Field Instruction: Developmental Stages Offering Supervisory Opportunities

Loretta Vitale SaksLoretta Vitale Saks

NCSSS Office of Field InstructionNCSSS Office of Field Instruction

September 2005September 2005

Overview of presentation

Developmental stages of fieldDevelopmental stages of field How they may affect supervisory processHow they may affect supervisory process

Issues for supervisionIssues for supervisionTools for supervisionTools for supervision

Field Internship Developmental Stages Stage 1: Anticipation … HoneymoonStage 1: Anticipation … Honeymoon Stage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting Stage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting

RealityReality Stage 3: Competence & MasteryStage 3: Competence & Mastery Stage 4: Closure & TerminationStage 4: Closure & Termination

The information in this presentation is taken from Cochrane, Susan F. & Hanley, Marla Martin (1999)Learning through field: A developmental approach. (1999). Allyn & Bacon: Boston, MA; and Sweitzer, H. Frederick and King, Mary A. (2004). The successful internship: transformation & empowerment. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Canada.

Stages & the Supervisory Process How student moves through stages will How student moves through stages will

affect the supervisory process, offering:affect the supervisory process, offering: Obstacles to the supervisory relationshipObstacles to the supervisory relationship Opportunities for growthOpportunities for growth

Task accomplishmentTask accomplishmentIncreasingly complex assignmentsIncreasingly complex assignments

Concerns that can be discussed or avoidedConcerns that can be discussed or avoided Hoped for resolutions vs. staying ‘stuck’Hoped for resolutions vs. staying ‘stuck’

Stage 1: Anticipation… Honeymoon Positive expectations as internship beginsPositive expectations as internship begins Also … some anxietiesAlso … some anxieties

Feel vulnerable and self-consciousFeel vulnerable and self-conscious What will role be?What will role be? What if …?What if …? Will my field instructor …?Will my field instructor …? Will my student …?Will my student …?

Important to identify support systemsImportant to identify support systems For studentFor student For field instructor too!For field instructor too!

Stage 1: Issues for supervision

What is supervision? What is supervision? = support, teaching, administration= support, teaching, administration Offer safe environmentOffer safe environment

Supportive yet challengingSupportive yet challengingOpen discussion of concernsOpen discussion of concernsClear supervisory boundariesClear supervisory boundaries

Clarify roles, expectations, and policiesClarify roles, expectations, and policies

Kadushin, A. (1976). Supervision in social work. New York: Columbia University Press.

Stage 1: Tools for supervision

OrientationOrientation Key for helping student feel welcome and knowledgeable Key for helping student feel welcome and knowledgeable

about agencyabout agency Initial learning activities likely to be more passive than activeInitial learning activities likely to be more passive than active Attend to administrative tasksAttend to administrative tasks

Supervisory agendaSupervisory agenda Helps student assume responsibility for learningHelps student assume responsibility for learning Have student relate classroom learning to practiceHave student relate classroom learning to practice

Learning PlanLearning Plan Can help student individualize placementCan help student individualize placement

Clarify learning goals & activitiesClarify learning goals & activities

Stage 1: Tools for supervision Communication Styles InventoryCommunication Styles Inventory

Useful tool for discussing communication Useful tool for discussing communication styles & supervisory relationshipstyles & supervisory relationship

How we respond in ‘normal’ and ‘stressful’ How we respond in ‘normal’ and ‘stressful’ situationssituations

Stage 2: Disillusionment & Confronting Reality ““What’s wrong?” stageWhat’s wrong?” stage

May feel frustration, anger, confusion, May feel frustration, anger, confusion, panic, stresspanic, stress

May become disillusioned …May become disillusioned …with agencywith agencywith field instructorwith field instructorwith social workwith social work

““This isn’t what I thought it would be”This isn’t what I thought it would be”

Stage 2: Issues for supervision

Help student develop skills in receiving Help student develop skills in receiving and giving feedback and giving feedback

Help student examine expectationsHelp student examine expectations Normalize feelings and behaviorsNormalize feelings and behaviors Give permission for student to make Give permission for student to make

mistakesmistakes Necessary for growthNecessary for growth

Stage 2: Issues for supervision Encourage student to confront doubts and fearsEncourage student to confront doubts and fears

with with peerspeers with field instructorwith field instructor with integrative seminar professorwith integrative seminar professor

Personal issues surfacing in supervisionPersonal issues surfacing in supervision?? Overreactions to clients &/or field instructor?Overreactions to clients &/or field instructor? Transference/countertransference issues?Transference/countertransference issues?

Refer to CUA Counseling CenterRefer to CUA Counseling Center Contact Counseling Center social workers for referralsContact Counseling Center social workers for referrals

Stage 2: Tools for supervision Supervision as time for ‘checking in’Supervision as time for ‘checking in’

Refer back to Refer back to CSI CSI if relationship is difficultif relationship is difficult Refer back toRefer back to Learning Plan Learning Plan to see how to see how

progressingprogressing Assist students with tasksAssist students with tasks

Review assignmentsReview assignments Agency paper Agency paper Process recordingsProcess recordings Agency-required documentationAgency-required documentation

Stage 3: Competence & Mastery

Confidence growsConfidence grows More awareMore aware More activeMore active More analyticalMore analytical

Really invested in the workReally invested in the work Seek more challenging assignmentsSeek more challenging assignments More tuned in to ethical issuesMore tuned in to ethical issues Learn to leave worries at agencyLearn to leave worries at agency

Compromise between reality & expectationsCompromise between reality & expectations Take more initiative in learningTake more initiative in learning

Stage 3: Issues for supervision Help student evaluate own practiceHelp student evaluate own practice Review growthReview growth

Is student seeking additional challenges? Is student seeking additional challenges? Identify what learning is still neededIdentify what learning is still needed

Stage 3: Tools for supervision

Review process recordings, assessments, macro Review process recordings, assessments, macro assignmentsassignments Interviewing and assessment skillsInterviewing and assessment skills Use of selfUse of self Beginning to apply theory to interview or taskBeginning to apply theory to interview or task

Revisit Revisit Learning PlanLearning Plan Early AssessmentEarly Assessment

Discuss where growth most neededDiscuss where growth most needed Review Review Final Evaluation Final Evaluation to check that NCSSS to check that NCSSS

expectations are being metexpectations are being met

Stage 4: Closure & Termination

Ambivalent process for all involved!Ambivalent process for all involved! ““A process everyone would like to ignore”A process everyone would like to ignore”

Time for reflection …Time for reflection … On past experiences with endingsOn past experiences with endings On growth and learningOn growth and learning

Use learning to develop new goals and Use learning to develop new goals and plansplans

Much of this section is taken from Danowski, William A. (2005). In the field, a real-life survival guide for the social work internship. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Stage 4: Issues in Supervision

Start the closure process earlyStart the closure process early How does your agency deal with termination with How does your agency deal with termination with

interns? interns?

Exploration of students’ feelings about …Exploration of students’ feelings about … Leaving the internship settingLeaving the internship setting Terminating with clientsTerminating with clients Passing on incomplete tasks/projects to othersPassing on incomplete tasks/projects to others End of supervisory relationshipEnd of supervisory relationship

Stage 4: Issues in Supervision Parallel processParallel process

Intern-client termination field instructor-Intern-client termination field instructor-student terminationstudent termination

Complicated feelings: ambivalence, Complicated feelings: ambivalence, confusion, sadness, reliefconfusion, sadness, relief

What next?What next?

Stage 4: Issues in Supervision Talk about clients’ feelings about Talk about clients’ feelings about

terminationtermination‘‘Experts at termination’ – may have had Experts at termination’ – may have had

numerous social workersnumerous social workersHow can termination help client grow in How can termination help client grow in

relationships?relationships?• Mourn loss of relationship but Mourn loss of relationship but

hopefulness of taking something new hopefulness of taking something new with youwith you

Stage 4: Tools in supervision Supervisory agendaSupervisory agenda Process recordings, case presentations, reports, Process recordings, case presentations, reports,

projectsprojects Another look at the Another look at the Learning PlanLearning Plan

Have objectives been met?Have objectives been met? New goals: discussion of career paths in social workNew goals: discussion of career paths in social work

NCSSS End-of-Year Evaluation of Field NCSSS End-of-Year Evaluation of Field ParticipantsParticipants Good opportunity to evaluate self as field instructorGood opportunity to evaluate self as field instructor

Enjoy the journey!