ROUNDTABLES

The TFEL project held its last roundtable on Using Technology in Field Education. The dialogue focused on these practices:

Practice 1: Online platforms for meeting and information sharing such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams  

Practice 2: Developing digitalized trainings that are accessible across Canada  

Practice 3: Technological innovations in field education    

In the roundtable discussion, we invite member reflections to allow for sharing and dialogue about the study findings, and providing opportunities for questions, critique, feedback, affirmation, and collaboration.

Facilitators:Facilitators: Dr. Sheri McConnell (TFEL Co-Investigator, Memorial University), Dr. Christine Walsh (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Elizabeth Tettman (TFEL Student Research Assistant, University of Toronto), and Suraj Khatiwada (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary)

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Valuing Open-Mindedness and Flexibility in Practicum Placements. The dialogue focused on these practices:

Practice 1: Field educators and supervisors are open to the potential for innovation in different methods and the challenges presented

Practice 2: Incorporating group placements where students are involved in various activities in a collaborative approach

Practice 3: Encouraging flexibility around practicums to allow space and time for all circumstances

In the roundtable discussion, we invite member reflections to allow for sharing and dialogue about the study findings, and providing opportunities for questions, critique, feedback, affirmation, and collaboration.

Facilitators: Dr. Sally St. George (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Dr. Tamara Sussman (TFEL Co-Investigator, McGill University), Dr. Dan Wulff (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Godfrey Makoha (TFEL Student Research Assistant, McGill), and  Suraj Khatiwada (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary).

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The dialogue focused on these practices:

Practice 1: Addressing Anti-Black racism, Anti-Oppressive Practice, and EDI.

Practice 2: Creating practicum opportunities that are situated in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) organizations, diverse communities, and in languages other than French/English.

Practice 3: Better representation to ensure space in organizations for BIPOC students, ensuring diverse representation on the field education committee, and representative hiring practices.

Facilitators: Dr. Uzo Anucha (TFEL Co-Investigator, York University), Dr. Jill Hanley (TFEL Co-Investigator, McGill University), Dr. Saleema Salim (TFEL Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Calgary) and Suraj Khatiwada (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary).

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Sharing Unique Practices for Field Supervision. The dialogue focused on these practices:

Practice 1: Including more voices in field education, such as service users and multiple field instructors.

Practice 2: Adopting creative and multiple supervision strategies (individual and group, working meetings, e-supervision) that reduce workload demands on field instructors and increase peer accountability.

Practice 3: Conducting peer supervision by MSW students to BSW students.

Practice 4: Including a skilled-based perspective where it is possible to break things down into smaller parts to be able to practice independently and then practice with a supervisor to get feedback.

Facilitators: Dr. David Nicholas (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Dr. Jill Hanley (TFEL Co-Investigator, McGill University), Jemmelia Morgan (TFEL practicum student, University of Windsor), Suraj Khatiwada (TFEL practicum student, University of Calgary), Eve Xeflide (TFEL practicum student, University of Calgary)

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Field Accreditation and Policy. The dialogue focused on these practices:

Practice 1: Having university programs include courses on knowledge and competencies for field instruction as part of the curriculum

Practice 2: Exploring more diverse social work supervision outside of supervisors with BSW/MSW credentials

Facilitators: Dr. Julie L. Drolet (TFEL Project Director, University of Calgary), Dr. Sheri M. McConnell (TFEL Co-Investigator, Memorial University), Dr. Eileen McKee (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Toronto), Eve Xeflide (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary) and Suraj Khatiwada (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary).

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Macro-Level Placements. The facilitators shared key findings from the research. The dialogue focused on these promising practices:

Practice 1: Creating opportunities for “sector-based” practicum placement (e.g., around issues of housing/homelessness) vs. traditional one-on-one agency placement (may involve working in the shelter system, as an example, for front-line practice experience).

Practice 2: Creating additional macro-level placement options centered on research and policy that introduce students to a different level of social work intervention.

Practice 3: Having students involved in social justice projects or community-level events.

Facilitators: Julie Drolet (TFEL Project Director, University of Calgary), Julie Mann-Johnson (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Jill Hanley (TFEL Co-Investigator, McGill University), Jarrod Ross (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Toronto), Elizabeth Tettman (TFEL Student Research Assistant, University of Toronto), Missa Mvuezolo (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary).

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Facilitating Multiple Partnerships and Collaborations. The facilitators shared key findings from the research. The dialogue focused on these promising practices:

Practice 1: Promoting community engagement to reciprocally meet community and field education needs.

Practice 2: Developing a community of practice for diverse groups and organizations by going beyond individual or institutional agreements.

Practice 3: Different institutions working together to avoid competition for practicum opportunities and developing community partnerships through university and field offices.

Facilitators: Sheri McConnell (TFEL Co-Investigator, Memorial University), Grant Charles (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of British Columbia), Kathleen DeSousa (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary), Nchedo Udobata (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary), Jarrod Ross (TFEL Practicum Student, University of Toronto).

The TFEL project held a roundtable on Creating New and Innovative Field Placements. The facilitators shared key findings from the research. The dialogue focused on these innovative practices:

Practice 1: Developing placements with multiple agencies

Practice 2: Identifying new field placement sites and working with non-traditional social work agencies

Practice 3: Expanding virtual practicums to allow for greater accessibility and reaching remote areas

Practice 4: Exploring self-directed placements to expose students to a diverse range of learning opportunities

Practice 5: Interprofessional field placements for social work students to collaborate and learn with other disciplines

Practice 6: Green social work field placements that integrate environmental justice and sustainability

Practice 7: Increase the availability of Northern and Rural field placements

Facilitators: Julie Drolet (TFEL Project Director, University of Calgary), Sally St. George (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Dan Wulff (TFEL Co-Investigator, University of Calgary), Sheri M. McConnell (TFEL Co-Investigator, Memorial University), Kathleen DeSousa(TFEL Practicum Student, University of Calgary).

The TFEL project held a virtual roundtable on Incorporating Indigenous and Wise Practices in field education. The facilitators shared key findings from the research. The dialogue focused on these wise practices:

Practice 1:  Incorporating Indigenous cultural practices and involving Elders in social work field education.

Practice 2:  Creating new ways of approaching learning agreements.

Practice 3:  Being creative, flexible, and open minded about definitions of key terms, such as clinical practice, that are more appropriate to apply in all contexts

Practice 4:  Focusing on initiatives towards decolonizing and Indigenizing social work field practica.

Facilitators: Natalie Clark (TFEL Co-Investigator, Thompson Rivers University), Julie Mann-Johnson (TFEL Collaborator, University of Calgary), Missa Mvuezolo (TFEL practicum student, University of Calgary), Saleema Salim (TFEL Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Calgary), Elizabeth Tettman (TFEL student research assistant, University of Toronto), Nchedo Udobata (TFEL practicum student, University of Calgary).

This webinar is a presentation and discussion of the findings of 35 interviews that were conducted with the field instructors/coordinators in the Prairie Region to identify innovative, promising, and wise practices in the social work field education.

Please also view the Atlantic Region Final Report and the Ontario Region Final Report. The recordings and slideshows for each presentations are linked below.

The TFEL partnership would like to thank service user participants for sharing their perspectives in the online focus groups facilitation by social work students. The project found agreement that service users should be involved in social work field education, and practical suggestions and tips were offered. To learn more about the findings of the study, please read the report.

The international practicum study was designed by the TFEL team to learn about international field placements, or international practicum, using a mixed-methods online survey. Implications and recommendations of the study are provided in this report.

The TFEL partnership conducted over 30 online focus groups to foster discussion on key topics to transform social work field education in Canada. Field education coordinators and/or directors, field instructors, faculty members, field educators and administrators who are involved in social work field education in Canada shared their perspectives and experiences with student research assistants. Implications and recommendations are provided in this report.

This project was developed with our partners in Africa to better understand the state of social work field education in Africa. Schools or departments of social work in Africa dcomplete an online survey with one respondent per institution. Join us on October 25, 2022 in a virtual webinar to learn more about the findings.

Presenters: Dr. Vibha Kaushik

As presented by TFEL post-doctoral scholar, Dr. Vibha Kaushik, and co-authored by project director, Dr. Julie Drolet and co-investigator, Dr. Grant Charles, the findings of Social Work Field Education during COVID-19: Learnings for Social Development Agenda, were presented at the 22nd ICSD Biennial Conference. 

Perceptions of Challenges in Social Work Field Education

Student Perspectives on Canadian Social Work Field Education

The Virtual Dialogue Circles is a project aimed at capturing student perspectives on social work field education in Canada by facilitating virtual dialogue circles with current social work students. The following is a report on the Virtual Dialogue Circles Project.

This webinar discussed the findings and themes from a series of dialogue circles in which Social Work students from across Canada came together to discuss the current challenges and ideas for changes within field education.

This webinar presented findings on British Columbia’s Addressing Racism Review inquiry, with a specific focus upon the implications for social work. The inquiry was an examination on BC health care workers, commissioned by the BC Minister of Health, on instances of health care workers guessing the blood alcohol levels of Indigenous patients. This webinar took an in-depth look at Anti-Indigenous Racism in the British Columbia Health Care System and its implications for Social Work.

2020 National Survey Report

This is a study designed to provide an assessment of the current state of social work field education in Canada by examining the structure and delivery of field education programs, field resources, and staff. The report details all of the findings from the study, and the infographic visually summarizes the key findings from the report.

Webinar

This webinar was a presentation highlighting the results of the 2020 National Survey Report. 

Infographic: Impacts of COVID-19 on Social Work Field Education: Perspectives of Field Instructors in Canada

This infographic visually showcases the experiences and key takeaways of research performed on Canadian field instructors during COVID-19, answering the question: how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted social work field instructors?

Infographic: Canadian Social Work Student Experiences in Field Education During COVID-19

This infographic visually showcases the experiences and key takeaways of research performed on Canadian social work students in field research during COVID-19.

Symposium – Social Work and COVID-19

The symposium featured a presentation on the results of a National Survey on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Field Education: Perspectives of Students, and a panel presentation and discussion on how COVID-19 has impacted social work practice and field education.