Sunday, November 05, 2006
Social work in the classroom and on the job
 While earning a Master of Social Work degree two years ago at USI, Mary Pat Hatley practiced the interview skills she now uses in counseling sessions.“We couldn’t recreate the therapeutic environment,” Hatley said. “But it was reassuring, especially for very personal issues, to practice responses in class.” Hatley is a therapist at Lampion Center in Evansville. Individual counseling and therapy for children, adolescent, young adults, and families are part of the services of the agency. Recalling the graduate work, Hatley said in the role playing sessions, students would take turns being the therapist and the patients. Martha Raske, director of the MSW program and an associate professor of social work, said graduate students are in training for professional practice. She continued, “Students must learn professional values, knowledge and skills. Skill training is best accomplished by exposing students to exemplary models of practice; then watching students practice the skills under laboratory conditions. We videotape each student’s simulated therapy demonstrations. Each student receives instant verbal feedback and then watches the tape of a session for further reflection and learning.” The Master of Social Work program is offered in Evansville and Terre Haute. The curriculum includes field instruction and research. In the field Field instruction gives students educational experiences within an agency or community setting under supervision of an experienced practitioner. Brianna Delph, a current graduate student, is looking forward to the internship she will start in the spring semester. Delph is a 2006 USI graduate with a four-year degree in social work. She came to USI from Brownstown, Indiana. She is attending graduate school full time. Delph has an interest in working with children and young adults. In one field experience, she worked with teenage mothers who lived in a home with their babies. She offered parenting skills and supervised the 14- and 15-year-old girls who are learning to be mothers. She said, “Many of the mothers are younger than me. We struggle to get them to focus their attention on their children. They are still interested in themselves. Some girls come from backgrounds where little attention was shown to them. Many of the girls do not have a clue how to care for a child. We show them how to strap a baby into a car seat, how to feed a baby, and other skills so the babies become priorities in the girls’ lives.” This semester Delph is writing a 20-page research paper in preparation for the master’s thesis. She said, “The thesis is not a literature review. I will present the research, detail the work, and offer findings in a 50-page paper.” Delph explained that she prefers graduate level work. She finds learning how to assess, treat, and evaluate clients in a variety of mental health problems interesting. Dr. Raske said, “In many areas of the United States, especially in rural areas, social workers are the primary mental health service providers. Graduate social work students receive training in the use of current mental health diagnostics included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as well as training in the current treatment strategies.” Students in the program can enroll full time or part time. This year 56 students attend full time and 32 are part-time graduate students. “The classes are small, so I know the students and each professor knows us,” said Delph. “The teachers have experience in private practice and tell students about new knowledge and new techniques in the field.” Intern turned therapist Hatley began working at Lampion Center as an intern and was hired as a therapist upon completion of her degree. She is a member of the National Association of Social Work. She was introduced to the professional organization while active in the student chapter. As a student she went to a state meeting to fulfill an assignment requirement, and she met others in the field and attended workshops. Formerly a teacher, Hatley switched careers but continues to work with young children. She recalls a seven-year-old girl who lost her mother in a car accident a week before Christmas. She met the young girl in grief therapy and worked with the girl and the family over a 10-month period. It was important to the girl to make things for Hatley. “She made me a colorful drawing using my name in the center of the art that hangs in my office. Another week she brought me an origami mobile that decorates another office wall. “We still email each other. I cannot do that with all the patients, but with some I do stay connected.” The social work career Social workers have significant stress inherent in the profession. A colleague and mentor who also was a teacher before she became a therapist advised Hatley about how to cope. Hatley said, “She cautioned me to recall ‘that the problems are their problems.’” Hatley said, “I cannot let the problems take over my personal life. I have a great family. It is important to keep balance in my life, so burn out doesn’t seep in.” A supervisor who is an advocate for the staff can be helpful toward managing the stress. Hatley said, “Good supervision in a practice is so important. A good supervisor will be available to listen to a therapist and keep communication open.” Further information about the MSW program and admission materials are available online at www.usi.edu/gradstud/social.asp. |
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