UNIVERSITY
OF MINNESOTA
DULUTH
SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT
SW 8802
Field II
Seminar - Section 1
Spring 2005
INSTRUCTOR:Lynn Bye, MSW, Ph.D.
OFFICE: 220 Bohannon
PHONE: 726-8492
E-MAIL: lbye@d.umn.edu
OFFICE HOURS: Thursday 1:30p.m. – 3:30p.m., and by appointment
SEMINARS: Monday,
4:15p.m.-5:45p.m., Bohannon 112
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The focus of Field
II is on developing the knowledge and skill base for advanced generalist practice.
Accordingly, students are involved in micro, mezzo, and macro level interventions.
In addition, there is an emphasis on autonomous practice, the integration
of theoretical developments, and cultural competence skill development.
The degree of involvement on each level will vary with individual agency
placements but each level needs to be a part of the field experience.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student is expected
to have achieved the following expectations in their field placement:
-
Demonstrate
advanced mezzo practice skills to address issues at the organizational level
of practice by engaging in administrative, program development, organizational
change and/or supervisory activities.
-
Demonstrate
advanced macro practice skills by addressing complex issues through community
development, social action, social planning, and/or systemic change strategies
to advance social and economic justice.
-
Demonstrate
advanced micro practice skills which address complex issues with individuals,
families and/or small groups.
-
Incorporate
appropriate theoretical developments and research findings into one’s own
practice at all three levels.
-
Demonstrate
a high level of interpersonal skills at all levels of advanced practice.
-
Demonstrate
the ability to analyze policy issues and assess their impact on practice
at all levels of advanced social work practice.
-
Demonstrate
the ability to conduct evaluations, integrating principles learned in their
MSW coursework, at a direct practice, organizational and community level.
-
Identify and
apply social work values and ethics at a micro, mezzo, and macro level of
social work practice.
-
Demonstrate
the ability to practice autonomously, be self-reflective, and incorporate
feedback into one’s professional practice.
-
Demonstrate
a professional level of competency in critical thinking skills and their
expression in oral and written communications.
-
Demonstrate
a professional level of competence in the knowledge and skills relevant
to issues of human diversity (people of color, gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender
and other oppressed populations).
-
Demonstrate
culturally competent skills in assessment and intervention at a personal
and organizational level.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
METHODS
Learning Contract
A learning contract/plan
must be developed in consultation with the Field Supervisor and the Field
Liaison within the first two weeks of the beginning of the placement, and
will be reviewed at the midterm and final evaluation.
Field Placement Evaluations
You will be responsible
for setting up the appointments with the Field Supervisor and the Field Liaison
to review the learning contract at the beginning of the term, and to evaluate
the student’s learning process at the mid-point and conclusion of the placement.
- Learning Experiences: What learning opportunities presented themselves
during the week (your actual activities) and what did you learn during the
week in placement?
- Subjective Responses: What were your thoughts and feelings about
your learning experiences of the week?
- Learning Application & Integration: This pertains to the application
and integration of your various classroom learning to your work with clients
and client systems. To what extent were you able to demonstrate the bodies
of knowledge, theories, values and skills used in advanced generalist practice?
Be specific.
To
satisfy the expectations of this section of your journaling, you will need
to show specific evidence of integrating things you’ve learned from other
SW coursework with what you are learning in your field placement.
As part of this section of your journaling,
include a discussion of the journal assignment for the week (see schedule
below for a weekly listing and description of these assignments.)
* Journals should be typed. Include in each journal entry the three
aspects listed above. Clearly identify each section in the entry. A total of fourteen journals are due,
starting with the first week of the semester.
A journal entry
will be due when class meets each
week. They will be returned
to the student with the Field Liaison’s notations.
Seminar Attendance and Participation
Your attendance
at all Field Seminars is required. Except for emergencies, absences should
be approved ahead of time with the instructor. A
4-page written assignment will be required for each missed seminar.
A
2-page written assignment will be required when students come more than a
half hour late to class. If assignments are not completed and handed
in, an incomplete will be issued at the end of the semester. The active participation
of each student in the Seminar is expected in order to maximize the value
of your learning experience and to contribute to the learning of fellow students.
Seminars will typically
begin with brief check-in’s to inform other students about your field placement
setting and experiences, as well as to afford everyone the opportunity to
process and/or problem solve around particular issues that have a risen in your placement. In problem-solving, it is important for
you to specifically integrate professional knowledge and skills that you have
learning in your SW coursework. Guidelines for confidentiality will be discussed
before we have our first check-in.
Field Hours
Students in a Field
II spend 16 hours per week, over the academic year, for a total of 480 hours
in their agencies. These hours must be recorded by the student and verified
by the agency supervisor. Students
must remain in the field agency over the entire course of the semester even
if the number of hours required are completed early.
Purposes of the Field Seminar
-
To
provide for the discussion of current issues and concerns arising from agency
expectations and experiences.
-
To
provide the opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and skill
base by integrating their classroom learning and the practical experience
in their agencies.
-
To
provide a forum for advanced generalist case study discussion.
-
To
provide the opportunity for discussion of placement agencies within the
context of their service delivery systems.
-
To
provide the opportunity for student interaction and mutual feedback concerning
agency learning experiences.
-
To
provide an avenue for expressing any personal placement difficulties being
experienced (i.e. sexual harassment, discrimination). Students are expected
to openly share their feelings and thoughts about their Field experiences,
including ethical dilemmas and practice problems. In doing this, they will
work collaboratively with the other students and the Seminar Instructor
to process what they have been experiencing and to address problematic issues.
Grading
Grading is on a
satisfactory/not satisfactory basis only. The grade is determined by the Field
Liaison, who uses the input provided by the Agency Supervisor. Each student
will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
-
Completion of the 480 hours of Field Placement.
-
Fulfillment of the learning contract/plan.
-
Completion of all weekly journal entries.
-
Attendance and participation at the Field Seminars.
-
Completion of all seminar assignments and presentations.
-
Submission of all required forms to the Field
Liaison for inclusion in the student Field II file.
-
Review
of the Student Performance Evaluation forms and the evaluations with the
student and Field Supervisor.
-
Submission of the student’s evaluation of the
placement agency. ( completed at the end of the field placement)
SPECIAL NOTES
My
highest priority is for our classroom and course work to facilitate participation
and exchange. I am eager to make
accommodations to guarantee to students with disabilities access to class
sessions, course materials, and the activities of the class. You are encouraged
to contact the Access Center-Disability Services to discuss and arrange reasonable
accommodations (102 Kirby Center, tel. 726-8217). In addition, please let me know
as soon as possible if you have a disability for which accommodations will
be requested. Note that you are
under no obligation to disclose the nature of your disability to me or other
faculty.
Students
wishing to take an incomplete for the course must submit a departmental incomplete
request form to the instructor for advance approval. Students can not enter
Field II with an incomplete from Field I.
Ground
rules for class discussions: We can assume that discrimination exists in many
forms (e.g., sexism, racism, classism, ageism, homophobia, ableism, etc.).
Any understanding of these various –isms means that we need to recognize that
we have been taught misinformation about our own group as well as about members
of other groups. By creating a safe and learning environment in the field
seminar we can work collectively to share and explore our experiences in a
way that does not devalue or disrespect others in the process.
SPRING SEMESTER SEMINAR FORMAT
Seminars will be conducted in the following format:
*Student Presentations
*Check Ins
1) Field Agency presentations
Each student should present an overview to the class of his or her agency and
include the following types of information:
-
Mission
-
Services offered
-
Population served
-
Organizational structure (flow charts etc)
-
Funding resources
-
Agency interaction with external social systems (eco
map)
-
Findings of the agency’s cultural competency
Handouts or visual aides are encouraged.
2) Advanced Social Work Practice – Student Presentations:
Each student will complete an interactive presentation on a specific topic
related to advanced generalist practice.
- Presentation of topic must be based in theory/literature/model.
- Topic should relate to advanced practice and/or your agency.
- Presentation must include a component for class analysis/ assessment/ theory
integration.
Student presentations should be conducted at
a professional Master’s level. They should be 30 minutes in length, including
a 10 minute closing discussion with students in the seminar. Students participating
in the seminar should be prepared to provide constructive feedback to the
student presenting.
* Tentative schedule subject to changes to
accommodate the students and/or the instructor.
Preliminary
Spring 2005 Seminar Schedule
Week
1 Seminar
(1)
Jan. 24th Choose topics
for presentations
Journal: Journal entry reflecting your learning experience, subjective responses
and learning application and integration during your field placement this week.
Week
2 Seminar (2)
Jan. 31st Discussion
of Work Roles Inventory
Journal: A) Describe your reaction to the Work Role
Inventory and how you will apply this information. B) Journal entry reflecting
your learning experience, subjective responses and learning application and
integration during your field placement this week
Week 3 Seminar (3)
Feb. 7th
Journal: Regular journal assignment.
Week 4 Seminar (4)
Feb. 14th
Journal: Regular journal assignment
Week 5 No Class
Feb. 21st
Week 6 No Class (
CSWE)
Feb. 28th
Journal: Regular journal assignment
for either 2-21 or 2-28)
Week 7 Seminar
(5)
Mar. 7th
Journal: Regular journal
assignment.
Kim Hoffmockel: Restorative Justice--Peace Making Circle
Bridget Schrier: Adolescent Brain Development
Week 8 Seminar (6)
Mar. 14th
Journal: Regular journal assignment
Roxann Esler: Court Presentation --CHIPS
Kim Tesch: Effects of Meth on Families and Children
Week 9 Spring Break –No Class
Mar. 21st
Journal: Regular journal assignment
Week 10 Seminar (7)
Mar. 28th
Journal: Journal
entry reflecting your learning experience, subjective responses and learning
application and integration during your field placement this week
Marcia Ryss
Stephanie Fechner: Out of Home Placement Patterns
Week 11 Social
Work Day at the Capitol—No Class
April 4th
Journal: Regular journal assignment.
Week 12 Seminar
(8)
April 11th
Journal: Regular journal
assignment
Jamie Washington
Brianna Greenly
Week 13 Seminar
(9)
April 18th Discuss integration
of theory and practice
Wrap Up
Journal: Journal entry reflecting your learning experience, subjective responses
and learning application and integration during your field placement this week.
Discuss integration of theory and practice
NICWA 24-27
Week 14 Seminar (10)
April 25th
Journal: Journal entry reflecting your learning experience, subjective
responses and learning application and integration during your field placement
this week.
Evie Tanner
Tentative
schedule subject to changes to accommodate the students and/or instructor.
READINGS
Readings may be selected as required assignments during
the course of the semester.