Does the DSW Practice Doctorate Provide Opportunities for Closing Gaps in Gerontology?

The 2019 annual conference of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) highlighted the increasing role that the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree is playing in social work education. Over the past 15 years, social work has followed suit with a number of other health and helping professions (PsyD, DNP, DPT, etc.) by expanding access to practice doctorate programs for professionals who are interested in doctoral-level training, but primarily have interest to remain working in the field as practitioners, rather than become researchers. As more DSW programs have emerged, questions and concerns persist about the DSW, with most questions pertaining to the meaning of the degree for the overall field and the value of having an additional advanced practice degree in social work beyond the MSW degree. However, I urge readers of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work to consider the opportunities that the DSW may present for advancing gerontological education, research, and practice.     

Reflections and Prospects of the Gerontological Social Work Training and Education: The AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program

ABSTRACT

The demand for professional training, mentorship, and research in the field of aging is expected to increase remarkably. Recent statistics indicate that less than 8% of social work students nationwide specialize in gerontology; however, a significant amount of social work graduates, regardless of their specialization at school, serve older adults in various health care settings. In addition, the aging populations that social work graduates serve are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In order to address this issue, it is critical to support students and emerging scholars to not only become more competent in gerontological social work, but also engage in culturally competent research and practices. In this commentary, I described my experiences as a former fellow of the AGESW (Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work) Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program that fosters doctoral students in the field of gerontological social work. The program helps its fellows comprehend basic principles of doctoral education, develop strong professional networks with other colleagues and mentors across the country, and respect diversity in the population we serve as well as those within our own fellow group.     

What Can an Evaluation of the AGESW Predissertation Fellows Program Tell Us about the Mentoring Needs of Doctoral Students?

ABSTRACT

Good mentoring is a key variable for determining success in completing a doctoral program. The Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) provides leadership in the areas of gerontological social work education, research, and policy. In 2010, AGESW began offering the Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program (PDFP) to enhance social work doctoral students’ professional development and skillset for academia. The purpose of this study was to examine student participants’ perceptions of the PDFP in its role to providing mentorship and training for an academic position that encompasses research, teaching and professional service. This qualitative study examined eight cohorts (2010–2018) of the AGESW PDFP (N = 85). Participants identified a number of aspects of professional development gained, gratitude for the training, an appreciation for candid advice received, and areas of professional development they felt they were lacking within their doctoral training. Implications for doctoral education, doctoral mentorship programs, and the AGESW pre-dissertation program are discussed. Further, programs such as AGESW pre-dissertation fellowship program can serve as a model for other doctoral training initiatives to prepare students to work in academia.     

对社会工作专业实习教育的几点思考

社会工作专业实习教育是社会工作教育的重要环节,事关学生专业价值观的培养、专业知识与技巧的内化、专业能力的提升等重大问题。本文结合自身开展社会工作专业实习的一些体验和反思,就社会工作专业实习教育提几点思考。     

社会工作教育中的学生学业评价

社会工作专业教学中的学生学业评价具有促进学生学业、促进教师教学以及促进学校管理等多种功能。学业评价的领域包括学生认知学习评价、技能学习评价、价值学习评价等多个方面。在学生学业评价中，可以综合采用多种方法，也可以针对性地采取特定方法。要切实改进社会工作专业教学中的学生学业评价，需要在结合中国现实、丰富课堂教学、提高教师素质、加强专业支持等方面积极努力。     

回应需求:社会工作专业教育发展的契机与策略

政府相关文件的出台为社会工作专业教育发展带来了机遇。随着社会服务需求市场的逐步形成,社会将迫切需要大量合格的社会工作者。专业教育体系要积极回应这一需求,通过明确培养目标和办学特色、加强师资队伍建设、完善课程体系和教材建设、优化教学过程等,促进人才供给与社会需求之间的对接。     

Professional Social Work Education in End-of-Life Care

Abstract

Social work education in both BSW and MSW level courses is missing vital content about end-of-life care, palliative care, and bereavement. End-of-life care training opportunities through continuing education programs have also been limited. This deficit is significant because a vast number of social workers are already confronted with end-of-life issues on a daily basis in a variety of practice settings. Through the Project on Death in America, Social Work Leadership Development Awards initiative, many programs and models for professional social work education and training in end-of-life care have been developed and are presented in this article. These include: end-of-life care courses, symposia, training manuals, certificate programs and fellowships. Although the curricula continue to be refined, many of these programs are available to practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills and their curricular models are available to social work educators for possible replication.     

A National Survey of Aging Curriculum in Schools of Social Work

The present studv reports the results of a nationwide survey which examined the current status of gerontological education in B.S.W. and M.S.W. proprams. The survey findings register a decline in gerontological curricula but an increase in student intrest in aging. The survey also notes that lack of trained faculty and a full curriculum are most often mentioned as major barriers to further gerontological curricula development. The paper considers implications of these findings along with recommendations for expanding aging content at both the undergraduate and graduate level of social work education.     

社会工作毕业生就业状况调查报告—以N学院社工系毕业生为例

为了解社会工作专业毕业生的就业情况，课题小组设计了一份有关社会工作就业状况的调查问卷，并对已就业的四位社工专业的学生进行了个案访谈。对问卷的分析及个案的访谈将有助我们更好地了解社会工作专业的教育状况和学生的就业状况，这有助于改善社会工作专业的教学，更好地促进专业成长。     

社会工作实验课程教学体系研究

社会工作实验课程设计教学体系对实现社会工作专业人才培养目标具有重要意义。本文分析现阶段高校开展社会工作实验课程教学面临的机遇与挑战,尤其以参与式教学模式运用为中心论题,探究社会工作专业课程设计和教学方法设计应注重的原则,使教师引导学生与校外的实践活动相衔接,同时重点强调学生在课堂教学中的主体地位,在不同专业课程的教学过程中运用参与式教学工具诸如角色扮演、小组讨论等方式,以思维和行为训练为主线,有效提高学生的社工实务能力。     

Demographics and Reality

Abstract

Social work education has neglected gerontology at the same time that the demand for aging-competent practitioners has increased. Surveys, focus groups, and other sources of data from the John A. Hartford Foundation SAGE-SW project at the Council on Social Work Education indicate a lack of current curriculum content, little encouragement for students, limited gerontological expertise among faculty, and more interest by students in gaining gerontological knowledge than expected. Suggested actions for practitioners and field agency supervisors are provided.     

Aging services or services to the aging?focus of a university-community curriculum development partnership to increase awareness of aging issues in social work practice

This paper describes a partnership between social work faculty and community practitioners to develop gerontological curricula to increase awareness of aging issues among social work students. We describe steps taken to identify learning needs of students by examining gaps in the core curriculum and surveying community-based agencies that serve older persons who face a variety of problems. We also describe a unique field education assignment designed to increase awareness of how well community service agencies meet the needs of older clients and provide quantitative and qualitative data on students' overall learning experiences. The project highlights the role of community partners in developing relevant curricula for future social work practitioners.     

社会工作专业实践教学研究

本文首先探讨了当前我国社会工作专业教育需要增加实践教学,其次论述如何设计实践教学的内容,最后论述了实践教学的各种保障措施。笔者认为,当前我国社会工作专业实践教学应做好如下方面的工作：不断丰富实践教学的手段;建立与之相关的见习实习基地和制度;完善各方面的保障制度和措施等。     

社会工作教育的发展取向

社会工作教育是社会工作发展的基础。社会工作教育应坚持国际通则与本土经验并重,价值观教育与知识技能教育并重,知识传授与能力培养并重,学历教育与职业培训并重,专业教育与社会教育并重的发展取向。     

Strengthening aging content in the baccalaureate social work curricula: what students have to say

Encouraging student's interest and preparing them for social work practice with older adults is increasingly important in view of the demographic changes that are taking place. This article describes a study that engages BSW students in a discussion of best models for promoting gerontological social work curriculum infusion. Using two focus groups, the authors explore barriers to student interest and potential strategies to recruit students for gerontological social work. Fear of their own decline and mortality, lack of exposure to older adults and aging issues emerge as the primary reasons for aversion to working with older adults. Strategies to promote student interest, organize curricula, and create an inclusive learning context are discussed.     

广州地区社会工作专业实习学生满意度分析

社会工作是我国社会建设领域的核心专业,具有很强的实践性。高校社会工作专业的学习和培养必须安排有大量的实习内容。对广州地区高校社工学生的调查显示,当前社会工作的学生对实习的满意度不高。而影响实习满意度的因素中,学校老师或督导的指导是一个最主要的因素,实习机构的影响力低于学校。学生在实习的过程中,大部分学生对社会适应能力的提高表示满意,而仅有一半的学生对实习中的专业技能成长表示满意。学校和实习机构亟需通力合作,加强对学生实习的专业指导。     

Impact of an Infusion Model on Social Work Students' Aging Knowledge,Attitudes, and Interests

Abstract

This study sought to provide data regarding the use of infusion of gerontological materials throughout curriculums to enhance students' attitudes toward older adults, their knowledge of aging-related issues, and their perceptions of gerontological social work. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare outcomes for graduate social work students who were and those who were not exposed to gerontological infusion. Results indicated that exposed students experienced a greater improvement in their view of aging-related career opportunities and in their belief in the importance of gerontological social work. Treatment group students also showed greater gains in self-rated aging knowledge. Both treatment and control group students had significant gains in a test of aging-related knowledge. Pedagogical implications are discussed.     

社会工作专业实践教学研究

本文首先探讨了当前我国社会工作专业教育需要增加实践教学,其次论述如何设计实践教学的内容,最后论述了实践教学的各种保障措施。笔者认为,当前我国社会工作专业实践教学应做好如下方面的工作:不断丰富实践教学的手段;建立与之相关的见习实习基地和制度;完善各方面的保障制度和措施等。     

Social Work Gerontological Practice: The Need for Faculty Development in the New Millennium

There is a pressing need to upgrade the gerontological knowledge and skills of practicing social workers. Geriatrics and gerontology, as specialized fields of knowledge, have not been sufficiently integrated into formal academic training programs. There are major trends in the health care environment which impact on social work education, including technological advances, a shift from inpatient to outpatient and community care settings, increasing diversity of the older population, and client and family participation in decisionmaking. These trends necessitate social work education to emphasize new content areas in gerontology and the development of new skills in clinical, case management, care coordination, and teamwork. A significant obstacle to the preparation of future social workers to deliver the complex services needed by older adults and their families is a serious shortage of social work faculty in gerontology. Sustained and broad initiatives, such as the John A. Hartford Foundation funded Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program, are needed to develop academic and practice-based faculty in gerontology. This is crucial if social work is to maintain an important service role in the new millennium.     

关于社会工作专业实习课程建设思考——以N学院社会工作专业为例

在国内社会工作专业实习环境不完备的背景下,N学院社会工作系以国家政策背景为依据,充分挖掘本地潜力机构,开展专业实习多年,实习课程体系已初具规模。本文的目的在于更好地总结社会工作专业实习中的形式、手段、效果,分析实习机构的适合性,为国内的社会工作专业实习提供一些有价值的线索。