Far Afield: Managing Distance Internships Carol Schneweis, Distance Coordinator Bruce Reeves, Field Director University of North Dakota Department of Social Work

Introduction: Objectives: Identify resources necessary to implement a distance field program Clarify a process for selecting field settings Develop a model for distance orientation and ongoing field instructor training Identify key components of Distance field “Gatekeeping” and evaluation

UND Program Distance Education for past 27 years – began using Adobe Connect to offer synchronous program to Foundation students in January began annual admissions Students in multiple cohorts Part-time program Foundation – 9 or 10 semesters – begins every January Concentration 5 or 6 semesters – begins every May Between 75 & 85 Field students every fall Field is Capstone for each program

Field at UND: Philosophy: replicates campus program CSWE standards Hands-on approach to placements Faculty field liaison visits distance students at least once during the internship Majority of students complete field part-time across 2 semesters Foundation MSW part time required MSW Concentration full time option Orient students to Field using Adobe® Connect™ Professional in a live class setting Campus visit

Field Readiness Assessing/Gatekeeping & Evaluation of students Assessment: Come to campus, meet face-to-face Survey teaching faculty re: perception of field readiness Field application completed and signed off by advisor – Assures meet all requirements and are ready to go Pre-field interviews with students

Field Readiness Do not allow students into field at times: No campus visit Reassign field instructors GPA not high enough Not shown readiness for field

Student Placement Process Interview – explore interests, emphasize goodness of fit Via phone Discuss foundation and concentration placement Ask students to partner in development of placement Explore opportunities in communities Can interview- without making commitment Provide us with information Contact is made to determine appropriateness of placement Contracting with new agency/new field instructor

Student Placement Process Contact is made to determine appropriateness of placement and to secure MSW field instructor No MSW– must consider/assess skill level of task supervisor and appropriateness of external supervisor Contracting with new agency/new field instructor

Seminar Integrative Seminars : Synchronous Class is taught live via Adobe® Connect™ Wikis & blogs augment

Liaison Journals Learning and Evaluation Plan Due: Part time: 10 Weeks Full Time: 3 weeks Site visit required Contact schedule: One must be in person Week prior to Learning Plan due date Midterm 4-6 weeks prior to end of internship

Monitoring Liaison monitoring journals Seminar provides leader awareness of how a student is doing Problem? Liaison – first contact Navigate concern, may travel to site Gatekeeping Use same model as campus When issues arise, tend to spend a lot more time on phone with students and field instructors or on the road visiting again Elevate to Director if issues unresolved, may elevate to full team

Field Instructors Training/orienting new field instructors Initially one-on-one via phone call Provide Field Manual and Forms Three online training videos Program overview Field Instructor role and expectations Learning Plan and Evaluation Tool Stream Annual Field Instructor training to distance instructors Lunch in the Field

Join faculty from the Department of Social Work for free monthly Field Instructor Training and CEU’s. Topics: Making Sense of the Learning Plan and Evaluation Tool Social Work Curriculum and Field – Putting the Pieces Together Expanding Teaching Tools for Supervision Developmental Stages of the Internship Evaluation and Remediation Plans

Recorded available online via Qualtrics Attendance Evaluation Response – Alternate training Working with Combat Veterans Agency Response to Suicide Play Therapy Program Evaluation Generational Differences in the Workplace

Challenges & Solutions

New contracts Legal components of contracting – waiting for legal to review & approve Working w/legal counsel to be part of campus-wide contracting (includes medical, healthcare and behavioral sciences) Rural areas with limited MSW Contract for external supervision

Challenges & Solutions Budget/Costs Sending faculty to visit each student at least once Charge additional fees for distance students to help cover these costs Even with this, UND’s in-state tuition is lower than most private university/colleges – a luxury

Questions?