Kim Setterlund, MSW, LCSW

Director of Field Education

Cathy Fisher, MSW, LCSW

Assistant Director of Field Education

Develop a working knowledge of the APU MSW

field education requirements

Be familiar with effective agency orientation,

supervision and training strategies

Utilize practical applications for building a strong

field internship program at your agency

Apply field training materials in preparation for

your students in the 2011-2012 year

Katy Tangenberg, Ph.D.◦ Director & Chair, MSW Program

Stephen Brown, Ed.D◦ MSW Faculty

Adria Navarro, Ph.D.o MSW Faculty

Shayna Neshama, Ph.D.◦ MSW Faculty

Olivia Sevilla, LCSW◦ MSW Faculty

Karen Maynard, MA◦ Student Services Director

Support Staff Lucinda Adam

◦ Administrative Assistant

Kim Setterlund, LCSWDirector of Field Education

Cathy Fisher, LCSWAssistant Director of Field Education

Field Faculty Liaisons

George Taylor, LCSW

Maria Carmichael, LCSW

Nicole Arkadie, LCSW

Lilli Flores, LCSW

Robin Worker, LCSW, PsyD

Luanna Bickham, MSW

Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical Christian

community of disciples and scholars who seek to

advance the work of God in the world through academic

excellence in liberal arts and professional programs of

higher education that encourage students to develop a

Christian perspective of truth and life.

The MSW program in the Department of Social Work at Azusa Pacific University seeks to develop competent advanced social work practitioners who can integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of social work to advance social justice and provide services to assist individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Grounded in the profession’s Code of Ethics and sensitivity to diversity, the MSW program is committed to excellence in our teaching and scholarship, the integration of faith and learning, the development of professional leadership, and the strengthening of communities in local, national, and international contexts.

The Department of Social Work at Azusa Pacific University received initial accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education in 1982. Reaccreditation was successfully reinstated in 1990, 1998 and 2006.

The program has a strong and diverse generalist BSW program with approximately 115 majors.

The MSW Program, now named the Graduate Social Work Department, admitted the first cohort in fall of 2008, with approximately 70 students. Full-time and part-time options as well as Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families and Community Practice and Partnerships are program concentration options. The MSW Department received full accreditation in February 2011, and currently has over 135 students enrolled.

The Azusa Pacific University MSW Department

trains students for professional practice and

emphasizes adherence to the NASW Code of

Ethics.

In keeping with Azusa Pacific University Christian

faith tradition, students learn to

balance faith, ethics and values in a

professional setting.

F/T 2nd year students 38

F/T Advanced Standing students 14

F/T 1st year students 23

P/T 4th year students (2nd year field) 16

P/T 3rd year students (not in field) 17

P/T 2nd year students (1st year field) 25

P/T 1st year students (not in field) 24

Total in Field*: 116

Total Enrolled: 156

New Students

# %

Asian 15 9

Blacks 19 12

Caucasian 46 30

Hispanic 59 38

Other 17 11

156 100%

Education Policy and Accreditation Standards

(EPAS) of the Council on Social Work Education:

Accreditation Standard 2.1—Field Education—sets

standards for the use of field education as an integral

part of the MSW program. Defines the minimum number

of hours required at bachelor’s and master’s level.

Mandates that orientation and field instructor training be

provided to agency-based field instructors. (2008 EPAS,

pg 9-10) www.cswe.org

Field Education is now considered the signature

pedagogy.

Field Education is the capstone of the social work education experience

Students develop skills through experiential learning in a supervised field setting

Focus turns from acquisition to application of knowledge (classroom to field)

Students learn to successfully integrate theory into practice

Upon completion, students should be ready to begin social work practice within an agency setting.

To facilitate positive and challenging experiential learning in a supervised field setting.

To partner with skilled, experienced, and motivated social work practitioners who love to teach

To train students in evidence-based practice methods consistent with current trends

To train competent advanced social work practitioners

To contribute to the workforce in the field of social work

To promote the integration of faith and social work practice

The Clinical Practice

Concentration prepares

students for clinically oriented

practice in contexts focused

on health and mental health

care, shelters, group homes,

child welfare agencies,

hospices, schools, older adult

services, correctional

facilities, and other settings

where personal helping relationships are developed.

The Community

Practice Concentration prepares students for

community-based practice in

local, national, and

international contexts. This

curriculum is designed for

students interested in

international social work and

community development

activities, policy and advocacy,

transnational issues,

leadership, social service

administration and grant

writing.

Each student bring a unique set of needs

Similarities exist Learning NASW Code of Ethics, basic interviewing and assessment

skills, human behavior in social environments, case management

skills

Differences exist MSW students learn advanced clinical practice skills in applying

DSM-IV diagnosis and therapeutic interventions as well as

advanced social work administration and community organization

skills

How to be to a critical thinker in field

What thorough case management looks like

Focus on agency documentation

How to collect data to form an assessment

Putting theory into practice

◦ Why we chose this intervention

How to use supervision

◦ Knowing what questions to ask

◦ Understanding how to use process recordings

How to identify as a professional

◦ With clients

◦ with staff and community

Use of authority

Application of knowledge(Field Setting)

Acquisition of knowledge(Classroom) Integration

Assessment & Interviewing

Crisis Intervention

Law and Ethics

PracticeTheories

MacroInterventions

Interventions &

TreatmentPlanning

It sets the tone for a positive field experience

It alleviates fear and anxiety, common emotions

for students new to social work

When a formal orientation is not provided,

students waste agency time trying to find the

information on their own, leaving less time for

learning

Students are made to feel welcome at the agency

Plan before student arrives:◦ Physical location –where will the student work?

◦ Communicate with other staff re: intern roles

◦ Ensure paperwork is taken care of

Conduct tour of agency

Schedule brief presentations by other staff

Develop an orientation packet

How do you prepare your agency and/or staff for

your students’ arrival?

What do you provide that is a unique aspect of

the orientation?

Who is involved in developing the field

orientation packet?

Who is involved in the orientation?

How long is your orientation?

Important Policies and Procedures

Agency Description

Identification (how will students be referred)

Confidentiality

Safety Issues

Agency Jargon

Making Referrals

The Supervisory Relationship

Providing a Safe Learning Environment

Build the foundation for a successful year in field by:◦ Beginning with an effective orientation

◦ Formalize a supervision schedule

◦ Discuss hopes and expectations

◦ Provide specific expectations for field performance

◦ Refer to Learning Agreement to begin goal setting

◦ Give immediate feedback when possible

◦ Give positive as well as constructive feedback often

◦ Make a point of getting to know your student(s)

◦ Identify student strengths and challenges in learning

◦ Identify your student’s learning styles vs. your own

Completion of Field and Field Seminar I,

II, III, and IV is a requirement of the MSW

program. Students are required to attend

Field Seminar concurrent with Field.

Successful completion in field with a

minimum grade of ―B‖ or better is required

to move on to the next field sequence.

A minimum of 16 hours a week field work is required for FT

and PT students, with a total of 480 hours for each academic

year.

A minimum of 20 hours a week for Advanced Standing (A/S)

students is required for a total of 600 the academic year.

Students must receive ONE hour a week of individual

supervision from their designated MSW field instructor

Student Field Days should be Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or

Fridays for FT students; any weekday is available for PT

students

Students must provide at least one 8 hour block day at their

field placement site

Students must complete ONE process recording every week

for a total of 12 recordings each semester.

Cohort: FT 1st Year FT 2nd Year &

AS

PT 1st Year

Available

Field

Days

M,W, or F M, W, or F M, T, W, Th,

or F

Required

Hours16 16 (20 for A/S)

(or as otherwise specified)

16(at least one 8 hr.

block of time required)

Field

Liaison

Visits

Minimum of 1 visit

during the 6th-12th

week of each semester

Minimum of 1 visit

during the 6th-12th

week of each semester

Minimum of 1 visit

during the 6th-12th

week of each

semester

Field

Seminar

Schedule

Thursdays, 2:30-

4:30 p.m.

Thursdays, 2:30-

4:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, 5-7

p.m.

SOCW 511

Introduction to the Social Work Profession

SOCW 512

Social Welfare Policy and Policy Practice

SOCW 513

Micro-Theory and Human Development

SOCW 514

Practice I: Interviewing and Assessment

SOCW 515

Field Seminar I

SOCW 516

Field I

SOCW 521

Introductory Research Methods

SOCW 522

Diversity and Social Justice

SOCW 523

Macro-Theory and Practice with Communities and Organizations

SOCW 524

Practice II: Intervention and Evaluation

SOCW 525

Field Seminar II

Overview of the helping process: exploration, engagement, assessment, planning, implementing plan, attaining goals, termination

Risk assessment of both adults and children: Suicidal ideation, child abuse, family violence, cutting behavior, substance abuse, run-away

ethical and legal issues, purpose of supervision and student responsibilities Discussion of advice vs. guidance and empowerment. Boundary issues. Ethical duties of informed consent, confidentiality, personal vs. professional

values, attitudes, and behavior. Beginning discussion of counter-transference, self determination, documentation as an ethical and legal responsibility.

Assessment skills and tools: Bio-psycho-social assessment Begin discussion of DSM IV-TR and diagnosis and as it relates to practice setting.

Discussion of the ethicality of diagnosis in particular settings. Assessment of client strengths Cultural considerations and diagnoses. Family and systems theory Monitoring goal achievement in treatment Specific issues regarding children vs. adolescents vs. adults

Sexual Harassment Training

HIPAA/PHI and Documentation Standards

Blood Borne Pathogen Training

Safety in the Workplace & Community

Professional Conduct in the Workplace

The Field Manual serves as a resource for both students

and field instructors.

Important excerpts:

◦ Program Curriculum (p. 15-16)

◦ Policies and Procedures (p.18)

◦ Attendance (p.25)

◦ Holidays and Seasonal Breaks (p.26)

◦ Field Instructor Changes (p.30)

◦ Fitness for Duty Criteria (p.30)

◦ Handling Problems Situations in Field (p.31)

◦ Remediation (p.31)

◦ Risk Management (p.36)

◦ Role of Field Faculty (p.37)

◦ Responsibilities of Student (p.42)

Q: Will the students continue field hours during holidays?

A: Although APU is closed for the major holidays, students in field are expected to discuss their obligations to the agency and their clients during holidays. If a student is facilitating a group or needs to continue to see a client for therapeutic reasons, it is reasonable for the supervisor to expect the student to continue in field during this time. A modified field schedule is acceptable during the holidays.

Q: What happens if the student is involved in a problematic situation in field?

A: There are policies in the field manual that discuss the action to be taken if a student gets into trouble or is involved in a problematic situation or ethical issue. Typically if the issue requires on-going remediation, a Student Support Plan is developed.

Students are to provide field instructors with a

copy of their field &practice syllabus each

semester.◦ This informs the field instructor of class curriculum topics

and assignments

◦ Gives field instructors an opportunity to reinforce practice

topics in a supervised practice setting

◦ Strengthens the learning process for student

Students should also review field assignments with field

instructors including: macro or capstone projects, case

presentation, process recordings

◦ The Field Instructor is the primarysupervisor assigned to the student at the internship site

◦ He/she is responsible for providing 1 hour/wk of scheduled supervision, assigning field activities, reviewing students work, and giving ongoing feedback about students progress

◦ The MSW Field Instructor develops social work learning opportunities appropriate to the students developmental level

◦ He/she may assign a secondary supervisor, known as a preceptor, to provide additional supervisor oversight and guidance.

The field liaison is a faculty member who

facilitates field seminar & coordinates the field experience for the

student and field agency.

The field liaison maintains contact with the agency field instructor and

completes a minimum of one field visit per semester, and as needed

to ensure student progress in field.

The field liaison is responsible for reviewing the field paperwork

requirements, as follows: Process recordings & logs, Time logs, and

Learning Agreement.

The field liaison notifies the Field Education Director if significant

problems have been identified in the field internship necessitating a

Field Support Plan of action.

Complete and submit Learning Agreement by the date specified on

syllabus..

Consistently demonstrate professional conduct and adherence to the

NASW Code of Ethics.

Follow through on commitments to the agency and follow through with

appointments with promptness and reliability.

When late reporting for duty or late on an assignment (due to

sickness/emergency), student is to notify supervisor immediately.

Be flexible and stay open minded to unexpected learning opportunities.

Take responsibility for supervision; be a proactive learner by preparing for

supervisory sessions.

Students must complete one process recording per week and turn in to

supervisor, for a total of 12 per semester.

Student will bring any problem regarding the field internship to the attention

of the faculty Field Liaison. Field Director should be notified immediately if

student is involved in serious incident or injury.

A letter grade is assigned for all field courses A minimum of grade of ―B‖ is required advance to the next field

sequence

Grading ProceduresThe Field Grade is calculated using the following percentage breakdowns:

20% Field instructor feedback from Comprehensive Skills Evaluation

15% Pre/Post Skills Assessment to measure competence; outcomes based evaluation

15% Professional Conduct as evaluated by field faculty, field instructor, and preceptor

50% Field Seminar Grade (includes all written field assignments)=100%

Learning Agreement & Comprehensive

Skills Evaluation (CSE)

Mid-Semester Progress Report

Weekly Process Recordings and Log◦ Formats: MICRO, MACRO, MEETING, GROUP,

AUDIO/VISUAL

Weekly Field Time Log

Annual Macro Project or Senior CAPSTONE

Project

The Learning Agreement is the learning contract used at the field internship, developed by the student & Field Instructor

Final approval is required by the field instructor.◦ It should include an assessment of the student’s strengths,

desires for learning, and specific learning activities

◦ It contains 10 field core competencies that should be the focus of your students field experience

It also includes the Comprehensive Skills Evaluation (CSE) which is the annual feedback tool to be used by your field instructor

COMPETENCY #1 – Professionalism: Intern identifies as a professional social worker and conducts her/himself accordingly

COMPETENCY #2 – Ethics: Intern applies social work ethical principles to guide her/his professional practice

COMPETENCY #3 – Thinking & judgment: Intern applies critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments

COMPETENCY #4 – Cultural competency: Intern engages diversity and difference in practice

COMPETENCY #5 – Social justice: Intern advances human rights and social and economic justice

COMPETENCY #6 – Evidence based practice: Intern engages in research informed practice and practice informed research

COMPETENCY #7 – Person in Environment: Intern applies knowledge of human behavior and the social environment

COMPETENCY #8 – Policy: Intern engages in policy practice to advance social and economic well being and deliver effective social work services.

COMPETENCY #9 – Current Trends: Intern responds to contexts that shape practice

COMPETENCY #10 – Practice skills: Intern engages, assess, intervenes and evaluates individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

Numerical rather than a letter-based rating system

Field Instructors are asked to rate interns (0-4) in all the activities under the 10 competencies.

Level 0 = Intern has not met the expectations in this area and there is not much evidence that the expectations will be met in the near future

Level 1 = Intern has not yet met the expectations in this area, but there is evidence that the expectations will be met in the near future

Level 2 = Intern understands the concept and is beginning to demonstrate the skill in this area, however, students performance is uneven.

Level 3 = Intern understands the concept and has consistently met the expectations in this area

Level 4 = Intern demonstrates a high level of skill development and has exceeded expectations in this area

Winter Quarter/Fall Semester: Students should be at Level 1 or Level 2. Please contact Field Liaison if student is at Level 0 in any objective.

Spring Quarter/Spring Semester: Students should demonstrate skills at least at the Level 2 or 3. Please contact Liaison if Student is below Level 2 in any objective.

Be aware that evaluation often produces a lot of stress among students.

Spend a significant amount of time completing the evaluation.

Base your final evaluation on clear guidelines that were set at the beginning of the internship.

Evaluate student objectively, focusing on work performance rather than personal issues.

Review strengths as well as limitations

Remember that the CSE should be a review. Ongoing, constructive feedback should be given so that their CSE brings no surprises.

Each individual responds differently to feedback.

Some personality types will welcome feedback; others may be uncomfortable at first and interpret feedback as critical.

Provide feedback with care and consideration to observe the student’s response.

Students should be encouraged to discuss their feelings of receiving feedback to establish and open and trusting environment.

Feedback is best received when a trusting and supportive environment has been established.

Process recordings are also known as educational-based recordings and are tools utilized by students to document their practice assignments. Through recordings, students are also able to process the affective aspects of their practice to develop self-awareness, awareness of the client situation, themes, theories, and interventions. Micro, Macro, Group, Meeting, and Audio/Video Process recording forms are provided to students.

Process Recordings should be

turned in weekly to the Field

Instructor and utilized as a

supervision tool

Documentation Content Information Insight Exercises Accountability

The student’s work, learning needs,

For teaching practice skills

To further assist in understanding client needs

Into the student as a practitioner & learner, the basis of the educ. assessment

To help with recall and observation

For practice content

The student’s ongoing growth & development

To address ethics, diversity, & culture

To monitor quality of work

That facilitates reflective practice

For teaching about communication

For further research

Supervisor Interview ContentStudents Gut

FeelingsClient

Feelings/Affect Analysis/ ThemesCLNT- “I am scared that my husband is cheating on me..”THX ”Tell me what you think is going on?”

I feel worried, protective of client

CLNT I discovered he has been texting messages to another woman on his phone”

tearful, affect angry, upset..

good use of empathy

THX -I can see that this really upset you..what have you been feeling? Open ended questions

Lets explore possible counter-

transference

CLNT-Well I feel like he just doesn’t love me anymore…he never wants to spend time with me or the kids…”

Feeling sad, angry, men just cant be

trusted… sad, hopelessPartner relationship problems

THX -Have you tried to talk to your husband about it?

1. Allows supervisor to look closely at the student’s work; the

data gathered in interviews, groups, or meetings; and the

overall skills of helping.

2. Supervisor can look closely at students efforts and

interventions and examine how students use themselves in

face-to-face professional encounters.

3. Supervisor can utilize recordings to help student develop

observational and active listening skills, the power of recall,

and the ability to reflect on developing practice skills and

knowledge.

4. Focuses student on problem solving, critical thinking, and

self-critiquing approaches.

5. Provides record of student professional growth and

development over time and records the content of teaching

in field instruction.

6. Can also be used to provide feedback to field faculty

liaisons. Liaisons provide feedback to the social work

education program regarding what is being taught and

learned in the placement.

7. Provides documentation of case work for evaluation of

student, or when raising issues or problems regarding

student performance in the placement.

Foundation Year (1st year)

◦ Macro project

Concentration Year (2th or 4th year):

◦ Capstone Leadership Project: Both Clinical

and Community concentrations will complete

this advanced macro-project.◦ **For Community practice majors, the Capstone

project must be separate and above their regular

macro assignments

Think Beyond a Resource Book!!

Implementation of Macro Project is expected to take up 10-15% of field hours during the Spring Semester

Think of an assignment that asks the student to apply graduate level skills and knowledge to execute.

Keep in mind that the focus of intervention should be larger than an individual .

Instead the focus should be an organization, inter-organizational system, neighborhood, county or state.

GUIDELINES: Student identifies an existing problem at their

placement agency, and develops communication and intervention

strategies to address the problem

Requires student to conduct a literature review and allows research

to inform practice

Student applies classroom knowledge and field experience in

relation to diverse and at-risk populations

Requires student to take leadership throughout the project

implementation and problem resolution.

Outcome= the Capstone project serves as a portfolio that can be

used for student’s future employment.

Group Exercise: Ask yourself what type of macro activity could:

◦ Increase organizational effectiveness?

◦ Improve quality of services to clients?

◦ Increase inter-agency collaboration?

◦ Help evaluate agency outcomes?

◦ Organize community around key issues?

Evaluation Tools

Tool Who Purpose When given

Comprehensive

Skills Evaluation

Student, FI, Field

Liaison, Field

Director

To evaluate student

performance in field; to

recommend a final grade

Mid-year and end-

of-year

Mid-Quarter

Progress Form

FI To evaluate student progress

mid-semester and to highlight

potential problems

Mid-semester

Agency Field Visit

Form

Field Liaison Conduct an in-person

evaluation of the student’s

performance

Once per semester

or as often as

needed

End of Year Student

Evaluation of Field

Site

Student Provide feedback about the

field placement experience,

including field instructor,

agency, and liaison

End of year

End-of Year Field

Instructor Survey

Field Instructor Provide feedback about field

instruction experience and

relationship with the university

End of year

The goal of feedback in field instruction is learning. Students in field are expected to make mistakes and

errors in judgment.

Students can only correct mistakes and improve their practice if these mistakes are identified and suggestions are provided for improvement.

Field instructors must provide critical and constructive feedback to students in order to facilitate learning and to promote ongoing improvement.

Council on Social Work Education. (2008). Educational policy and accreditation standards. Retrieved August 21, 2008 from http://www.cswe.org.

Dettlaff, A.J. (2003). From Mission to Evaluation. A Field Instructor Training Program. Council on Social Work Education: VA.

Hurtado, S., Sax, L. J., Saenz, V., Harper, C. E., Oseguera, L., Curley, J.,

Lopez, L., Wolf, D., Arellano, L. (2007). Findings from the 2005

administration of Your First College Year. Los Angeles: Higher

Education Research Institute.

Saenz, V. B. & Barrera, D. S. (2007). Findings from the 2005 college

student survey (Css): National Aggregates Los Angeles: Higher

Education Institute.