From the Director's Desk
The concept of creating a newsletter that is read by many in our community is not a new one.
Field Notes
however, is ve
ry much student driven and is the result of a combination of their eagerness and passion for wanting change and their excitement about sharing social work related field issues and events. There is another newsletter/paper that I
read on a regular basis and that is the
Groundcover News and Soluti
ons f
rom the Ground Up (
www.GroundcoverNews.org
)
whose goal is to "create opportunity and a v
oice for low-income people while taking action to end homelessness and poverty." (Groundcover Mission) It is sold monthly by my friend Lonnie who is a Vendor for the newspaper. Lonnie is very excited about sharing every edition that is published and rightfully so since many topics and issues relevant to our community are explored. Susan B
eckett's Opinion Column "Fasting from Indifference-Beyoncé Style" (March 2016, Vol. 7, Issue 5) particularly hit home in this era of aggressive and painful politics-check it out. Groundcover also offers our MSW students a great field placement experience where they are
learning to assist people in becoming successful and identifying gaps in services as all people deserve a dignified means to earn a living and meet their own needs.
I am excited to share our Winter 2016 Field Notes with you. The students have worked hard to pull together a great edition that covers many relevant topics. They chose to highlight child protection work, ethical dilemmas in field, making the most of supervision, group work, community collaboration, peer support in field instruction, transferable facilitation skills, and women in positions of leadership, to name a few. We also have included a snapshot regarding the process of evaluation and the importance of providing constructive feedback.
Finally, as the term winds down, we want to take this opportunity to wish our graduates the best as they enter the professional world of work. May you all approach your next adventure with passion and enthusiasm!
On behalf of the Office of Field Instruction, I wish you a wonderful spring and summer season-do take some time to smell the flowers and enjoy the warmer weather.
Regards,
Elizabeth Voshel, LMSW, ACSW
Associate Clinical Professor
Director of Field Instruction
|
FIELD NOTES EDITORIAL TEAM
Freud Fellows
Lindsay Charlie Brink
Nadeen Hachem
Vanessa Levine-Smith
Aubree Sepler
Editors
Jeterra Davis-Griggs
Betsy Williams, Writing Skills Coordinator
Elizabeth Voshel, Field Director
Our sincerest thanks to the School of Social Work students, faculty, staff and field instructors whose contributions made this newsletter possible
|
|
|
|
 |
| safetyatworkblog.com |
|
Houston, We Have a Dilemma, Ethics as a Part-Time Field Student
By Aubree Sepler
You're in field, and you witness something that the new employee training manual or the NASW Code of Ethics neglected to prepare you for. Or, the manual instructed one course of action-- and your supervisor has chosen the exact opposite path. Some field students know this scenario all too well. As field students in a social work program, with the enviable opportunity to sample careers and be trained in local agencies, social work students often delicately balance roles between employee and student and may encounter ethical dilemmas along... READ MORE
|
Dreaded Group Work: The Day Social Workers Learned about
Building Relationships from Engineers
By Lindsay Charlie Brink
|
|
|
|
publicdomainvectors.org
|
|
Oh those dreaded words, "and for
your next assignment, a group project
". Whether in class or field, many of us feel dread and anxiety at the thought of group work. Ironically, as social workers, we are in the business of building relationships and engaging with other people.
Whether in field, MSW courses, or your career, collaboration is how some of the most successful work gets done. Just ask James Goebel, a founder of Menlo Innovations in Ann Arbor. Menlo Innovations
...
READ MORE
|
Evaluation: The Professional Measuring Stick
By Elizabeth Voshel
|
|
|
transformationalstrategist.com |
Evaluation is usually seen as a necessary evil that provokes anxiety for all the parties involved, but particularly so for students and field instructors. Lots of people feel anxious at evaluation time depending on their past experiences with the process. In field instruction, the written evaluation is the "road map" for the field experience. However, evaluation in reality should be an on-going process that starts the first day and culminates at...READ MORE
|
Stop! Collaborate, and Listen
By Nadeen Hachem
|
|
|
devel.openmedia.org
|
We often hear that there is power in numbers, but how often do people practice this philosophy? Every community around the world has its own way of doing things. This means that any community ranging from a group of University of Michigan School of Social Work students getting together outside of class to a country that reels in its troops during a time of battle has its own forms of communication and processes to be most efficient. Something that I have recognized as I have entered the nonprofit world is that some communities are better...READ MORE
|
Yours, Mine, and Ours: The Art of Sharing Field Takeaways
By Aubree Sepler
|
|
|
| theeastmanlawfirm.com |
|
During SEED Week, one workshop facilitator faced an audience of fresh-faced School of Social Work students and informed them that one key to successful graduate student involvement was recognizing that it is impossible to have every experience imaginable. While that may be mostly true, one of the all-time most untapped field resources by Social Work students is within reach: each other. By sharing major takeaways from field placements, Social Work students may...
READ MORE
|
Washtenaw ID Project
|
|
|
michiganradio.org
|
By Lindsay Charlie Brink
In our society,
an identity card is crucial to daily activities: proving identity at the doctor's office or pharmacy, cashing a check, renting an apartment, notarizing documents, getting a library card, proving your identity at your children's school.
Imagine being limited in how you are able to live and interact with your community by a lack of identification. Although it may seem small, having an identification is
...
READ MORE
|
Why Many Women are Stuck in Mid-Management Positions
By Nadeen Hachem
|
|
|
innov8tiv.com |
This semester, the
very first Women in Leadership seminar was introduced and co-taught by two extraordinary women leaders at the School of Social Work, Su Crabb & Barb Hiltz. In a program that consists of a majority of female students, you would think that a class like this would have already been integrated into the Social Work curriculum, however it has not. After recognizing this gap, Su & Barb brainstormed and organized plans for this class and piloted it as a 1-credit minicourse this past January. It was exactly what
...
READ MORE
|
Five Easy Steps for Making the Most of Your Mentorship Meetings
By Aubree Sepler
|
|
|
| quotesgram.com |
|
Ever feel like you should be maximizing your limited time with field supervisors or individual mentorship meetings, but aren't sure where to start? By following these five conversation guidelines, you can turn any supervision meeting or informational interview into the professional leadership lesson of your dreams. One way to learn from your mentor is to use your guidance meetings as opportunities to discuss issues you may be facing and how you seek to address them - while also asking for feedback from your mentor. When you...
READ MORE
|
What We Don't Talk About
When We Talk About Mandated
Reporting
By Vanessa Levine-Smith
We learn that we have
a legal duty to report child abuse and neglect. We learn about ethical responsibility. We learn to go to our supervisors if we have even the smallest suspicion. We learn our licenses could be revoked if we don't make the call, and that children could die. We learn that Child Protective Services will take care of it. But most of us fail to learn what that call might mean for the family. Most importantly, we fail to learn that the decision whether or not to report is
...
READ MORE
|
Social Workers as Entrepreneurs
By Lindsay Charlie Brink
Veronica
Khosa, a 54 year old nurse in South Africa, saw an unaddressed problem in her community: a high rate of HIV positive patients with no care for them at home. At that time, South Africa had the highest rate of HIV infections in the world at 35%. Living in a shanty township serving as a containment area for blacks working in the city under apartheid, over 70% of residents were unemployed. The lack of economic opportunities led many young girls to prostitution. These young girls came to Veronica hoping to protect themselves from the HIV/AIDS epidemic and as Veronica counseled them to leave
...
READ MORE
|
Macro and Micro Social Work as One
By Nadeen Hachem
|
|
|
| womensweb.in |
|
"I prefer macro social work because I really don't have to talk to people." What? This statement is a common one I hear from students in the Master's of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Michigan. Social workers do not want to talk to people? Crazy! Macro social workers navigate just as many interpersonal relations as micro social workers do. Yet numerous macro practitioners turn the other way when faced with a challenge to engage in interpersonal practice and theory. This philosophy must...
READ MORE
|
Student Spotlight
Steven Richards, current
Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of Field Instruction
Steven started his graduate education at U-M in Fall 2013 and started working part-time as a Project Manager for the Office of Field instruction (OFI) in the U-M School of Social Work in January 2016. Steven is a dual Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) student. His MSW practice method is Management of Human Services with a practice area in Community and Social Systems and a minor in Social Policy and Evaluation. In Fall 2014, Steven was selected as a peer-facilitator for the Foundation Field Seminar. During this time, he was a MHS intern at Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County working with the President and CEO of the organization. For his MPH degree, Steven is studying in the department of Health Behavior and Health Education and pursuing a Global Health Certificate. Throughout his time at U-M, he has worked with various research and evaluation centers on campus and with community-based agencies in the Southeastern Michigan area. In addition to his work with SSW OFI, he currently works as a Research Associate at the U-M SSW. In September 2016, Steven begins his 2-year tour of service in the Peace Corps as an Urban Youth Development Volunteer in Macedonia.
|
Alumni Sp
otlight
Gina Ambrogio, current Assistant of the Director at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Gina Ambrogio, a U-M School of Social Work graduate and former Detroit Clinical Scholar currently works for Henry Ford Hospital's Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She performs assessments for incoming children, holds group therapy sessions, and assists therapists with the children they are working with. While in the MSW program, Gina had an IP concentration with a focus on mental health and management. She loved the Detroit Clinical Scholars Program because it gave her the understanding to learn about research, advocacy, and changes in the field. She would encourage current MSW students to make connections with colleagues in the program, take advantage of every opportunity offered to them, and search people out who are directly in the field you wish to work in.
|
SAY HELLO TO OUR WINTER 2016 FIELD SEMINAR PEERS!
|
|
|
Left to Right: Jenee Graham, Brianna Christy, Marissa Quigg, Kate Malekoff, Caroline Wesley, Brittany Batell
|
|
Daicia Smith, LMSW
Daicia Smith joined the Office of Field Instruction with the School of Social Work as a field faculty on February 15, 2016.
Prior to becoming a part of the OFI team, Daicia served as Clinical Practice Improvement Specialist in Wayne County with a focus on workforce development. During her time there, she was instrumental in creating a centralized student training program that included collaboration with University of Michigan Detroit Clinical Scholar program. She earned her MSW degree from Eastern Michigan University. Daicia has been a field instructor for Washtenaw Community College, Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, Michigan State University and University of Michigan supporting students in their professional development.
Daicia has gained clinical and macro practice experience in juvenile justice, community mental health, housing, schools and foster care. She has an interest working to retain healthcare providers in areas experiencing shortages. Daicia is committed to ensuring that new professionals are equipped with the necessary skills to enter the workforce as competent leaders to reach out, raise hope and change society.
|
Rachel Naasko, LMSW
Rachel Naasko joined the Office of Field Instruction as a field educator/lecturer/field liaison in March 2016. Rachel previously worked in the University of Michigan Dean of Students Office as the Director of the Blavin Scholars Program and the University's Critical Incident Coordinator, a position she held since 2008. Rachel was responsible for program development, financial management, donor relations and development, staff training, and case management. Prior to her time at U-M, Rachel worked as an outpatient clinician serving children and young adults. Rachel's interest for supporting students' educational success developed in her position as a School Social Worker in private therapeutic day schools as well as the public school system where she served as a Behavior Learning Specialist. Rachel also served as a district consult for students with special needs. Rachel earned her MSW degree from Wayne State University in 1999 and she has served as a field instructor for many years working and mentoring graduate students from U-M as well as several other social work programs.
|
UPDATES!
-
The Office of Field Instruction would like to congratulate all of the students who are graduating this semester! Graduation will take place on
April 30th
at
1:00pm
at the Power Center!
- Oliva Alban Kuester, LMSW will be retiring on April 29, 2016 from her 17 year career in the Office of Field Instruction as a field faculty in addition to many more years at UMHS as a medical social worker. We will all miss her passion for social work and her wisdom in the days to come.
|
|
CONGRATULATIONS!
The Office of Field Instruction would like to congratulate Dr. Rola A. Bazzi-Gates, one of our current field instructors at Dearborn Public Schools for being named Social Worker of the Year by the Michigan Chapter of the NASW!
|
-
Betsy Voshel is excited to be presenting internationally at 2 conferences this summer; one in Singapore, and the other in Seoul, S. Korea.
-
Emma Rector
is beyond excited to present on the field online educational agreement at the 8th International conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health in Singapore in June.
-
Leigh Robertson and her partner look forward to attending the Traverse City Film Festival this year with Leigh's family.
-
Mary Eldredge has recently added 18 members to her family: 2 lambs and 16 chicks. Mary's children are involved in 4-H and are taking their city-born parents to new heights (and lows!) with country living.
-
Stacy Peterson is working with a local high school to decorate for their upcoming prom. She is enjoying seeing the young people so excited for this milestone event.
- Jeterra Davis-Griggs just welcomed her second nephew into the world, and is looking forward to spending time with him this summer!
- Susan Crabb and her husband will be traveling to China in early July!
- Bill Vanderwill is proud of his niece, Lori Vanderwill, who graduated from the MSW program in December. Lori is the fourth social worker in the family spanning an 85 year period.
- Lisa Kelley recently completed Level II Training to become a certified traditional Usui Reiki Practitioner.
- Daicia Smith has two 17 year olds until one turns 18 in May, so her hair is turning grey at a rapid pace!
- Oliva Alban Kuester is retiring and her last day is April 29th!
- Rachel Naasko LOVES Michigan Football, and has been attending games with her dad since she was 4. GO BLUE!
- Steven Richards is looking forward to serving in the Peace Corps in Macedonia for the next two years!
|
 |
|
STAY CONNECTED
|
|
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action.The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY
Michael J. Behm
Grand Blanc
Mark J. Bernstein
Ann Arbor
Laurence B. Deitch
Bloomfield Hills
Shauna Ryder Diggs
Grosse Pointe
Denise Ilitch
Bingham Farms Andrea Fischer Newman
Ann Arbor Andrew C. Richner
Grosse Pointe Park Katherine E. White
Ann Arbor
Mark S. Schlissel (ex officio)
© 2015 Regents of the
University of Michigan
|
|
|
|
|
