We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
COVID-19 and Beyond: A Prototype for Remote/Virtual Social Work Field Placement.
- Authors
Mitchell, Barbara; Sarfati, David; Stewart, Melissa
- Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt conclusion of field placement for social work interns at a comprehensive cancer center. In response to social distancing requirements, social workers, but not interns, were granted access to work remotely. Virtual programming became necessary to meet the interns' remaining educational requirements and provided an opportunity for proper termination from the program. This article will delineate the program redesign for oncology social work interns using remote/virtual modalities. This melded approach involved creating simulated clinical interactions, based on selected points along the illness trajectory targeting specific clinical competencies, which were presented to interns by phone and/or videoconference. Examples will be provided related to developing clinical skills and critical thinking and preparing for professional responsibilities within a broad range of healthcare settings. Guidelines for working with individuals, couples/families, and groups will be included. Issues of individual and group supervision will be explored, with sensitivity to the parallel experience of existential uncertainty and mortality awareness among the interns in the context of the pandemic. Although in-person training is preferable, there are advantages to virtual learning for both supervisors and interns. This creative adaptation of field education provides an innovative programming model that can be used to enhance the experience for social work interns moving forward in various healthcare settings during ordinary or extraordinary circumstances.
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic; FIELDWORK (Educational method); MEDICAL social work; ONCOLOGY; INTERNS; SOCIAL distancing; SOCIAL workers; TELECOMMUTING
- Publication
Clinical Social Work Journal, 2022, Vol 50, Issue 1, p3
- ISSN
0091-1674
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10615-021-00788-x