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St. Catherine University-University of St. Thomas School of Social Work
FIELD MATTERS A Newsletter of the Field Practice Institute
Spr ing 2018
Volume 7, I ssue 3
Upcoming Field Practice
Institute Events: _____________________
March 12, 2018
Distance FITS
9:00 am to 10:00 am
Annual Field Workshop
and Luncheon
May 4, 2018
8:00 am to 1:00 pm
MSW Clinical Research
Presentation Day
May 14, 2018
8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Field Practice Institute
7th Annual Summit on
Emerging Issues in
Social Work Practice
August 7, 2018
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Inside this issue:
Wrapping up Field 1 Tips for Sustaining Policy 2
Advocacy in Social Work
Practice Notes from the Field 3
Upcoming in BSW & MSW 3
Field
Save the Dates 4
Editors: Christa Bobick
& Lisa Richardson
Wrapping up Field - Creating Capacity and Space
for Pause Creating space for the final phase of learning can facilitate transitions and
maximize students’ professional development gains.
Termination-supportive endings:
This is the time of year when students start thinking about what is next. They
are not only wondering about how to wrap up at their internship, they are already in
future planning mode (preparing for licensure exams, exploring employment oppor-
tunities, or preparing for next year’s field placement). While students may have dif-
ferent next steps, the two things they have in common are endings and transition.
These milestones often come with a mixture of emotions (relief, excitement, satisfac-
tion, energy, as well as anxiety, apprehension, ambivalence, and even sadness).
The critical component of a successful ending/transition is capacity and
space for pause. Students need to be encouraged to not rush the process or hap-
hazardly move through it. They need the capacity to wind down and move forward
in meaningful ways. You can assist your student in crafting what this will look like by
giving them space via intentional early on conversations that allow for pause, en-
courage them to plan ahead, and help them with both the task of wrapping up
(closing files, ending groups, terminating with clients, etc.) and also the process
(embracing and working through the myriad of thoughts and emotions that all natu-
rally come with these tasks).
Evaluation-supportive reflection:
The end of the year evaluation process also needs capacity and space for
pause. Field instructors can help support purposeful reflection about key areas such
as internal growth and professional development. Students need to be able to re-
flect on the skills they have acquired, concepts they are mastering, and competen-
cies they have gained. They also need space to reflect on their process - what ener-
gizes and exhausts them, what do they need from supervision and an agency envi-
ronment, what areas of social work are they becoming more drawn to, etc.
The primary goal of the final evaluation process is to help students name and
celebrate their accomplishments and to identify areas for future growth. This is the
time to help students reflect on the strengths and challenges of the year (for exam-
ple their work with clients and client systems, the agency and team environment,
and the supervisory relationship). Pausing now to think about the evaluation process
and then having intentional conversations and capacity in the upcoming weeks will
help contribute to a growth promoting evaluation experience for both you and your
student.
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to
do the something that I can do.”
- Edward Everett Hale
Written by: Tanya Rand, MSW Weekend Cohort Field Coordinator
Tips for Sustaining Policy Advocacy in Social Work Practice
Field Matters Page 2 of 4
We asked BSW Program Director and Associate Professor Katharine Hill for her tips on
sustaining policy advocacy and political engagement. Here’s what she had to say.
We all know that political engagement and advocacy for social workers is critical in
creating a just world. That said, we also know that, at times, it can be a challenge to
participate in policy work on an ongoing basis, due to the many competing demands
that social workers in all settings respond to on a daily basis. How can social workers
build and sustain political engagement over time?
First, think of it as developing a habit or a practice. It’s not going to happen overnight,
nor will it look the same for everyone. But committing to integrating some kind of poli-
cy advocacy into your practice is something we can all do successfully. Be kind to
yourself and to people around you as you work on this, offer support and encourage-
ment, and know it is better to take a small step than no step at all.
Next, like with any habit development, think about what you can do easily. What are some immediate, small
steps you can take right away? A few suggestions: Register to vote and then VOTE! Learn who represents
you at all levels of government- local, state, federal. This is a great resource: https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/
districts/. Once you know who represents you, save their contact information somewhere you can easily ac-
cess it. I store them all in my phone contacts - email, telephone number, and mailing address, as well as any
notes I might have. That way I have them ready when I want to make a call, send an email, write a letter, or
reach out in some other way.
Once you have taken these two simple steps, you can move on to more complex activities. I use this tool
when I am conducting trainings with groups around advocacy, and have felt it is a helpful way to think about
the work:
! Continued on page 4...
RIGHT NOW! For days when
you have 1 minute or less
Still pretty darn easy
A little more complex, but worth the effort
OMG, I have to leave my house?!
Takes more time. Consider it
anyway.
Register to vote
Who represents
you?
Federal
State
Local
Program your
elected officials’
contact information
into your phone.
Sign an online
petition.
Retweet/like a tweet.
Like, re-post, share on
Facebook.
Sign a pre-written
email.
Subscribe to a
legitimate media
source.
Talk to a friend about
how you are feeling
about current events.
Write an email on
your own.
Send a postcard or
letter.
Write your own
tweet, FB post.
Make a scripted
phone call.
Talk to 2 or more
people about how
you are feeling
about current
events.
Make a telephone
call where you
speak your mind.
Talk to 2 other
people and ask
them to take action
too!
Follow (and read
what they send you)
your elected officials
on FB, Twitter, email
lists etc.
Identify groups and
campaigns that are
doing work that you
care about.
Connect with them
online. Support them
financially if you
can.
Attend public
meetings held by
your elected
officials. Ask them
your questions face
to face.
Go to your EO’s
offices. Either make
an appointment or
stop by. Tell them
what matters to you
and why.
Attend and
participate in public
protests.
Get involved with
local organizations
or campaigns
whose work you
support. Share your
talents and passions.
Connect with media
sources. Write letters to
the editor and op-eds.
Call reporters and
newspapers and ask
why they are or are not
covering certain topics.
Sign up to give
testimony before a
legislative or
decision-making body.
Invite elected
officials into your
community. Create
opportunities for them
to get to know you and
what you care about.
Think about running for
office yourself. Who
knows more about your
community than you
do?
Director of BSW Field
Education:
Carey Winkler
651-962-5815
Director of MSW Field
Education:
Lisa Richardson
651-690-6825
Weekend Cohort Field
Coordinator:
Tanya Rand
651-962-5817
Field Information
Coordinator:
Christa Bobick
651-690-6704
Notes from the Field: Reflections from BSW &
MSW Field Instructors
The final phase of the practicum provides an opportunity to assess students’ skill,
offer feedback for areas of continued development, and reflect on the year of
learning. Take some time to consider the ideas presented by Tanya Rand in the
lead article for this Field Matters, allowing space for reflection and growth. Your
final conversations with students can help them consolidate gains and become
more aware of their own strengths.
This is also a time to mentor students in their next steps. Where is the student head-
ed next in their professional social work career? Do you have any suggestions for
them as they transition to the next phase of learning and practice?
Finally, take some time to articulate your observations in the students’ final evalua-
tions. These provide valuable input and formative and summative information for
students and faculty. We rely on you to carefully review the students’ documents
(recording of hours and activities) and sign each student’s forms in IPT.
Thank you for your continued partnership and your attention to student learning.
We hope to see you at our Annual Field Workshop and Luncheon in May!
Carey Winkler, Director of BSW Field Education
Lisa Richardson, Director of MSW Field Education
Field Matters Page 3 of 4
Upcoming in BSW & MSW Field
What is working well with your student(s)?
“It’s a delight to work with the student from St. Kate’s-St. Thomas. It’s energiz-
ing for both students and myself.”
“Having a student keeps me grounded and reminds me why I am a social
worker.”
“They are taking risks, feeling confident and learning new things. Encourag-
ing them to be and find themselves is going wonderfully.”
“It has been nice to have the students become helpful team members, and
self-starters.”
What are you doing to foster these outcomes and the supervisory relationship?
“Self-care is so important as a social worker. We, as social workers, have an
ethical obligation to take care of self, so we can take care of others.”
“Trusting them and listening to them and trying to balance teaching them
and learning with them.”
“Having conversations, asking questions, being as inclusive as possible,
encouraging questions and feedback, recognizing and supporting
strengths.”
“Open communication, constant check-ins, and consistent supervision time
set aside.”
Field instructors who attended the final Core FITS session shared their
thoughts on this final stage of learning.
Field Matters Page 4 of 4
Tips for Sustaining Policy Advocacy in Social Work Practice, cont.
(continued from page 2)
Consider your agency and your professional practice. If you are planning on integrating policy advocacy into
your workplace setting, make sure you know the rules for this kind of work. The Minnesota Council on Nonprofits
has really helpful resources on the rules for policy advocacy in a nonprofit setting (http://
www.minnesotanonprofits.org/nonprofit-resources/public-policy-advocacy).
Think about what is the best fit for you, your clients, your workplace, and your professional identity and ethics. Are
there specific issues that rise to the top for you or your clients? Start there. Next, identify allies, partners, and re-
sources to support you in your work - we are very fortunate in Minnesota to have a wealth of resources for policy
work, including nonprofits, advocacy groups, labor unions, and, of course, NASW-MN. Reach out to others who
also care about what you care about, and pool your time, resources, and impact!
Think about integrating voter registration and engagement into your work with clients. Watch for more infor-
mation from the National Social Work Mobilization Campaign on how to do this, or reach out to me in the mean-
time!
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help! We have posted resources here (https://www.stthomas.edu/socialwork/
alumni/advocacy/ ) and would also be happy to consult further with you as you think about how to build and
sustain your engagement.
We Hope You’ll Join Us!
7th Annual Summit on Emerging
Issues in Social Work Practice
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
“Healthy Communities: Broadening
the Lens of Healthcare, Equity,
and Policy”
An official invitation with further information
will be emailed summer of 2018.
Go to: https://www.stthomas.edu/
socialwork/events/events/2018-8-
7fpisummithealthcare.html
Annual Field Appreciation
Workshop and Luncheon
Friday, May 4, 2018
"Using Motivational Interviewing to
Cultivate Empowerment & Change
Across Systems"
Schedule
8:30 am to 11:30 am - Workshop11:45 am to
1:00 pm - Appreciation Luncheon
An official invitation with further information
will be emailed soon.
Never, never, be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person
or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we
inflict on our soul when we look the other way.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.