April 2014 - Falk College

SYRACUSE UIVERSITY
FIELD NEWS
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
FALK COLLEGE OF SPORT & HUMAN DYNAMICS
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK OFFICE OF FIELD INSTRUCTION
FIELD NEWS Vol. 13-14 April 2014 Issue
April 2014
FIELD NOTES AND INFORMATION
Dear Field Instructors:
Inside this issue:
Chancellor's
2
Award for
Public
Engagement
and Scholarship
2014
HRSA Grant
3
Rescue Mission
Grand
Reopening
4
Field Instructor 4
Training Supervision 101
Series
Becoming a
5
Successful Field
Instructor
Tips for
Selecting the
Right Intern
7
Images from
this year's
Spring Field
Instructor
Workshop
9
We are in the home stretch of the final semester for the academic year 20132014 and the Office of Field Instruction would like to take this opportunity to
thank you for all that you do! We value you as partners in shaping the experiences
and outcomes for our students and future colleagues. We hope that you had a
productive and positive year with your student.
We are continuing to interview newly admitted MSW students for 2014-2015 field
placements. You can expect to receive resumes throughout the spring and early
summer for foundation level graduate students as well as some concentration
level grad students. If there are changes going on at your agency that will impact
your ability to have students next year,
please let us know. In addition, if you
know other community agencies that
are interested in partnering with the
Office of Field Instruction please have
them connect with us! These
newsletters will keep you informed
about events, deadlines and give you
resources that support you in your role
as field educator.
SPRING EVALUATIONS
Just a friendly reminder that the final student field
evaluations are due. If have you any questions or
concerns, please contact Pamela Paul at
315-443-5557 or [email protected] for assistance.
Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
~ M. Gandhi~
DATES TO NOTE
May 8, 2014
Student Field Evaluations Due
May 10, 2014
Convocation for the
David B. Falk College of Sport
and Human Dynamics
May 11, 2014
Syracuse University
Commencement
May 13, 2014
Final Grades are Posted
Page 2
CHANCELLOR'S AWARD FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
AND SCHOLARSHIP 2014
Legacy Award for Academic Engagement
School of Social Work
SWK 301 Foundations of Social
Work Practice
The 48 students in SWK 301 Foundations of
Social Work Practice engaged with 9 agencies
providing 2,880 volunteer hours in a 10-week
period. The students completed their community
practice at Westcott Community Center; Salvation Army Emergency Shelter, Adult Day Program and Transitional Apartments and Parenting
Center program; VA Medical Center; Rescue
Mission; Liberty Resources OPWDD program;
Jewish Family Services Menorah Park; Interfaith
Works; Elmcrest; and the Syracuse City School
District West Side Learning Center. The students provided assistance to programs in ways consistent with
social work practice. They engaged with program participants, assisted clients with paperwork, and provided
support, care, and compassion, while also practicing some basic foundation-level social work skills.
Undergraduate & Graduate Social Work Students in Field Practicums:
435/445/671/672/771/772
This year, 30 seniors in the bachelor’s degree in social work program provided the Syracuse community with
a total of 15,000 volunteer hours as social work interns, while 157 master’s in social work students in field
placements provided a total of 78,500 hours of service to various communities in New York State. While
Syracuse and the surrounding community agencies provide social work students with quality hands-on learning experiences and professional supervision, the 93,500 hours of volunteer work by the students at nonprofit sites means a great deal to the agencies, as well as the community as a whole. In some cases the impact
happens on a macro level, with students analyzing areas of need and developing innovative programs. In other
cases, the impact happens on a micro level, with students providing a safe place where clients can find nonjudgmental listening, advocacy, and compassion. In their reflections on The Great Cardboard Campout, students said their personal views of homelessness and hunger had been greatly enhanced. Students indicated an
immense sense of pride about their involvement in the Campout and the importance of their continued focus
on issues of social responsibility.
Syracuse University Inspiration Award
Elizabeth Brown Thoreck, B.S.SW. Program Director, School of Social Work
Congratulations! Bette Thoreck, BSSW Program
Director, in the School of Social for receiving the
2014 Syracuse University Inspiration Award. This
award is given to faculty and staff that have
motivated the students also receiving
awards and is the result of a nomination by
the student.
FIELD NEWS Vol. 13-14 April 2014 Issue
Page 3
CHANCELLOR'S AWARD FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP 2014
(continued)
Chancellor's Citations
Joshua Berman ’14, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
Joshua Berman has been an academic peer advisor for the Falk College since fall
2011. This semester, he is the teaching assistant for HSH 101 First-Year Social
Work Gateway course. He is also the coexecutive director and a board member
for Orange Seeds, an SU leadership organization that selects 28 first-year students,
working with them to foster their leadership skills through exposure to campus
organizations as well as opportunities in the City of Syracuse. As a member of the
SU Collegiate Big Brothers Big Sisters of Syracuse program since 2011, Berman
currently mentors a 9-year-old boy in a group setting for an hour and a half weekly, and was named the Onondaga County Collegiate Big Brother of the Year in
2011-2012 by P.E.A.C.E. Inc. He has been a leadership intern with the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and
Community Service since spring 2012, responsible for contacting and communicating with community agencies
to track community service opportunities. He also recruits and coordinates volunteers for various community
events. He has completed 60 hours of community service at Elmcrest Children’s Center’s Casey’s Place, and
his senior social work practicum is at Catholic Charities’ Toomey Residential Children’s Community Residence. Berman has been the student representative on the School of Social Work’s program committee since
2012. In nominating him for the CAPES Award, Professor Elizabeth Brown Thoreck says, “His thoughtful and
candid input … has been extremely valuable as we move forward to enhance our curriculum.”
HRSA Grant
Syracuse University’s School of Social Work has been awarded four Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) grant opportunities as a part of the Upstate New York Mental and Behavioral Health Education Consortium (UNY-MBHEC). This exciting new initiative is aimed at increasing the capacity of the social work profession in upstate New York to serve the mental and
behavioral health needs of veterans, military personnel and their families, and residents of medically
underserved rural communities.
Congratulations to the advanced standing students who were awarded this prestigious and competitive award, and a special “thank you’ to our partners at the Veterans Administration who will
support the four HRSA-funded field placements in
fall 2014.
Ashley King
Sonya Mangovski
Karen McClenthan
Theresa Taylor
Page 4
Rescue Mission’s Ithaca Emergency Homeless Shelter and Daytime Drop-in
Center Grand Reopening Event
Representatives from the Field Office were on hand, along with
more than 50 people to attend the grand reopening of the Rescue
Mission’s Ithaca emergency homeless shelter and daytime drop-in
center. The facility has been renovated with new carpet, paint,
furniture and office space and Syracuse University graduate student, Dan Sieburg who is completing his MSW foundation internship at the Ithaca Rescue Mission, played and important role in the
renovations and further development of the shelterservices.
From left: Tracy Walker, SU Field coordinator, Michelle Ippolito, field instructor,
Alan Thorton, CEO, Dan Sieburg, MSW Student, Xenia Becher, SU Field Coordinator
“As a community we’re going to continue to see life transformation happen together every day that the doors are open here,”
Rescue Mission CEO Alan Thorton said. Since March 1, through
the Friendship Center, 18 people have found housing and six people
have found jobs.
The facility offers shelter and supportive services to men and women 18 years and older and families as well as an
on-site food pantry and single room apartments for up to 15 people.
Field Instructor Training—Supervision 101 Series
We are excited to announce that the field program will be offering an Introductory Supervision Training Series this summer for
interested field instructors. Dates and times are to be determined and will likely be in June. Task supervisors are also welcome to
attend. More information will be sent out via e-mail as soon as dates are solidified.
Summary of Training Series:
Research shows a key component to a successful internship is a positive and productive field instructor/student supervisory relationship. This workshop series will focus on the key knowledge, values and skills necessary for successful & effective administrative,
supportive and educational supervision. This workshop series aims to introduce participants to the key principles, methods, and
techniques of administrative, supportive and educational supervision.
Knowledge: Participants will increase knowledge in the key functions of supervision in social work, knowledge of different supervision structures and formats, complete a self-assessment of supervisor knowledge and skills and become aware of the common pit
falls for new supervisors.
Skills: Participant will increase skills in facilitating an effective one-on-one or group supervision session. Develop skill in a balanced approach to supervision, clear in expectations while also offering empathy and support.
The workshop instructor utilizes teaching methods that are grounded in adult education principles, such as building on the wisdom
of the professionals in the room, making topics relevant to the work you do and teaching practical skills.
Instructor: Tracy Walker, LMSW
Tracy Walker has worked in the human services arena for 17 years and at Syracuse University
for 5 years and an Internship Placement Coordinator. She has worked primarily in the Child
Welfare and Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence arenas. Prior to joining the Social Work Department at Syracuse University, Ms. Walker was most recently a Director at Liberty Resources,
Inc. Ms. Walker brings years of supervisory experience predominately in the private not-forprofit agency setting. Ms. Walker has supervised volunteers, social work interns, case managers,
therapists, and program supervisors. Ms. Walker also teaches a graduate level Social Work Supervision course.
We will keep you posted on Specific Dates and Times
FIELD NEWS Vol. 13-14 April 2014 Issue
Page 5
Becoming a Successful Field Instructor
Christina Reardon, MSW, LSW
Social Work Today
Vol. 12 No. 3 P. 6
After working with more than 100 students over the past 15 years, you might think Roberta Thomas, LCSW, would be a bit tired of
being a field instructor.
Not a chance.
“Even after 15 years, I find that [field instruction] is my passion,” says Thomas, supervising children’s social worker at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. “The students help me excel in areas I never thought I’d excel in. You get
reenergized about being a social worker by seeing the world through their eyes.”
The potential for a similar experience draws many social workers to field instruction; there’s the chance to give back to the profession, shape the development of new social workers, and build supervisory skills. But field instruction is not for everyone, and a social
worker’s failure to seriously self-assess his or her abilities and limitations as a field instructor can lead to bad experiences for students.
There are several keys to success for new or aspiring field instructors. The following tips were offered by field instructors and field
educators who recently spoke with Social Work Today:

Know the requirements. Schools of social work have eligibility requirements for field instructors, and these requirements
vary among institutions. For example, schools may require a certain number of years of post-MSW experience or accept only
licensed social workers. New field instructors also may be required to attend field instruction workshops or classes.

Be realistic about expectations. Field instruction takes a serious investment in time, typically at least one or two hours per
week in supervision with students plus additional time for providing feedback on student assignments, preparing evaluations, and
attending meetings with field education staff. Successful field instruction also requires providing meaningful assignments and
opportunities to students instead of seeing them simply as cheap or free labor, says Maribel Quiala, LCSW, director of clinical
services at Fort Lauderdale Hospital in Florida. “The interns are not our indentured servants; they’re our colleagues,” she says.

Teach and be willing to learn. Field instructors are supervisors but equally, if not more, important is their role as teachers,
says Kanako Okuda, MSW, LCSW, assistant director of field education at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in New York. This role as teacher includes helping students connect classroom knowledge with real-world experience and
using student mistakes as learning opportunities.
(Continued on page 6)
The NYS chapter of NASW recently held a Spirit of Social Work luncheon in recognition of contributions made by social workers across the state. Vera House, our local domestic violence provider and
field instruction site was recognized as the Agency of the Year.
Congratulations to Randi Bregman and Vera House for this well-deserved recognition
Page 6
Becoming a Successful Field Instructor
(Continued from page 5)
Effective field instructors not only should be able to impart knowledge but be open to learning from students, says Heather Carroll, MSW,
LICSW, clinical manager at Transitions, a substance abuse program for homeless adults operated by the Boston Public Health Commission.
“The experience has really helped me to look at my social work identity and be able to improve my skills,” she says. “It helps me stay connected to social work. It’s rewarding to sit in supervision and talk about social work practice and be engaged in the learning process.”

Balance flexibility and structure. Social work students have different styles of learning, and field instructors unwilling to adapt to
different learning styles will likely face resistance, Thomas says. In addition, field instructors must be willing to at least try to provide
learning opportunities that match students’ interests. “Just as we, as social workers, start where our clients are, we need to do the
same thing with students,” Thomas says. “Students have paid tuition to get internships, and if we are not addressing areas where they
want to grow, they’re not getting their money’s worth.”
But students also can suffer if there is a lack of structure and clear communication about expectations and boundaries. Field instructors
need to be careful to not let students get too dependent on them and find a happy medium between the extremes of being a student’s
best friend and being a strict authoritarian figure, says Trudy Zimmerman, assistant dean for field education at the Boston University
School of Social Work.

Seek out agency support. Time spent working with students not only requires a sacrifice on the part of field instructors but one
from their agencies as well. Field instructors who work for agencies that won’t or can’t give them enough time or other resources
for supervision run the risk of not being able to give students proper attention—and leaving the students disillusioned, Zimmerman
says. Field instructors also need to be ready to step in to protect students from agency politics that detract from students’ learning
experiences, says Joy Rubin, MSW, interim director of field education at California State University, Long Beach.

Stay connected. Field instructors are not alone in their work with students. Field education staff members are there to support
instructors and serve as important resources who can be consulted if questions or problems arise during field placements. Field instructors should also take advantage of any training and opportunities to meet with other field instructors, Zimmerman says.
“Sometimes [field instructors] don’t know if they’re doing OK because they don’t have a backdrop of experience to know what is
normal and what is not normal,” she says. “Reaching out to other field instructors can be very beneficial.”

Be creative. Just because you work for a small agency or one that focuses on a single population doesn’t mean you can’t provide a
rich variety of field instruction experiences to students, Quiala says. Think about new ways to give students real-world experience in
a plethora of areas of social work practice and consider how you can weave into supervision sessions topics or concepts that aren’t
in the agency’s scope of operations—policy advocacy, for example.

Be positive yet honest about social work. It’s common for people to complain about their jobs from time to time, but field
instructors must understand how excessive negativity about their work or their colleagues affects students’ perceptions of the profession. Field instructors with positive attitudes and a passion for what they are doing can make students’ learning experiences fabulous, Thomas says.
Yet, she adds, field instructors must be honest about the harsh realities of the profession as well as truthful about their own limitations as
professionals. “I am not perfect,” Thomas says. “I will process my work with clients with the students and am not afraid to admit when I
could have done something better or just really messed up. I believe that being open and honest with the students and showing them that
mistakes can happen is the greatest ‘teachable moment’ for them.”
Gatekeepers for the Profession
That need for honesty presents what field instructors and educators agree is one of the biggest challenges field instructors face: what to do
when a student—for ethical, psychological, or other reasons—does not seem well suited for the social work profession.
The prospect of telling students who have their heart set on social work that it may not be for them can be frightening for new—and even
veteran—field instructors. But it’s a field instructor’s responsibility to address the issue head-on, Quiala says. “If you don’t address it immediately, it’s a problem,” she says. “Some people really don’t belong in this field. You learn a lot about students when they’re in placement. Some students are going to rise right to the top, and the students who can’t handle it will become apparent early on.”
It’s important to establish a clear process to follow when a troublesome student situation arises, Thomas says. For example, a field instructor may start by addressing his or her concerns with the student and creating an action plan to address those concerns. If this doesn’t
work, then staff from the field education office can be brought into the discussion to take corrective action, find a more appropriate placement for the student, or help ease the student out of a social work program.
Asking a student to leave a program does not necessarily mean that the student could never be a good social worker. Instead, Rubin says,
these students are often facing work, family, or other personal issues that impede their progress as professionals. “Many times, [their failure in a program] is an issue of bad timing,” she says. “We tell them to consider coming back when they are more ready.”
— Christina Reardon, MSW, LSW, is a freelance writer based in Harrisburg, PA, and a contributing editor at Social Work Today.
FIELD NEWS Vol. 13-14 April 2014 Issue
Page 7
Tips for Selecting the Right Intern
Pre-placement Interview
It is not an easy task to match the students' personalities, educational requirements and
Becoming a Successful Field Instructor
(continued)
what is needed,
Once the school has determined the type of setting best suited to the stulearning styles with field instruction settings and individual supervisors who can provide
dent's educational plan, a pre-placement interview with the agency selected is important to
enable both the prospective student intern and the agency to decide whether they can
meet each other’s needs and work together effectively.
The average pre-placement interview lasts approximately one hour and covers a wide range
of topics, depending on the agency, the field instructor, and the student involved. The following list suggests areas for discussion,
in the approximate order in which these items are typically raised. No attempt should be made to follow this list rigidly, insisting
that every question be raised and answered.
Pre- placement interview should be as relaxed, spontaneous, and informal as possible, with free-flowing conversation that does
not appear to assault the student with a list of prepared questions.
Purpose of Pre-placement Interview: discuss mutual objectives of student and interview and the fact that each could say no
to the placement. It may be wise at this point to encourage the student to take an active part during the interview.
Description of the field placement setting: The interview should paint a picture in words of what the student would
e x p e r i e n c e if he or she accepted placement in the agency. It is far better for the student to eliminate him or herself at this
stage than to accept a placement and then discover it doesn't provide him or her with the kind of desired experiences. It is
important to include the types of clients served ( age, sex, presenting problems, socio-economic status, educational level, cultural,
ethnic or language factors, and so on), learning opportunities available, the role of the social worker, and special requirements
(e.g. dress, work hours, workload), agency reputation in the community, if known.
"So you want to come here for field placement": Elicit the student's feelings about the setting, why he or she wants to
come there, what is hoped for from the experience. Does student seem to have an idea of what it would be like to do a placement in this setting? What is perceived as the role of social workers in this agency?
Past Work Experience: What skills has the student acquired; what kind of supervision has been experienced? What has
been the primary function of the student at other agencies? Has the student had leadership or supervisory experiences? What
kinds of nonsocial work experience has he or she had - anything requiring skills related to people?
Past Field Placement Experience: This area must be explored in some depth. How was this experience perceived by the
student: What type of supervision did he or she have - where are gaps to be filled in? How many clients did the student see?
What was the longest period of time he followed the same person? How often did the student meet with the field instructor?
Did he or she do any work with groups and communities as well as with individuals and families? What techniques did the supervisor use to evaluate the work - process recordings, tapes, direct observation? Did he or she do any recording in connection
with field placement? If so, what kinds of things did student record? Did he or she do any reading? Did student cover techniques
as well as psychodynamics of human behavior in his discussion with the supervisor? What did he or she actually do with clients?
Can students describe one of the more challenging assignments? What was liked least and best about prior placement? Does this
give his or her any ideas as to what should be done in this placement?
(Continued on page 8)
Page 8
Tips for Selecting the Right Intern
(Continued from page 7)
Career Goals: What does the student hope to gain from social work education? What does he or she hope to be doing ten
years from now? What is the motivation for going into social work? Starting with these non-threatening questions, field instructor may explore some areas in more detail and begin relating them to the potential field placement experience.
It is important
that the field instructor's detailed description of the agency come a little later in the interview. so that all further discussion
doesn't center on specific field placement setting, making it more difficult to explore the student's experiences, goals, and needs
apart from the potential setting.
Strengths and areas where growth is needed: Ask the student to describe strengths and list personal work habits or
characteristics that he or she feels are assets. If something is described as good, counter with why is it good? Find out if student
has weaknesses by using the term "areas where growth is needed" to gain some insight into student's self-awareness.
Description of the style of supervision provided and the agency's approach to field instruction: How does the
setting approach the performance evaluation process? What methods are used most commonly to assess student performance
and provide learning experiences - process recordings, taping, one-way mirror observation, etc? How much time can the field
instructor give the student each week? What would he or she find it like to be your supervisee - what can he or she expect
from you?
The student's personal situation & logistics of this internship: Is the student working full time in addition to the field
placement? Will this present a problem for the student? Has the student had life experiences that would make him or her especially committed to the kinds of clients the agency serves or cause him or her to over identify wand have some difficulty? If
the student has had no work experiences, it can be important to determine the degree of contact with social workers, physicians, or psychiatrists. Are his or her views formed from school or by the mass media?
Above Excerpt From: Susanna Wilson: Field Instruction Techniques for Supervisors
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Field-Instruction-Supervisors-Suanna-Wilson/dp/0029348102
A useful interviewing technique presented at the March 2012 Field Instructors Workshop:
Behavioral Interview Technique – The STAR Approach
Situation or
Task
Ask the potential intern to describe a situation or the task (be specific around what kind of situation
and task you are wanting to know about)
Ask for details from the potential intern.
Make sure the intern know that the situation can be from a previous job, a volunteer experience, or
any relevant event.
Action you
took
Ask the intern to describe the action they took
Ask intern to describe they did and did not do.
Results you
achieved
Ask the candidate: What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you
learn?
Sample Questions:
Tell me about a time when you made a mistake, what you did about it and what you learned from it.
Describe a challenging situation you have had in a workplace, how you dealt with it and what happened as a result.
Deborah Ducett,
LCSW, LMSW
Director of Field
Instruction
Phone
(315) 443-5586
E-mail
[email protected]
FIELD NEWS Vol. 13-14 April 2014 Issue
Page 9
Xenia Becher,
LCSW, LMSW
Internship Placement
Coordinator
Phone
(315) 443-5112
E-mail
[email protected]
Nadaya Brantley,
LMSW
Internship Placement
Coordinator
Phone
(315) 443-9923
E-mail
[email protected]
Kristin Esposito, LMSW
Internship Placement
Coordinator
Phone
(315) 443-0468
E-mail
[email protected]
Tracy Walker, LMSW
Internship Placement
Coordinator
Phone
(315) 443-5565
E-mail
[email protected]
Pam Paul
Administrative Assistant
for Field Instruction
Phone
(315) 443-5557
E-mail
[email protected]
Syracuse University
School of Social Work
Sims Hall Suite 440
Syracuse, NY 13244
Main Phone
(315) 443-5550
Main Fax
(315) 443-5576
Images from this
year's Spring Field
Instructor Workshop
"Step Up to Success:
Strategies for Planning a Successful Internship "