End-of-Year Treatment Termination: Responses of Social Work Student Trainees

This qualitative study of the feelings and concerns of socialwork student trainees regarding their end-of-year treatmenttermination paint a picture of great personal distress. As thestudents see it, the premature termination prevented them fromreaching their treatment goals, did not suit the needs of theclients, and raised serious ethical questions. Their feelingsincluded sadness and regret, frustration, and uncertainty abouttheir professional capacities. They expressed concern that clientswould not manage on their own, anxiety that the premature separationmight harm the clients, and, above all, a great deal of guilt.Recommendations are offered for alleviating students’distress and helping them to better cope with it.