Preparing BSW Students for Competency With Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. S-73-S-91
Author(s):  
Susan Allen ◽  
Michele Kelly ◽  
Latoya Brooks ◽  
Marie Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
State University ◽  
Rank Tests ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
Signed Rank

As the population of older adults in the United States grows, there is an increasing need for social workers to serve this group. This study examines the effects of a gerontological social work curriculum infusion project for baccalaureate social work students at a southeastern state university that was funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. Attitudes regarding interest in gerontology and perceived competency in gerontology- related skills were assessed pre- and postintervention. Nonparametric Wilcoxon matched- pairs signed rank tests revealed significant increases in interest in pursuing further gerontology- related experience and related competencies. Open- ended reflection comments were analyzed to further understand the students’ experience with the program. Results indicate that infusion of gerontological concepts into the curriculum increased the number of students interested in pursuing careers in gerontology, increased students’ competency with this population, and enhanced their understanding of the unique needs of older adults.

Baccalaureate Social Work Education and Courses on Aging: The Disconnect

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara P. Bergel
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Accreditation Standards ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
Work Education

In the year 2020, at least 60,000 to 70,000 social workers will be needed to work with the elderly. However, insufficient numbers of social work students are choosing to participate in the field of aging. This article discusses reasons, barriers, and the importance of increasing gerontological interest in BSW students. It provides curriculum-enhancing suggestions to expand student and faculty interest in aging education and the gerontological social work profession in the context of the Council on Social Work Educational (CSWE) Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).

Evaluating the Impact of a Hartford Gero-Rich Project on a Bachelor of Social Work Program

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (sp1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Barton ◽  
Harriet L. Cohen ◽  
Cecilia L. Thomas ◽  
Mark H. Sandel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
State University ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Bachelor Of Social Work ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Social Work Program ◽  
The Impact

In response to the greater need for professionally educated Bachelor of Social Work social workers to work with older adults, a multipronged approach was developed and implemented to infuse gerontology content into the undergraduate social work curriculum at a large state university in Texas. Efforts were made to help ensure that curricular and organizational changes would be sustained for the long term. These initiatives were funded by and were part of the national Hartford Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education Program. A quasiexperimental evaluation was conducted involving four cohorts of social work students. Findings demonstrate success in changing students' 1) career aspirations, 2) perceptions of faculty's knowledge of issues concerning older adults, 3) perceptions of their own knowledge of issues concerning older adults, and 4) perceptions of older adults.

Are BSW Students Prepared to Address Substance Abuse in Clients?

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
David Beimers ◽  
Tristann Carter ◽  
Christine Black Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Academic Preparation ◽  
State University ◽  
The Core ◽  
Substance Abuse Disorders ◽  
History Of

Social work has a long history of working with clients with substance abuse issues, yet minimal attention has been given to academic preparation at the BSW level to work with this population. This study examines the competence of undergraduate social work students to successfully identify and respond to substance abuse issues in future clients. Perceived competence was examined in 50 senior BSW completed students at a midsize state university. Findings suggest that the undergraduate social work academic core curriculum does not adequately prepare future social workers to work with clients with substance abuse disorders. This study brings awareness to the academic arena for the need to have substance abuse content infused into the core social work curriculum to adequately prepare undergraduate social work students to feel confident and able to successfully identify, assess, and treat substance abuse issues in practice.

Indigenizing Social Work: Andragogical Strategies for Incorporating Native Knowledge in Curricula

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
Brittany Hunt ◽  
Sonyia Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Competence Training ◽  
American Indian People ◽  
Critical Portion

Though there are more than 5 million American Indian people living in the United States, and they are disproportionately represented among social workers’ clientele, social work curriculum rarely centers Indigenous history and knowledge. Therefore, the cultural competence training that social work students receive is incomprehensive because it often erases a critical portion of the population. This work focuses on the unique knowledge that one Indigenous social work instructor brings to her classroom, as well as the perspective of the BSW director who recruited her to the position. It is critical that the social work profession begin to move toward being representative of the diverse populations that we serve, not only in the field but also in the classroom. This work will provide examples of cultural competence training as well as Indigenous knowledge that can be incorporated into classrooms to indigenize those spaces and decolonize curricula. This article was written jointly by an Indigenous social work professor and an administrator and professor in a BSW program.

scholarly journals Perspectives on Aging among Graduate Social Work Students: Using Photographs as an Online Pedagogical Activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-173
Author(s):  
Jill Chonody
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Older People ◽  
Nursing Student ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Graduate Social Work

The United States is experiencing an aging of the population, and by 2030, 20% of Americans will be 65 years or older (Federal Interagency Forum, 2010). However, for many helping professions, including social work, medicine, and nursing, student interest in gerontological practice is quite low. One international study found that only 5.4% of the more than 1,000 social work students who were surveyed indicated that working with older people was their primary area of interest (Author, 2014a). Finding ways to improve student interest and break down biases against older adults is essential to improve student interest, and incorporating evidence-based activities that can be incorporated into courses that are offered in an online format are increasingly needed as this mode of instruction continues to expand. The current exploratory study sought to pilot a two-part photo-activity in an online graduate social work practice course focused on working with older adults. Quantitative and qualitative results suggest that the activities helped students’ process their views on aging and older people, and most students reported at least some change in their attitudes. The development of innovative ways to engage students online by repurposing technology that they are already using can advance online pedagogy and facilitate critical thinking.

A Poverty Simulation's Impact on Nursing and Social Work Students' Attitudes Towards Poverty and Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-262
Author(s):  
Mary Beth Kuehn ◽  
Carlos M. Grosch Mendes ◽  
Genesis M. Fukunaga Luna Victoria ◽  
Erin Nemetz ◽  
Zyreel Claire P. Rigos
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Structural Explanation ◽  
Poverty And Health ◽  
Students Attitudes

BackgroundCurrently, about 40 million people in the United States live in poverty, one of the most significant social determinants of health. Nurses and social workers must understand the effect of living in poverty on their clients' health and quality of life.PurposeNurses and social workers will encounter persons living in poverty. Therefore, beginning in their undergraduate education, health professions students must be aware of their attitudes towards poverty and how poverty affects health.MethodsThe Community Action Poverty Simulation was conducted with nursing and social work students at a small liberal arts institution. The Attitudes toward Poverty-Short Form (ATP-SF) and Beliefs Related to Poverty and Health (BRPH) tools were used pre- and postsimulation to assess students' attitudes about poverty and beliefs about the relationship between poverty and health. An emotional response plan was created to address participants' emotional responses by providing a separate space on-site and information about future resources.ResultsThe ATP-SF showed a significant overall difference (p < .001) between pre- and postsimulation surveys, indicating a shift toward a structural explanation of poverty; the BRPH showed that participants believed poverty is the result of illness and inability to work (p < .01).ConclusionThis study supports poverty simulation use to promote awareness of attitudes towards those living in poverty and how poverty impacts health. Recommendations include using more community resource volunteers with first-hand poverty experience, allowing students to role-play adults or older teens in the simulation, and including other health professions students.

scholarly journals Social Work, Gerontology, and the Arts: A Creative Approach to Teaching Undergraduate Social Work Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-287
Author(s):  
Kathleen C. Sitter ◽  
Gail Wideman ◽  
Jessica Furey ◽  
Kandice Gosine ◽  
Chelsea Skanes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Creative Teaching ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Approach To Teaching

In this article, we explore how social work students cultivated a deeper understanding and community connection with older adults through personal engagement with artistic practices. We begin with an exploration of gerontological social work, noting the trends and challenges in this specialization. Guided by extended epistemology as a conceptual framework, we consider the role of the arts within critical pedagogy and describe an undergraduate course taken concurrently during student eld-placements. As part of the curriculum, students designed artifacts about their experience working with older adults, which supported critical re ection and student-led learning. As an exemplar of a creative teaching model, further considerations for implementation are also discussed.

scholarly journals What works and what doesn’t: Gerontology focused PhD/ DSW graduates speak out

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 964-965
Author(s):  
Matthew Myrick ◽  
Lauren Snedeker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Doctoral Graduates ◽  
Social Work Faculty ◽  
Future Goals ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Schools Of Social Work

Abstract Lin et al. (2015) projected there would be a shortage of approximately 195,000 social workers in the United States by 2030. In the next twenty years, it is estimated that Americans over the age of 65 will actually outnumber children under the age of 18 (US Census, 2018). With a longstanding reputation for being less “glamorous”, social work with older adults will continue to experience deficits in the amount of those who commit to this field of practice unless more lasting change occurs (Cummings et al., p. 645, 2005). We must take a closer look at what takes place in the classroom at schools of social work to understand why social workers are not interested in working with older adults (Scharlach et al., 2000). Berkman et al. (2016) described in their work that a critical shortage of gerontology-focused social work faculty exists in schools of social work. Thus, we cannot expect more social workers to work with older adults unless they are exposed to this work in their educational programs. The purpose of this study is to report on the academic experience, research agenda, professional experiences (practice and teaching), and future goals of social work PhD/ DSW graduates. Ten social work doctoral graduates were interviewed in order to understand the impact their academic programs had on their commitment to older adults in their field and to learn their recommendations for schools of social work in an effort to sustain and grow the gerontological workforce.

scholarly journals Social Work Education that Addresses Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation: An intersectional, anti-oppressive practice framework

2021 ◽  
pp. 20-37
Author(s):  
Lara Gerassi ◽  
Andrea Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Exclusionary Practices ◽  
Practice Framework ◽  
Work Education

Practice, policy, and research focused on trafficking for sexual exploitation and commercial sex involvement occur in the United States within a white, heteronormative social environment that must be addressed pedagogically in the classroom. Social work education increasingly includes the topic of trafficking for sexual exploitation as a stand-alone course or as sessions embedded within other courses. Yet, very little scholarship critically examines how instruction in social work on this topic can apply intersectional, anti-oppressive frameworks across micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Furthermore, current literature suggests that some social workers use exclusionary practices when addressing trafficking and commercial sex involvement, further exemplifying the need for anti-oppressive curricula. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse how key anti-oppressive theoretical and practice frameworks should influence education on trafficking for sexual exploitation and commercial sex involvement in social work. Written by two scholars and social work instructors, we describe how we apply these frameworks to pedagogical exercises in social work courses. Finally, we argue that intersectional, anti-oppressive social work education is critical to training social work students and, ultimately, addressing the needs of people experiencing or at risk of trafficking.

scholarly journals Barriers and opportunities for nontraditional social work during COVID-19: Reflections from a small LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Detroit

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 416-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela K Perone
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities

COVID-19 has significantly changed individual lives and organizational structures throughout the world. Certain regions and populations, however, have experienced the effects of this global pandemic to a heightened degree. This article includes reflections from a small LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Detroit, a city with some of the starkest health and economic disparities in the United States. While COVID-19 has illuminated numerous barriers for LGBTQ+ older adults in Detroit, it has also revealed surprising ways that nontraditional social work is emerging. The experiences from this organization suggest that when faced with limited resources, LGBTQ+ community members and advocates have expanded their services in ways that mirror the work of many professional social workers, including interpersonal support; facilitated group discussions; direct services; program design, delivery, and coordination; community organizing; and research. Through these roles, community members are beginning to serve as nontraditional social workers to address the urgent and unmet needs of LGBTQ+ older adults and increase the visibility of this population during COVID-19.

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