Orientation of Social Workers
By Janet Coghlan BSW, MSW
In June 2000, the Social Workers in Health Society of British
Columbia (SWHSBC) decided to sponsor a project aimed at developing
an orientation program for social workers entering employment
in the field of health care. As a part-time MSW student at the
University of British Columbia, I was looking for a practicum
placement/ research project and suggested that this might fit
well. I have a background in a variety of health care settings,
including extended and acute care and community palliative care
which was helpful in conducting the study.
The concept of an orientation program has been discussed for
some time. In the current situation, it was felt that Social Work
graduates or those coming into the field from other areas of practice,
were not always well prepared for health care and that the constantly
changing nature of the field, plus its diversity, often seemed
confusing to newcomers. It was hoped that a core of knowledge
might be identified which would give them the grounding to become
more effective practitioners more quickly.
The first step was to conduct a survey to obtain suggestions
from experienced social workers already employed in health care
as to how the orientation might be carried out and what kinds
of information to include.
There is very little on orientation in the literature, especially
on “brief” orientation such as that envisaged by SWHSBC, so the
field was wide open for ideas. In designing the research, I opted
to use a questionnaire which was distributed to the members of
SWHSBC and, later, to a number of hospital departments through
the “Hospital Links” committee of the UBC School of Social Work.
Fifty percent of the questionnaires distributed were returned
(75 out of 150) - a fairly good response rate.
A wealth of data resulted, which was reviewed in detail to identify
over thirty different issues which social workers felt were important
to address. These could be organized into six “theme” areas as
below:
A) Health Care Structure and Organization
B) Legislation and Public Policy
C) Health Needs (information particularly relevant to health
care e.g. knowledge of specific diseases and effects on individuals
and families; medical terminology etc.)
D) The Context of Practice (e.g. the interdisciplinary team;
the S.W. role; impact of the “medical model”)
E) Skills:
a) Practice Competencies (e.g. assessment; counseling; advocacy)
b) Other professional skills (e.g. supervision; research;
program development)
F) Knowledge Base (e.g. Systems theory; diversity; grief and
loss)
The issues under “Context of Practice” were the most frequently
identified, but there was too much to cover in one brief orientation!
In effect, social workers were telling us what they do in a very
broad sense and much of the information was relevant to the core
social work curriculum rather than orientation. However it gave
a rich data base from which to start.
In order to priorize the issues, I used four criteria, which
were:
1) The importance placed on the issue by respondents, according
to the number identifying it.
2) The feasibility of the issue as a topic for a workshop; in
terms of the resources to provide it.
3) The availability of other means to obtain instruction on
the topic.
4) Suitability for a “brief” introductory format. (probably
1 -2 hours per topic)
This helped to highlight several possible topics, which could
be organized into two day long workshops. The proposal given here
is only one of several, but incorporates the “high scorers”. It
would not be easy to cover all of these in the relatively short
time available, and would mean basic introductions in each case
DAY 1 “The Social worker in the Health Care System”
- How the Health Care System Works (including models of management)
- Interdisciplinary Teams
- Articulating the Social Work Role in Health Care
- Working within a “Medical” Environment
- Reports / Charting / Medical terminology
These are consistent with concerns expressed by social workers
in other studies of health care. They reflect the current situation
in terms of the ongoing search for ways to express professional
identity, which is a recurrent theme in the literature, especially
within the context of interdisciplinary teams.
Other major topics concerned clients more directly.
DAY 2 “The Client in the Health Care System”
- The Effects of Illness and Disability on the Client and
Family
- Advocacy in the Health care System
- Accessing Resources (an overview)
- Continuing Care policies/ procedures
- Assessment in Health care
The workshop format is not the only possible one of course, but
it was the most popular of those identified. Job shadowing and
mentoring were also frequently mentioned, as was a package of
written materials, both of which could complement the workshop.
Another finding from the demographic
data was that the sample was highly
experienced but also aging - another
argument for the timeliness of an orientation program. It might also tend to
foster the very identity which social
workers feel the need to
define and, by encouraging
the development of a
network of contacts from
the beginning, to lessen
the feelings of isolation
from the profession
which many practitioners
seem to be experiencing
at the present
time.
SWHSBC plans a pilot project: an orientation workshop for one
day November 16 2001 at the Centre for Abilities 2805 Kingsway,
Vancouver. If you would like more information, please contact
Janet by phone: (604) 777 6775.
