Joint Bsw Social Work Field Instruction Program

JOINT BSW SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION PROGRAM

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Department of Sociology and Social Work

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Department of Social Work

Field Learning Contract

This document is a learning agreement between the student, field instructor, and the Joint BSW Field Instruction Program. This agreement can be amended if the field instructor, student, and faculty field liaison agree that such changes are in the best educational interests of the student.

Student: Semester: Year:

Agency: Field Instructor:

Faculty Liaison:

This Learning Contract may be amended at any time if both the student and field instructor agree. The faculty liaison must be notified of any major changes.

Contract Period: From ______to______(dates) Semesters: Fall 20___ Spring 20 ___ Summer 20___

Signatures: Student ____ Date:

Field Instructor: ______Date:

Faculty Liaison: ______Date:

BSW field instruction is part of the program’s competency-based curriculum that has been designed to comply with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) as revised in 2008. CSWE has delineated ten core competencies that must be adequately addressed in a BSW curriculum as listed below.

List of Ten Core Competencies Identified by CSWE

1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.

1. Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.

1. Apply critical thinking to inform & communicate professional judgments.

1. Engage diversity and difference in practice.

1. Advance human rights and social & economic justice.

1. Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.

1. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.

1. Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social services.

1. Respond to contexts that shape practice.

1. Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

Further, CSWE has operationalized these competencies by identifying 41 foundation year practice behaviors. CSWE defines each competency as “a set of measurable practice behaviors that are comprised of knowledge, values, and skills.” The Joint Field Instruction Program is considered the signature pedagogy in this new competency based curriculum. The signature pedagogy represents the central form of instruction and learning in which a profession socializes its students to perform the role of practitioner. As a result of this key role in the instruction of BSW students, this internship addresses all 41 practice behaviors that, when combined, reflect the essential social work capacities in the ten core competency areas identified by CSWE.

Both this Learning Contract and the Evaluation of Field Internship form contain the list of the 41 practice behaviors (organized under the ten core competencies) that are to be addressed through planned tasks on this form and evaluated at the completion of each semester of the internship on the evaluation form. Field instructors and students should consult the Joint Field Instruction Manual for Suggested Learning Activities to utilize as they develop the field task plan for the attainment of these 41 practice behaviors. This information can be used to guide the development of an individual student’s learning experiences in a specific agency setting and should always be developed in collaboration with the student’s field instructor.

At the end of each semester, the field instructor will complete the Field Internship Evaluation, using the rating scale on the next page to evaluate a student’s performance of each practice behavior. Field instructors will also be asked to provide an overall summary of the student’s performance during this internship and review the entire evaluation report with the student. The field instructor and the student should always consult the faculty field liaison for any questions that arise in regard to either this internship agreement or the internship evaluation. In addition, field instructors should refer to this Learning Contract Task Plan as they complete the evaluation on a student at the end of each semester.

Rating Scale for 41 Generalist Practice Behaviors

5 / The student has excelled in this area
4 / The student is functioning above expectations for interns in this area
3 / The student has met the expectations for interns in this area
2 / The student has not as yet met the expectations in this area, but the gives indication s/he will do so in the near future
1 / The student has not met the expectations in this area, and does not give indications s/he will do so in the near future
n/a / Not applicable, as the intern has not had the opportunity to demonstrate competence in this area *

*As soon as a field instructor identifies that a student is performing at a failing level for one and/or more practice behaviors, he/she should first address this issue in supervision with the student. However, if this discussion, along with other supportive/instructive strategies, does not result in any apparent changes in the student’s performance then the faculty field liaison should be contacted immediately so a review meeting can be set up. This review meeting should include the student, field instructor, and faculty field liaison. Students who are concerned about their performance in terms of any one of these 41 practice behaviors are strongly encouraged at any point during their internship to ask their field instructor for feedback during their weekly supervision sessions.

BSW Field Internship Task Plan

Competency EP 2.1.1: Intern identifies as a professional social worker and conducts himself/herself accordingly. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(1) / Advocates for client access to the services of social work.
(2) / Practices personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual professional development.
(3) / Attends to professional roles and boundaries.
(4) / Demonstrates professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication.
(5) / Engage in career-long learning
(6) / Uses supervision and consultation effectively
Competency EP 2.1.2: Intern applies social work ethical principles to guide his or her professional practice. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(7) / Recognizes and manages personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice
(8) / Is knowledgeable of, and abides by, the ethical standards of the profession
(9) / Tolerates ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts
(10) / Applies strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions
Competency EP 2.1.3: Intern applies critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(11) / Distinguishes, appraises, and integrates multiple sources of knowledge; including research-based knowledge and practice wisdom
(12) / Is skilled at analyzing models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation
(13) a / Demonstrates effective oral communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues
(13) b / Demonstrates effective written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues
Competency EP 2.1.4: Intern engages diversity and difference in practice. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(14) / Recognizes the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power
(15) / Has sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups
(16) / Recognizes and communicates her or his understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences
(17) / Views herself or himself as a learner and engages those he or she works with as informants
Competency EP 2.1.5: Intern advances human rights and social and economic justice. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(18) / Understands the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination.
(19) / Advocates for human rights and social and economic justice.
(20) / Engages in practices that advance social and economic justice.
Competency EP 2.1.6: Intern engages in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(21) / Uses practice experience to inform scientific inquiry
(22) / Uses research evidence to inform practice
Competency EP 2.1.7: Intern applies knowledge of human behavior and the social environment. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(23) / Utilizes conceptual frameworks to guide the process of assessment, intervention, and evaluation.
(24) / Critiques and applies knowledge to understand person and environment
Competency EP 2.1.8: Intern engages in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(25) / Analyzes, formulates, and advocates for policies that advance social-well-being
(26) / Collaborates with colleagues and clients for effective policy action
Competency EP 2.1.9: Intern responds to contexts that shape practice. / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(27) / Continuously discovers, appraises, and attends to changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends in order to provide relevant services
(28) / Provides leadership in promoting sustainable changes in service delivery and practice to improve the quality of social services
Competency EP 2.1.10: Intern engages, assesses, intervenes and evaluates with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
Competency EP 2.1.10(a): Engagement / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(29) / Substantively & affectively prepares for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, & communities
(30) / Uses empathy and other interpersonal skills
(31) / Develops a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes
Competency EP 2.1.10(b): Assessment / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(32) / Collects, organizes, and interprets client data.
(33) / Assesses client strengths and limitations
(34) / Develops mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives
(35) / Selects appropriate intervention strategies
Competency EP 2.1.10(c): Intervention / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(36) / Initiates actions to achieve organizational goals
(37) / Implements prevention interventions that enhance client capacities
(38) / Helps clients resolve problems
(39) / Negotiates, mediates, and advocates for clients
(40) / Facilitates transitions and endings
Competency EP 2.1.10(d): Evaluation / Tasks to Address Practice Behaviors
(41) / Critically analyzes, monitors, and evaluates interventions