Transcript Document

Enhanced Role for Field
Instructors
Marilyn Luptak, PhD, MSW, LICSW
Associate Professor & Chair, MSW Aging Concentration
Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar (2008-2010)
Spafford Endowed Chair in Social Work (2011-2012)
University of Utah College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT
September 2014
Differences from Working in
Traditional Field Model

Students are in an agency
for shorter periods of time

Field instructors are more
active in student training

Allows students to develop a broad array of
learning experiences with older adults rather
than a single in-depth experience
New Roles – New Definitions

Field instructor oversees and coordinates the
overall learning experience for the intern

Task supervisor/preceptor supervises the
intern within a specific rotation

Field instructors may instruct multiple
interns for shorter times
Selection of Interns
 Inclusion of field instructor in selecting
intern
o Improves “match”
o Increased buy-in by field instructor
 Field instructor focuses on intern’s
involvement in identifying learning needs
 Students are genuinely excited about aging
Communication and Coordination
 Increased coordination of learning
experiences for students
 Greater case management role:
o Communicating with task supervisors
o Coordinating rotations
o Updating participants
 When there are student difficulties:
o Supervisors need to share info quickly
o Can support each other
Expanded Role of Field Instructors

Facilitate basic requirements

Co-facilitate didactic groups

Provide enhanced geriatric competency
supervision to interns rotating in their site

Facilitate their interns’ presentations of the
Community Organization and Administrative
Research Projects

Guest lecture in MSW courses

Serve as advisory board members
Benefits to Field Instructors
 Increased support
 Increased connections to others in field;
exciting new perspectives, resources
 Shared responsibility of intern
 Increased connection to Universities
Benefits to Field Instructors
 Opportunity to shape curriculum/shape
interns’ learning
 Can view their own practice in a larger
context, incorporating connections for clients
 Intellectual stimulation
Benefits to Field Instructors
 University of Utah online postgraduate Gerontology
Interdisciplinary Certificate:
o Offers specific training in gerontology
o First field instructors started in May 2013
• 15 credit hours of online courses plus practicum
experience
 SLC VA waiver program for field instructors – free
 Competency levels of field instructors will be evaluated
before enrolling in and after completing the certificate
program
The Crucial Role of HPPAE Field
Instructors
Comments from a Principal Investigator at an adoption
school:
“With participation in the HPPAE, and particularly in
the HPPAE planning, monitoring, and administration,
our field instructors seemed to take a more holistic
view of field education. They became more aware of
the connection between and among staff at various
agencies serving the elderly; they began to see the
broader picture of services to the agency; and, with
the help of the competency scale, were able to identify
and teach to the skills and knowledge required for
gerontology social work services across a variety of
settings.”