primary)

MSW

Field Faculty

U-M SSW faculty member at UM

Task Supervisor/

Secondary Field

Instructor

Employee at field site agency

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agency

Process Overview

Process Overview

image Credit: Pixabay

Field Education is…

• The signature pedagogy of social work education as identified by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is the process of developing the needed skills and competencies of social work practice in the real world.

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Practice makes progress!

New Student Placing Process

• Slot management email - please fill out
• Student referral of materials
• Interview/placement or decline
• Onboarding:
• Optional background checks (pre-start)
• Agency orientation and Training (must wait until student starts)
• Safety Training (mandatory)!

Policies to know

• Adhere to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Adhere to the University of Michigan’s Nondiscrimination Policy
• Comply with National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics

Field Instructor Credentials

• Required Credentials to be an MSW primary field instructor:
• Must possess a CSWE-accredited master of social work degree, & 2+ years of post-degree experience.
• If the student’s role is clinical practice, they will need a field instructor who has clinical MSW licensure and we will require proof of an active clinical license in good standing from that field instructor

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Field Instructor Credentials

• Supervision: a commitment to provide at least 1 hour of dedicated, structured supervision weekly
• Email: Agree to use a @umich email account for all educational activities
• Commitment to Social Work Competencies: commit to intentional efforts to help the student to integrate the 9 social work competencies into the placement experience

CSWE Social Work Competencies

18

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
2. Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
3. Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Practice

CSWE Social Work Competencies

19

4. Engage in Practice-informed Research and

Research informed Practice

5. Engage in Policy Practice

6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups,

Organizations, & Communities

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CSWE Social Work Competencies

20

7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities

8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities

9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities

Supervisor AND teacher

Reflect On Your Experiences

Reflect:

• Who has been the greatest teachers/supervisors in your own life?

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Why?

• What did they do well?
• What didn’t work?
• What kind of field instructor/teacher do you want to be?

Student Schedules/Hours

• Field schedule for students:
• Typically 2-3 days or (16-24 hours) at field placement for 2, 3, or 4 semesters
• Follows the U-M SSW academic calendar
• Field Hours log

Field Instructor Checklist

Placement Verification

• The Placement Verification Form (PVF) asks student to fill out + you to attest to:
• Placement location
• MSW Field Instructor & Task Supervisor
• Hours/schedule for the term
• Transportation requirements (if applicable)
• Orientation on safety policies
• Awareness of malpractice insurance
• Awareness of HIPPA

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Field Instructor Checklist

Supervision 1 hour per week

Supervision

Students can bring an agenda

• Goals
• Administrative issues
• Guidance on the day-to-day assignments, tasks
• Discuss standards and expectations/policies
• Professional Growth and Identity
• understanding technical standards/ ethics
• discuss goals and ways to gain skills to meet them

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Supervision cont.

Education

• Discuss social work competencies and how they connect to the work they are doing in field
• Offer/receive feedback regarding performance
• Mentorship and modeling of social work practice/vulnerability
• Encourage reasonable risk taking - take time to process mistakes and learn and give feedback
• Skill development and assigning tasks that help hone social work master level skills

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Field Instructor Checklist

Site Visit - one per term

• Student is responsible for scheduling
• Scheduled for mid to late semester
• Held each semester with student and Field Instructor(s)-required
• In person at agency or on zoom
• Conducted as a mock interview sometimes

Field Instructor Checklist

Educational Agreement

Each student works on an educational agreement for each term. They should be working on it all term and discussing in supervision with you.

At end of term you will receive an email link to view it and…

• Review student’s writing
• Rate each competency
• Provide comments/feedback in writing (and in person)
• Review their hours total
• Sign the Educational Agreement

Ed. Agreement Ratings

Educational Agreement-EA

Technical Standards

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Student Guide Section 1.11.04: SSW Technical Standards and Conduct Policy

Addresses:

• Communication
• Intellectual and Cognitive Skills
• Emotional and Behavioral Readiness

Students with disabilities

• Accommodation: a modification or adjustment that enables students with disabilities to fully participate
• Providing accommodations is a legal and ethical obligation, rooted in federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
• If a student has approved accommodations with the University that they wish to use in field placement, we will let you know

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Establishing expectations

Preventing difficulty early:

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Share with students what to do when…

• sick
• late
• inclement weather
• car trouble
• they’re confused/need help

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Tell them how to be…

• present in meetings
• just listen
• if/when to speak
• guide-what to look for
• how to take notes

If there is difficulty

• Give your student feedback that is timely, clear, specific, non-judgmental and actionable
• situation - behavior - impact (SBI method)
• please avoid the hint and hope method
• Contact the field faculty (please do not wait! we can partner with you on coaching the student)

If concerns remain: Performance learning plan: written plan for student steps to achieve to improve in their areas for growth. Please see student guide for details

Resources/benefits

• Free access to U-M SSW CEU’s for up to one year after hosting a student
• Access to the U-M Library
• MCard discounts (for those in Michigan a physical MCard is needed)
• Mutually contribute to our next generation of social work colleagues as well as our agency partners

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Additional questions?

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Please reach out to our office at ssw-fieldoffice@umich.edu

or (734) 764-5331