Schoolof Socialworkmission

SW492: SocialWorkFieldSeminarI

FallSemester

Professor:Credits:1

Email:Co-requisites:SW490

Phone:616-331-6550

MISSIONANDGOALS

Schoolof SocialWorkMission

TheSchoolofSocialWorkprepares its students toattainsocialworkpracticeand professionalleadership;advancethe field’s knowledgeofeffectiveprofessionalpracticeand educationthroughresearchandevaluation;enhanceandsustainthewelfareandwell-beingof thecitizens,organizations andcommunities ofWestMichigan,thestate,thenation, andthe world;andfurther thegoals oftheUniversityandofthesocialworkprofessioninthis region andbeyond.

Allof theSchool's programs aregroundedintheprofession's bodyofknowledge, values and skills thatsupportandenhancetheopportunities, resources,andcapacities ofpeopleto achievetheirfullpotential;preventandalleviatepersonal,interpersonal, organizationaland societalproblems;andimprovetheconditions thatlimithumandevelopmentandadversely impactthequalityofhumanlife. TheSchoolcelebrates andaffirmstheimportanceof diversityinallof its forms,anditsupports theexpansionofhumanrights,cultural competence,empowerment,socialandpoliticaljustice,civicparticipationandequalityin WestMichiganandaroundtheworld.

TheSchool’s legacyemphases onsocialjusticeandonmeetingthesignificantprofessional workforceneeds of anexpansiveWestMichigansocialservices sectorremainstrong. Athird distinctive featureoftheSchoolis its integrationandpromotionof domesticandinternationalservicelearningopportunities thatprepareofstudents for21stcenturypracticeinincreasinglyglobaleconomicandsocialcontexts.

B.S.W. Program Goals

•ToprepareBSWgraduates for entryintothesocialworkprofessionas generalistsocial workpractitioners.

•Preparestudents forcontinuedprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities.

CouncilonSocialWorkEducation[CSWE]:CommissiononAccreditation [CSWE,CA]. (2008). Educationalpolicyandaccreditationstandards[EPAS].

FIELD EDUCATION: THE SIGNATURE PEDAGOGY

FieldEducationis thesignaturepedagogyofsocialworkeducationandoffers students opportunities tofullyintegrateandpracticetheskills necessarytodemonstrateachievementwith theSchoolof SocialWork’s core competencies andpracticebehaviors.FieldEducationprovides practicalapplicationof values,skills andknowledgeintroducedto students in foundationand advancedcoursework.Usingcarefullyselectedcommunitypartnerships andatthedirectionof qualified fieldinstructors, students becomeparticipatingmembers of thesocialworkcommunity whilelearningtoapplytheethics andvaluesneeded for effectiveservicedeliverywith populations at risk. Participationintheguidedseminarclass assists thestudenttoassimilate coursecontentwithcommunitybasedlearning.

FIELD EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

In keeping with the most recent practice standards outlined by the Council on Social Work

Education, the Grand Valley State University School of Social Work recognizes the centrality of

field education curriculum in addressing both foundation and advanced practice competencies at

the MSW and BSW level.

Field Education curriculum provides students with an experiential and imitative learning

opportunity to explore and use Social Work ideas, concepts and behaviors first encountered in the

classroom. These learning opportunities are designed to further develop professional social work

identity, self-reflection and self-awareness, and practice competence in each student. In each

semester of field placement students develop concrete and measurable activities that address

specific practice behaviors using the learning contract and assessment tool. The development and

monitoring of these activities requires the collaboration of the student, the agency based field

instructor and the university based faculty liaison. This model of collaborative competency based

Field Education is implemented at both the BSW and MSW level.

Additional emphasis on the integration of coursework into Field Education is provided by the

guided Field Education Seminar coursework, providing students with the opportunity to actively

reflect onthe connection between classroom theory and agency application. Furthering the

centrality and integrative nature of the field experience is the use of tenure and tenure track

faculty actively engaged in teaching. This faculty further insures the reciprocal nature of field

practice in courses and the field experience.

COUNCIL ON SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND STANDARDS (EPAS)

CORE COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICE BEHAVIORS

1.CoreCompetency:Identifywithsocialworkprofession(2.1.1)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Advocate forclientaccess totheservices ofsocialwork;

b)Practicepersonal reflectionandself-correctiontoassurecontinualprofessional;

c)Attendtoprofessional roles andboundaries;

d)Demonstrateprofessionaldemeanorinbehavior,appearance,andcommunication;

e)Engageincareer-longlearning;
f)Usesupervisionandconsultation.

2.CoreCompetency:Applyethicalprinciples inpractice.(2.1.2)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Recognizeandmanagepersonalvalues inawaythatallows professionalvalues to guidepractice;

b)Makeethicaldecisions byapplyingstandards oftheNationalAssociationofSocial

Workers Codeof Ethics and, as applicable,of theInternationalFederationofSocial

Workers/InternationalAssociationofSchools of SocialWorkEthics inSocial

Work,Statementof Principles;

c)Tolerateambiguityinresolvingethicalconflicts;

d)Applystrategies ofethicalreasoningtoarriveatprincipleddecisions.

3.CoreCompetency:Applycriticalthinkinginpractice(2.1.1)

Practice Behaviors:

a)Distinguish,appraise,andintegratemultiplesources ofknowledge,including

research-basedknowledgeandpracticewisdom;

b)Analyzemodels ofassessment,prevention,intervention,andevaluation;

c)Demonstrateeffectiveoralandwrittencommunicationinworkingwithindividuals,

families,groups, organizations, communities,andcolleagues.

4.CoreCompetency:Incorporatediversityintopractice(2.1.1)

Practice Behaviors:

a)Recognizetheextenttowhichaculture’s structureandvalues mayoppress,

marginalize,alienate, create,orenhanceprivilegeandpower;

b)Gainsufficientself-awareness toeliminatetheinfluenceofpersonalbiases and values inworkingwithdiversegroups;

c)Recognizeandcommunicatetheirunderstandingofimportanceofdifferencein shapinglifeexperiences;

d)Viewthemselves as learners andengagethosewithwhomtheyworkas informants.

5.CoreCompetency:Advocate forhuman rightsandsocialjustice(2.1.5)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Understandthe forms andmechanisms ofoppressionanddiscrimination;

b)Advocate forhumanrights and socialandeconomicjustice;

c)Engageinpractices thatadvancesocialandeconomicjustice.

6.CoreCompetency:Engageininformedresearch (2.1.6)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Usepracticeexperiencetoinform scientificinquiry;

b)Use researchevidencetoinformpractice.

7.CoreCompetency:Applyknowledgeof humanbehaviorinthesocialenvironment(2.1.7)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Utilizeconceptualframeworks toguidetheprocesses ofassessment,intervention, andevaluation;

b)Critiqueandapplyknowledgetounderstandpersonandenvironment.

8.CoreCompetency:Engageinpolicypracticetoadvancesocialandeconomicwell-being

(2.1.8)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Analyze,formulate,andadvocateforpolicies thatadvancesocialwell-being;

b)Collaboratewithcolleagues andclients for effectivepolicyaction.

9.CoreCompetency:Respondtocontexts thatshapepractice(2.1.9)

PracticeBehaviors:

a)Continuouslydiscover,appraise,andattendtochanginglocales,populations,

scientificandtechnologicaldevelopments,andemergingsocietaltrends toprovide relevantservices;

b)Provideleadershipinpromoting sustainablechanges inservicedeliveryand

practicetoimprovethequalityof socialservices.

10.CoreCompetency:Engage,assess,intervene,andevaluatewithindividuals, families,groups, organizations,andcommunities(2.1.10)

Practice Behaviors:

Engagement

a) Substantivelyandeffectivelyprepare foractionwithindividuals, families,groups organizations andcommunities;

b) Useempathyandotherinterpersonalskills;

c) Developamutuallyagreed-onfocus of workanddesiredoutcomes.

Assessment

d) Collect,organize, andinterpretclientdata;

e) Assess clientstrengths andlimitations;

f) Developmutuallyagreed-oninterventiongoals andobjectives;

g) Selectappropriateinterventionstrategies.

Intervention

h) Initiateactions toachieveorganizationalgoals;

i) Implementinterventionsthatenhanceclientcapacities;

j) Helpclients resolveproblems;

k) Negotiate,mediate,andadvocate for client.
Evaluation

l)Facilitatetransitions andendings;

m)Criticallyanalyze,monitor, andevaluateinterventions.

ACCOMMODATION NEEDS

Any student in this class who has special needs because of a learning disability, or other kinds of disabilities, must report toDisability Support Services. This is a required action if you wish special consideration. Also, please feel free to come and discuss this with me. For further information check the website at call 331-2490. The office is located at 240 Student Services Building on the GVSU Allendale campus.

BSWSTUDENTS: PORTFOLIO REMINDER

Portfoliodevelopment isanimportantpartofevaluatingstudentlearningandservestointegrate thecompetenciesandpracticebehaviors taughtinallBSWclasses.Please remembertosavean assignment,presentation,projectortestfromeachclass tocontributetoyourportfolio,compiled inSW495, theSeniorCapstoneclass.

COURSEDESCRIPTION

This courseassists students inunderstandingandachievingcompetenceinthesocialwork skills taughtandpracticedintheir field educationsetting.Thecourse requires students toreportand analyzefieldactivities withfacultyandpeers, includingtheassessmentandevaluationofclient populations as wellas issues relatedtoagency functioning.

FieldSeminar is designedtobeadirectedpeer learningcoursewherestudents takesignificant responsibility for theirownandtheirpeers’professionalgrowthanddevelopment. This typeof course requires students tobeactiveparticipants intheirownlearningandtosharetheir excitement,fears, success and frustrations withclassmates. As such,theseminarreflects an activelearningenvironmentthatmirrors thetypeoftrust, support, openness,feedbackandsafety essentialtoproductivesupervision. Emphasisis onthedevelopmentofcompetencies and practicebehaviors encounteredinprofessionalpractice.

SEMINAR REQUIREMENTS

Field Education Seminar I andField Education Iareinextricably relatedandmustbothbesimultaneously successfully completedinordertoreceive credit. Fifteenof the225clockhoursfor fieldeducationarecompletedintheFieldEducation Seminar, thus attendanceis mandatoryforall sessions.Studentmustaccumulateaminimum of15hours of FieldEducationSeminareachsemesterinorder toprogresstothenextfield educationcourse. Students mustconfer withtheFaculty Field Liaisonregardingmakeuptimeforany absences fromseminar.

1. LearningContract–Allstudents enrolledinfieldEducationarerequiredto completeaStudentLearningContract(SLC).Thiscontractwilloutlinetheways in whichyouwillachievebenchmarks withinthecorecompetencies andpractice behaviors.TheSLCwill serveas thebasis for semesterevaluationtobecompletedat theendof eachsemester.TheSLCis atooltohelpguidelearningandensureyou achievethecompetencies required for completionofaBachelorofSocialWork Degree.(2.1.1–2.1.10)

2. ReflectiveJournal–Students will be responsible forcompletingjournal entries and submitting them to Chalk & Wire overthecourseofthesemester.Thefocusofthejournalentries willbea reflectionontheagencyenvironment,theintegrationoftheoryintopractice, andthe recognitionof personalandprofessionalethics.Studentshoulddemonstrate beginningcriticalthinking.

3. Agency Presentation - Thepurposeofthis assignmentis todevelopthestudent’s understandingoftheagencyandtosharetheunderstandingwithclassmates. The studentshouldaddress eacharealistedintheassignment,or indicatewhyitis not relevantatthis agency.Thepapershouldhaveacoverpage,andaheadingforeach area. Whenpresentingtoclass donotreadyourpaper.

4. Class Participation–Studentsinfieldeducationwillbeheldtoprofessional expectations as outlinedintheNASWCodeofEthics.Sinceclass discussionand otherin-class activities areavitalpartof this course,morethanoneunexcused absenceorchroniclateness willresultinaloss of fiveparticipationpoints.Students willbeexpectednotonlytoreadanyassignedmaterialbutalsotothinkaboutthe materialcoveredinandoutsideof class andcomepreparedtoaddconstructivelyto seminardiscussionandactivities.

Learning Contract 20-25%

Reflective Journal20-25%

Agency Presentation20-25%

Class Participation20-25%

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Field Education Seminar is mandatory. Students are expected to be on time for Field Education Seminar meetings and to remain for the entire duration of the Seminar. Students are not expected to miss Field Education Seminar. Faculty Field Liaisons will develop make-up assignments for any missed seminar. However, missing more than one Field Education Seminar is grounds for receiving a “no credit” grade in Field Education. Field Education and Field Education Seminar are inextricably related; failure to receive a “credit” grade in Field Education Seminar will result in a “no credit” grade in both Field Education I and Field Education Seminar I.

GRADES

This is a credit/no credit course. Grades are based upon factors that include, but are not limited to completion of 15 hours of Field Education Seminar attendance, class participation, Field Instructor and Faculty Field Liaison evaluation of performance in Field Education, and satisfactory performance in both Field Education and Field Education Seminar.

ORGANIZATION/METHODS OF THE COURSE

Session1:OrientationtoField Education,plansfor agencyvisit

Session2:AgencyPresentations. Issues ofadjustment,orientation,diversityofsetting Session3: AgencyPresentations. Safety at the field placement

Session4:AgencyPresentations. Issues surrounding conflict, relationships

Session5:AgencyPresentations. Supervision structure and styles

Session6:AgencyPresentations. Learning from mistakes

Session7:AgencyPresentations. Social media and its impact in Social Work