RAMAPO COLLEGE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM STUDENT FIELDWORK

RAMAPO COLLEGE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM STUDENT FIELDWORK ORIENTATION September 10, 2013

Agenda Discussion of feelings about beginning field placement Expectations: time – total hours, holidays, sick time, school breaks The first few days at the agency Placement assignments and task expectations Safety and responsible use of social media Social work supervision and teaching styles of field instructors Learning styles of students Self assessment Learning goals Completing the Learning Contract and the online Field Evaluation Final questions

Introductions Who are you? Name, where live, Field placement 30 seconds please

Feelings about Starting Field Placement What are you feeling? Are you . Worried, excited, scared, happy?

Expectations: Time 200 hours each semester 2 semesters Approximately 16 hours per week How frequently per week? You must make up sick time Calendar

Expectations: Holidays If the agency is closed for a holiday on a field placement day, you must make up the time Winter break holiday time must be negotiated

Expectations: Accountability: To whom will you report? How will you report?

Expectations: What do we call everyone?

The first few days: What to wear?

The first few days: What to bring?

The first few days: What to ask Who to ask

The first few days: What will you do

Placement Assignments Task expectations

How to find your way around your agency, the community, and the county

How to get to know your agency Review Check List in packet

SAFETY FIRST We must remain continually aware of safety issues in our daily professional interactions Learn agency Safety policies Safety procedures Safety training opportunities

Safety Planning Safety assessments and action plans are important simply because they promote awareness and reduce fear to allow us to better serve our clients. In the Office—position of desk, chairs and access to door of office—both you and client should have access to the door. Leave door ajar during interviews when possible. Dress appropriately-no expensive jewelry, think about shoes and clothing that are suitable to agency and the work you are doing with client population. Make sure cell phone is working and preprogrammed.

Maintaining Your Safety in the Field Leaving the office Learn about the area before you go—google maps, map quest. Go with a team member Make first appointments for early in day. Day-light hours are more safe until you know the area and the client. Make sure car has gas and is in good working order In the car Driving alone—know your surroundings, do a drive by prior to your first visit. Driving with clients—what is the agency policy on this Parking— 1. Park car in lighted area or accessible area. 2. Call to alert client/family you are on the way.

Safety in the Field (continued) At client’s home Do some preparation before going out to the home Know the client and the environment/neighborhood Communicate appearance wisely Plan for connection with staff/agency workers During home visit, always look for non verbal cues Always look confident.

Do a safety assessment Identifying the dangerous client or situation— learn how to not let a situation escalate. Always try to remain calm. Responding to the dangerous client or situation—a student must learn about the kinds of client problems they will be seeing and how to take precautions especially with clients who can become agitated or violent. Use Some Common Sense—Don’t see client in isolation. Pay attention to your own feelings. Use supervision. End session if you have real concerns.

Resource on Safety in Social Work http://www.naswma.org/ displaycommon.cfm? an 1&subarticlenbr 51#Resources http://prezi.com/vist1okhfofv/safety- in-the-community/

Social Media and the Profession of Social Work In the age of technology and information, social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs, SMS/texting, etc.) can be particularly helpful in building connections with colleagues and maintaining relationships with friends and family; however, as a result, the boundary between personal and professional matters has become increasingly blurry. Due to social work’s professional standards and the obligation to follow the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp) social workers need to continually assess the ethical implications/complications of social media use, not only as practicing social workers but in the training of social work students. While social media tools obviously present many useful and exciting opportunities, the features that enable these benefits also present potentially serious challenges in a professional setting. Privacy, confidentiality, and the establishment of professional boundaries in particular, can be hindered when the necessary precautions to protect the student/employee and clients have not been taken.

Responsible use of social media 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What type of information is okay to share on a personal social media site? When, if ever, is it permissible to conduct an online search for information about a client? What is the policy on “friending” current or past clients? How can social media be used to further the goals of the fieldwork site? What types of information should not be sent via email? It is in the profession’s best interest to remind students that social media sites are public domains and any and all information can be accessed by anyone. Once information is in cyber space, it never goes away.

As you get started in your field placement, it may be helpful to explore the following questions with your field instructor and/or task supervisor. 1. Does your field site have a policy on the use of social media communication tools? If so, review the policy with your field instructor. If not, what expectation does the agency have regarding the use of social media during field hours? 2. How much personal information is shared with clients and former clients as well as agency staff and professional colleagues? 3. What are the most common ethical concerns you should be aware of when using social media as a professional social worker?

What is social work supervision? What has been your previous experience with work supervisors? Support Accountability Educational What is Process Recording? Why do we use the term Field Instructor for the social work supervisor?

Council on Social Work Education Accredits BSW and MSW programs Changes: Field as the Signature Pedagogy EPAS Educational Policy and Standards Competency based education – what the student can do –

Competency Based Education Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Program Competencies and Practice Behaviors See website http://ww2.ramapo.edu/sshs/ social/goals.aspx

Self Assessment What are the ways that you can do a self assessment regarding the skills you need to learn in theory and practice I?

TAKE THE LEARNING STYLES QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE YOURSELF Fill out top of worksheet

Learning Styles We each learn in different ways Have any of you stopped to think about how you learn best? What kind of teachers have you learned the most from?

DO YOU HAVE TO . try to do something first and then read about it? read about it first and then try it? see it done first before you can try it?

LEARNING STYLES Visual – read, watch Auditory – listen, talk Kinesthetic role play – hands on, do,

Learning Contract Part 1 A contract is a written or verbal agreement between two parties spelling out each other’s expectations you and your field instructor will spell out, in writing, the expectations for you in field, and the field instructor’s role in your education http://ww2.ramapo.edu/sshs/social/ fieldinstruct.aspx

First Page . the days and time you will be at the agency what reports you will be expected to write how you should come prepared for supervision what will be your time schedule during winter break when you and your field instructor will meet for supervision how you will be oriented to the agency what your assignments will be. what clients, groups

Part 2 spell out what special skills you will be learning this year, what assignments you will have at the agency to help you learn it, and how you, your field instructor and you faculty liaison will know that you have learned it.

Fieldwork Evaluation Completed by your field instructor and you once towards the end of each semester Reflects your ability to reach competency in areas you set in the Student Learning Contract. Completed and submitted online http://beap.utah.edu/secure/ router.php?ID 0000FP0000

FINAL QUESTIONS ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Checkout Have fun in field