Beginning the Year on the Right TOE

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Beginning the Year on the Right TOE

• Shannon Stapleton
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• National Capital Chapter
• Sharon Cascone
• Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia

National Catholic School of Social Service Office
of Field Instruction August 2004
This presentation is the intellectual property of
the author and may be used only with written
permission and appropriate credit.
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TOE

• T Thoughtful
• O Organized
• E Educational

This presentation is the intellectual property of
the author and may be used only with written
permission and appropriate credit.
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T THOUGHTFULHow would you want to be
welcomed?

• Prepare colleagues for student
• Introduce student to staff
• Give student a tour of the agency
• Educate student about facilities
• Bathroom, kitchen, supply closet, is coffee
  free or not?
• Culture of agency
• Lunch, dress, etc.

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O ORGANIZEDOrientation Handbook

• Confidentiality statement
• NASW Code of Ethics
• Safety Planning
• Organizational Chart

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O ORGANIZEDOrientation Handbook

• Documentation Procedures
• Release of Information
• Format of case notes (co-sign students notes)
• Bio-psychosocial assessment
• Linkages to program evaluation
• Weekly supervision agendas
• Time sheets

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O ORGANIZEDOrientation Handbook

• Articles readings about program-specific issues
  
• Readings re cycle of violence and effects on
  children
• Power and Control Wheel
• Readings re homeless families in DC

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O ORGANIZEDOrientation Handbook

• Provide information regarding the
  multidisciplinary team, where possible
• Have students interview other staff members

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O ORGANIZEDOrientation Handbook

• Tools for learning
• Cultural competence
• Case management what does it mean?
• Genogram
• Ecomap
• Understanding the Courts
• How Does the Section 8 Voucher lease-up process
  work?

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O ORGANIZEDOther steps in orientation
process

• Have student review existing client case files
• Have student shadow field instructor or other
  staff, and then PROCESS
• Assign students their own clients
• Consider
• Voluntary vs. involuntary clients
• Build in prep-time for 1st client
• Some cases might be less appropriate than others

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O ORGANIZED

• Ideas for introductory assignments
• Remember to make the assignments make sense!
• Intake (depending on complexity at your agency)
• Work on one aspect of case
• Hands-on project (e.g. updating community
  resource list)
• Needs assessment phone calls
• Informal home visit

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O ORGANIZEDLearning Plan

• Student takes the lead
• Use for short-term and long-term learning goals
• Consult Learning Plan regularly in supervision
• Guarantee this, by having it on your supervision
  agenda

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E EDUCATIONAL

• Importance of Field Instructor-Student
  Relationship
• Field Instruction encompasses 3 roles
• Educational
• Administrative
• Supportive
• Reflect on your own experience with field
  instructors
• Let it help inform your practice

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E EDUCATIONAL

• EDUCATIONAL Role
• Student as Learner
• Teach and then Guide
• Figure out students preferred method of learning
• Negotiate between stimulating overwhelming
• Clarify roles and expectations for student

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E EDUCATIONAL

• EDUCATIONAL Role (Contd.)
• Provide high level of acceptance and availability
• Work toward educational goals
• Linking theory practice
• Building clinical skills
• Effectiveness within agency

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E EDUCATIONAL

• EDUCATIONAL Role (Contd.)
• Embrace role of evaluator
• Vital and healthy use of power
• Judge students work appropriateness for field
• Do not become a friend, peer, or glorified
  police officer (Aptekar)
• Help student adhere to clear performance standards

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E EDUCATIONAL

• EDUCATIONAL Role (Contd.)
• Give ongoing positive negative feedback as you
  help student establish context for their role in
  agency
• Provide critical feedback in a warm,
  non-judgmental, non-labeling manner. Compliment
  even small parts of students work.

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E EDUCATIONAL

• ADMINISTRATIVE Role
• Create a context that permits student to do job
  well
• Negotiate between students needs and fulfilling
  systems maintenance

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E EDUCATIONAL

• SUPPORTIVE Role
• Cornerstone of the teaching learning
  relationship
• Relationship provides most facilitative,
  supportive place for student to work out normal
  issues in personal and professional development.
  
• Allow expression of uncertainty, not knowing,
  inadequacy.

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E EDUCATIONAL

• SUPPORTIVE Role
• Utilize reflective listening
• Encourage/help student to take risks accept
  accompanying anxiety
• Support strengths and developing self-image
• Help student identify personal issues that may
  impact performance
• Stimulate self-awareness re clients situations.
  

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E EDUCATIONAL

• SUPPORTIVE Role
• Be aware of and work thru transference and
  countertransference issues
• Past supervisory experiences (for both parties)
  may influence this relationship
• Parallel process between students relationship
  with field instructor and with client
• Isomorphism

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E EDUCATIONAL

• SUPPORTIVE Role
• Literature shows how deeply affected student is
  by exchanges with supervisor
• Often supervisor is unaware of level of impact
• Students often intuit supervisors level of
  comfort in relationship and strive to protect
  these boundaries.
• Supervision must include discussion of
  supervisory relationship

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E EDUCATIONAL

• Student as Adult Learner
• Acknowledge past experience--personal and/or
  professional--that student brings to agency
• Internalized self-image
• Fear of failure

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E EDUCATIONAL

• Student as Adult Learner (Contd.)
• Student takes responsibility for learning and
  helps design/plan learning opportunities
• Foster mutual process of reflection and
  exploration
• Permission to express misunderstandings,
  disagreements, disappointments
• Promote student autonomy

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The End