Scenario:
Sam Student is placed at Sojourner Truth Mental Health Center (STMHC) for Advanced Practicum. Sam plans to become oriented to the agency and clinical practice at STMHC . Then STMHC will assign some clients to Sam for individual or family therapy. Sam will also be observing groups then developing and leading a group for foster parents of trauma exposed children. Sam proposes using the foster parent support group experience for Practice Evaluation, it is not yet clear if this will be based on clinical considerations of Sam’s skills or the systemic experience of instituting such a group at STMHC.
Practicum project tasks (with related FC practice behaviors enumerated in parenthesis)
1. Understand the agency’s mission, history, philosophy, values and ethics
a. Attend new employee orientation and discuss with field instructor (1b)
b. Review the agency’s code of ethics, noting any key differences with the NASW Code (1a)
c. Become familiar with other services provided within STMHC (1b, 8b)
d. Become familiar with community services frequently accessed by STNHC clients (1b, 8b)
2. Observe clinicians in # individual and # group sessions
a. Review STMC record keeping procedures and read entries made by clinicians regarding observed sessions (1c)
b. Note and discuss clinical issues with field instructor (1a)
3. Assume primary responsibility for # clients weekly
a. Meet with clients as scheduled (2a, 3b, 7a, 7b, 8a)
b. Maintain STMHC records as required (1c)
c. Note and discuss clinical issues with field instructor, incorporating feedback in future sessions (1b,1d, 2b, 6a)
d. Research issues related to client concerns as they present themselves (1c,3a)
e. At end of Practicum, plan for termination with each client, making referrals as appropriate (1a,1b, 6b)
4. Develop and implement group for foster parents of trauma exposed children.
a. Research issues and concerns for caregivers of trauma exposed children(4a, 5a, 9a)
b. Research considerations for foster parent support groups (4a, 5a, 9a)
c. Identify STMHC procedures for consent and financial arrangements (1a, 3b, 5b)
d. With the assistance of colleagues at STMHC, identify possible group participants (9a)
e. Invite foster parents to group meetings (6a, 9a, 9b)
f. Develop content and facilitate group as scheduled (6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 9a, 9b)
g. At end of Practicum, plan for termination with the group (1b, 6b)
Learning Contract Considerations (Conversation Starters for Field Coordinators):
FC1a) What are STMHC’s ethical precepts? Perhaps Sam should read and review them then discuss with field instructor.
FC1b) This can be done in field instruction and/or seminar
FC1c) Which technologies does STMHC use? This might refer to electronic record keeping, tele-med interactions, research of best practices on Internet or even the use of a Facebook group by the foster parent group.
FC1d) ) This can be done in field instruction and/or seminar. Perhaps Sam will do some case presentations at STMHC staff meetings? Or prepare material for their internal wiki?
FC2a) How are diversity and oppression experienced by clients at STMHC? What are some relevant engagement skills? This is also a topic for field instruction.
FC2b) What resources are available within STMHC and the practice literature to explore this? This is an excellent topic for field instruction and/or seminar.
FC3a) What areas of social, economic and/or environmental justice are experienced by those seeking service at STMHC? Could be accessible facilities, facilities on bus line, availability of translators for those whose primary language is not English , perhaps STMHC asks clients to confirm appointments on phone, online or by text (all of which require access to technology of one sort or another) It might also be possible to review case files with attention to those barriers for past clients.
FC3b) Having identified concerns, what are some appropriate strategies for intervention? And at what level?
FC4a) Which gaps does Sam plan to address? What are some resources within STMHC, the practice community and the practice literature? This might be linked to Sam’s Practice Evaluation Project.
FC4b) This might occur in field instruction or seminar or a staff meeting. And it might be linked to Sam’s Practice Evaluation Project.
FC5a) Which policy concerns seem to impact Sam’s clients at STMHC? This could be linked to FC3 concerns. If no current concerns are identified a file review might be useful.
FC5b)Note that strategies are to be designed, not necessarily implemented.
FC6a) This may well be similar to work identified in FC2a. What are the resources within STMHC, the practice community and practice literature? This might look different for Sam’s individual clients than it does for the foster parent group.
FC6b) How does treatment planning occur at STMHC? If it is not relationally based, what might that look like? Could that lack of relationally based planning be appropriate for FC5?
FC7a) How does assessment, both initial and ongoing, occur at STMHC? Are there barriers to utilizing this type of assessment strategy? If so, this might be appropriate to consider in FC5. FC7b) Will Sam be conducting formal assessments? If not, how can Sam participate in that process within STMHC? It may also be useful for Sam to review previously completed assessments in current client case files. This might look different for Sam’s individual clients than it does for the foster parent group.
FC8a) Developing the implementation plan is a great topic for field instruction. How does this typically occur at STMHC?
FC8b) How can Sam be aware of community resources? Perhaps Sam should create or update a listing of frequently used community resources for STMHC?
FC9a) This looks like the development and implementation of Sam’s Practice Evaluation Project.
FC9b) How is this already done at STMHC? If this is not Sam’s Practice Evaluation Project, how can this be done meaningfully?