Field Instruction: A Guide for Social Work Students

Addressing the most common questions, concerns, and problems students encounter in their field practicum, this brief and practical text uses a unique question and answer format to present information. Issues covered include how to prepare for the practicum interview, what to do when encountering hostile clients, and what to do when confronted with something illegal or unethical.

Table of Contents:
All chapters include "An Overview," "Ideas for Enriching the Practicum Experience," "References," and "Additional Readings." 1.Field Instruction and the Social Work Curriculum. Why Do Social Work Students Have Field Instruction? What Is the Role of the Faculty Field Liaison? What Is the History of Field Instruction in Social Work? What Are the Current Standards for Field Instruction? Are There Different Types of Field Placement? How Are Students Prepared for Field Instruction? How Are Classroom Learning and Field Instruction Integrated? Do Students with Undergraduate Field Instruction Get Credit When They Work toward a Master's Degree in Social Work? Is It Possible for a Student to Have a Field Placement Where He or She Is Also Employed? 2.The Partnership with Social Service Agencies. Why Do Agencies Accept Student Interns? How Are Field Agencies Chosen? How Are Field Instructors Selected? How Are Agencies and Students Matched? What Specifically Are Social Service Agencies Looking for in Student Interns? How Will the Agency Evaluate My Performance as a Student Intern? What Do I Do if the Field Instructor Becomes Incapacitated? 3.Getting Started. How Do I Find an Agency That Meets My Needs? How Do I Prepare for the Practicum Interview? What Can I Do to De-emphasize Little or No Work Experience? Is It Wise to Admit My Weaknesses? How Should I Respond to Questions about My Educational Preparation? How Should I Dress for the Practicum Agency? How Do I Make A Good Impression? Getting Oriented - What Can I Expect on the First Day? How Do I Develop a Learning Contract? 4.The Student Intern: Learning New Roles. What Are the Differences among Volunteer, Student, and Employee Roles? Do Students Have the Same Privileges as Staff Members? What Do I Need to Know about Interdisciplinary Team Meetings? How Much Will I Be Given to Do? How Much Will I Be Supervised and by Whom? How Do I Make Supervision Work for Me? What Is the Purpose of Field Seminars? How Will My Faculty Field Liaison Evaluate Me? How Do I Juggle All My Roles Simultaneously? How Do I Know if I'm Stressed Out? How Can I Effectively Manage the Stress in My Life? The Student Intern's "Bill of Rights." Myths You Can Do Without. 5.Client Systems: The Recipients of Service. Who Are Clients? What Is It Like to Be a Client? What Do Clients Expect from Me? Should I Inform Clients That I Am a Student? How Do I Know if I Am Helping My Clients? What Do I Do When a Client Won't Talk? What Do I Do When the Client Who Won't Talk is a Child? What Do I Do with Angry and Hostile Clients? How Do I Protect Myself? How Do I Deal with Noncompliant Clients? Why Do I Need to Work with Clients Who Are Different from Me? How Do I Work with Clients Who Are Different from Me? What Is It Like to Work with Small Groups of Clients? Will I Be Working with Families? What Is Macro Practice? 6.The Student Intern: Needed Skills. Do Most Student Interns Feel Nervous and Inadequate? What Skills Might I Be Expected to Develop? How Do I Start Interviewing with a Client? How Do I Begin to Help the Clients Who Are Assigned to Me? Should I Contract with Clients? What Do I Need to Know about Agency Recording? I'm Self-Conscious about My Ability to Write Well. Will This Be a Problem? What Is Process Recording? What Should I Keep in Mind When Making a Home Visit? How Do I Refer a Client to Another Agency or Professional? How Do I Know if a Client Is Suicidal? What Do I Do if I Suspect My Client Plans to Attempt Suicide? How Do I Transfer a Case? How Do I Terminate Services with a Client? 7.Pragmatic Concerns. What Do I Do if I Get Sick or Am Running Late and Miss My Appointments? Will I Be Asked to Share a Desk or Office? How Do I Keep Track of Time in the Practicum? Am I Permitted to Accumulate Overtime or Compensatory Time? How Do I Learn to Leave My Work at the Agency? What Do I Do if I Am Given Too Much or Too Little Responsibility? What Do I Do When I'm Having a "Down" Day? What Do I Do When Things Are Not Going Well? How Do I Plan for My Next Practicum? Can A Friend Supervise Me? May I Audio- or Video-Tape Clients? Should I Share Personal Information with Clients? Am I Cut out for Social Work? What Is Managed Care? Where Should I Expect Managed Care? How Does Managed Care Affect Practice? What Social Work Skills Are Important in a Managed Care Environment? How Is Assessment Different in a Managed Care Environment? How Do I Prepare for Social Work Practice in the Next Century? 8.Legal and Ethical Concerns. What Happens if I Make a Mistake? What Is Malpractice? Can Confidential Client Material Ever Be Shared? Do I Need Liability Insurance? What Is an Ethical Dilemma? Can Ethical Dilemmas Be Avoided? How Do I Avoid Rushing into Ethical Dilemmas? How Do I Resolve Ethical Dilemmas? May I Accept a Gift from a Client? Is It Ever Permissible to Date Clients or Co-workers? What Do I Do if I Observe Something Illegal or Unethical? How Do I Handle Agency Secrets? How Do I Handle Sexual Harassment. Appendix A: Problem-Oriented Recording. Appendix B: National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Index.