Improving the TeachingLearning of EBP in Field Placements

1
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Agency Realities
• Issues
• Funding.
• Resources.
• Cost, Savings, Effectiveness.
• Priorities, Mandates, Environmental Pressures.
• Relevance to Practice.
• Nuts and Bolts of Implementation
• Access.
• How to adapt/flexibility.
• Translation.
• Agency stage regarding motivation to change (i.e.
  stability/turnover).
• Agency barriers to implementation.
• Staff expertise (weak vs. strong).

2
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Agency Realities
• Possibilities
• Partnerships with agencies.
• EBP agency centers.
• Create EBP research teams.
• Plan on long-term relationships.
• University share resources with agencies.
• Provide training/supervision.
• Clinical support tools.
• Help agencies evaluate products/processes.

3
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Students Needs/Realities
• Issues
• The short time-frame of MSW programs (2yrs).
• Diverse backgrounds.
• Diversity in Placements.
• Placements not up to speed on EPD.
• Students not able to absorb EBP on top of current
  curriculum could effect motivation and create
  confusion.
• Disconnect between classroom and field realities.
• Students as customers I want.
• Student expectations.

4
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Student Needs/Realities
• Possibilities
• Identify core competences and skills of EBP and
  link to classroom and field.
• Identify one agency that is willing to pilot
  start small.
• Teach life-long learning processes.
• Teach how to work with EBP interdisciplinary and
  agency teams.

5
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Teaching Curriculum and Field Placements
• Issues
• Disconnect between field and the classroom.
• Not hearing from the field (i.e. their research
  questions).
• Universities are slow to change.
• Need to evaluating progress to sustain
  motivation.
• Beware 2 full-time jobs.
• The why incentives for faculty.

6
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Teaching Curriculum Field Placements
• Possibilities
• Field in-service training.
• Faculty pilot strategies in the field.
• Universities to provide agency training in EBP.
• Faculty Dialogue.
• Check out current agency practice that EBP links
  to also to funding.
• Agency training centers.
• Link continuing education and professional
  development in EBP.
• Collegial networks NASW, CSWE, etc.
• Communicate the research in user friendly, jargon
  free manner.

7
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Infrastructure-University School of Social Work
  Realities
• Issues
• Tenure expectation.
• Administrative Support.
• Funds and resources to implement.
• Time to implement.
• Faculty buy-in.

8
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Infrastructure-University School of Social Work
  Realities
• Possibilities
• Research on effective models of teaching and
  integrating EBP
• Looks for ways to integrate with existing roles
  and responsibilities
• For example committee work, community work,
  research, publications.
• Visioning with other faculty administrative
  support to strategize.
• Faculty buy-out to work with agencies.
• Motivators for faculty
• Research agenda will be advanced.
• Provided funding.
• Publications.
• Professional development grants for innovation
  and implementation.

9
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Quality-Professional Leadership
• Issues
• Federal/State entities defining EBP.
• Resources in the era of cutbacks and accounting.
• Giving away practice (i.e. MFTs, etc.).
• Lack of a template or framework to evaluate an
  agency plan around EBP that is user friendly.
  This relates to federal or state reviews.

10
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Quality-Professional Leadership
• Possibilities
• Advocacy and leadership for EBP.
• Shaping the agenda framework for EBP.
• Move content into NASW licensing boards, CSWE,
  etc.
• All SW leaders needs to be brought up to date on
  EBP.
• Tap into expertise of other disciplines already
  engaged with EBP and network with other academic
  depts.

11
Improving the Teaching/Learning of EBP in Field
Placements

• Political (legislative/administrative/agency)
• Issues
• EBP could be used to cut funding.
• Mandates (i.e. managed care, Medicaid) that may
  impact EBP.
• Possibilities
• Partner with NASW, CSWE, and Community members to
  deal with political realities.

12
Next Steps

• Be sure that EBP is taught somewhere in the
  curriculum.
• To convene local, regional, and national
  conversation around EBP.
• To disseminate the information form this forum in
  a timely manner.
• Go home and talk to the faculty in effort to
  build consensus.
• To convene informal faculty chats (i.e. Lunches).
• SW Leadership needs to develop a more uniform
  definition of EBP.
• Distribute attendees e-mail list.
• Posting after conference, (i.e. listserve).
• Next time include students and agencies.

13
Next Steps

• Approach IASWR on how they can facilitate
  discussion of various interest groups and
  exploration of an institute (i.e. virtual
  institute).
• To convene a leadership summit of Deans,
  Directors, BPD, NASW, SSWR to facilitate interest
  groups conversation.
• Involve consumers group, train consumers, and
  drawing on consumer expertise.
• Conduct research on consumers preferences.
• Ed Mullens Web-site contains training material
  on EBP that can be used with agencies.
• EBP processes and research needs to include
  policy.
• Other professions are endorsing EBP lists. Social
  Work needs to become involved in endorsing these
  lists.