Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology

SOCIAL WORK DATA-BASED DECISIONS

Focus Group Questions for Social Work Seniors (Section 1, April 18, 2006, N = 19)

1. Let’s spend a few minutes on your career goals

• What career do you intend to pursue after graduation?

Grad school or work for a year or so and then grad school (about half and half)

• Has the Social Work program prepared you for that choice?

Students said they felt prepared.

Practicum year finished preparation to be in professional workforce

writing emphasis improved those skills and was helpful

resume practice useful

writing about what doing at practicum

2. What was done well?

Brown bags

instructors good, learned a lot

DCFS practicum was great, had to directly relate classroom to practice

comfortable with lots of populations because of what learned

enjoyed opportunity to get constructive feedback

exposure to different experiences

feel prepared to work in rural areas

practicum most helpful experience and classwork prepared them for practicum class

liked seminar workshop

3. What could be done better?

More visits from grad schools, more hands-on experience, casework, helping clients

should incorporate Anna’s research

more examples of how to set professional boundaries

cultural differences

don’t feel prepared to work in big cities, want more exposure to big city problems

more site visits

more information about government programs (Medicare, Medicaid, SSI) and how to do paperwork

switch practicum second semester, felt wasn’t challenged as much second semester.

4. We would like to know your perception of the social work curriculum, how do you feel about the required coursework in:

• the liberal arts (anthropology, sociology, human development, biology, & psychology)?

• in social work values and diversity?

• in human behavior and social systems?

• in generalist practice (working with individuals, groups, & community)?

• in the research process and social policy issues?

Electives, more multicultural

focus on each population at different age levels

more HBSE, more cultural awareness

how to deal with difficult situations

more multicultural practica

more specific to Utah

more exposure to different demographics

more awareness of what’s available on campus

participation in research about how to create change in agency

more child development

women’s studies

Intro to soc should be more up-to-date

more language classes

5. What could we add or change to the social work major that would better prepare you

Split practicum into two different ones

more history of social work

more technology training, add technology course

mh should be required

more knowledge about substance abuse, maybe add to mh

current topics in sw (could add to seminar) e.g. substance abuse, case management instead of ongoing agency presentations

beginning Spanish for social workers

more exposure to other agencies (site visits)

better understanding of resources for clients

how to fill out paperwork that clients have to do

seniors could talk to freshman and emphasize how important what they are currently learning will be in future

more info on grant writing

more role plays

option to graduate earlier

Peg’s sister (social worker in Houston) a good example of practical experience

encourage freshmen to go to brown bags

advising could be valuable if used earlier

more sections of classes

6. What are we not asking that you think we should know?

There is room for more required courses

create syllabus for whole major, BSW Manual with timeline and expectations (although some students said it stifled creativity and was too much handholding)_

Section 2, April 25, 2006, N = 18

1. Let’s spend a few minutes on your career goals

• What career do you intend to pursue after graduation?

Grad School 6; work then grad school 10; work 2.

• How has the Social Work program prepared you for that choice?

Feel prepared.

Practicum classes allows chance to get hours in, they are set up wonderfully, especially the practicum opportunities and volunteer opportunities, variety of classes.

Learned to set own goals with practicum instructor

Learned to be up-to-date on policies/procedures

Classes prepared student for future

Pushed in right direction

Not going to grad school but will stay involved as volunteer, learned life skills

effective communication

I plug social work all the time

Like the emphasis on skills (useful in any setting) especially the interpersonal skills

Loved teaching the parenting classes (would also like to be in adoption)

Now I feel more comfortable at work, feel like I know what I’m doing

I learned about different age groups, populations, older people, mentally ill

I feel comfortable with appropriate boundaries during work interviews

I used sw perspective during job interview (with Job Corps) and it helped

I became more aware of issues

I have more skills than I anticipated

Each class gives special understanding

We really use our skills (practice)

The grad level will be new challenge

Going to grad school because want to do substance abuse counseling which requires master’s degree; program helped with personal life, helped with professional life (academic advisor) but need master’s to do 1 on 1 counseling

Learned not to be afraid of learning process

Learned to utilize colleagues and advisors

Learned to look at different cultures and how to integrate with my own

I am going to work with natives (this is from Native American student)

2. What was done well?

Interview with Practicum Director before going out to agency (supervision structure)

Each class had group process or something that applied outside of class

Liked the stress management workshop; liked the material and the small size of the class; felt it was very relevant.

Liked hearing about other experiences in Practicum class.

Well-organized program, unusual experience, grateful to be in program

Treated better than elsewhere

More intimate relationship with professors than in other programs

3. What could be done better?

Lay out classes better, give better directions

one on one support

make research opportunities more available to students

provide volunteer opportunities at lower level (freshman/sophomore)

two different practicum choices in one year would be useful; (from one student who had two practica) very beneficial, learned so much more.

4. We would like to know your perception of the social work curriculum, how do you feel about the required coursework in: [classes useful?]

• the liberal arts (anthropology, sociology, human development, biology, & psychology)?

Each class provided a different aspect, broadened my perspective

A grant writing class would be useful, also something on non-profit marketing; I am

taking a course on environmental rhetoric (advocacy) that I find useful, also a class on speech and communication.

Political Science is required for the U and would fit well before the Policy class

Should provide advising sooner so students can take advantage of these opportunities. There are credits hours available that students might put to good use.

Should pass out a sheet of suggested supplemental courses.

Do something about the Spanish class (can’t get into it and it meets 4 times a week so conflicts with our classes) maybe reserve 5-10 spaces for sw students or teach a specific class like “Spanish for social services.”

• in social work values and diversity?

Very useful, but when working with minority pops could use more application examples in other classes like multicultural mental health. Read book called “White Privilege” in psychology class that changed perspective (taught by Latino grad student).

Spirituality class useful – different religions each week

Could add role playing with different populations to practice classes

Could add different workshops (smaller topics, smaller groups)

• in human behavior and social systems?

Re-read material all the time, acts as foundation

• in generalist practice (working with individuals, groups, & community)?

Struggled with community class, may not have been clarified enough. More community organizing, more advocacy, grant writing and working with non-profits

Not enough concrete practice

Should do participatory action research and a real project

All the concrete activities were useful; add more at lower levels

Raising expectations (of required papers) in co class scared her but it was valuable

• in the research process and social policy issues?

More hands on (do an actual needs assessment)

Personal self-change project was redundant (already do it in 2500)

Practice research in class

Sociology methods class better organized, more hands-on activities

More policy applications for immigrants, advocacy

In Policy class, guests from actual work settings were a plus

Information on current policies helpful

5. What about your practicum experience, coupled with the integrative seminar? Change anything? Add something?

Smaller groups preferable

Workshops would be useful to all settings

agency presentations

emphasis on importance of sw education

leniency of timing

supervision meetings with faculty advisor helpful

class place to process information

resume writing practice should move to Fall

review of stages of practicum is a good preview of what’s going to happen and does not occur in other majors

6. What could we add or change to the social work major in general?

Shadow students at practicum before choose site

agency presentations earlier and to juniors

preview of what seminar is to juniors

maybe add an emphasis (e.g. child welfare)

flexibility helpful

7. What are we not asking that you think we should know?

Exit Interview Focus Groups

Three focus groups held with graduating seniors in SW 5870: April 5, 19, 26, 2005.

[Facilitators = Calloway-Graham, Peak; N = 14, 14, 14]

To start with, let’s spend a few minutes talking about your career goals....

• What career do you intend to pursue after graduation?

Group I

Already at job at family support agency in home town;

DCFS;

3 interviews with job offers

Group II

Placement helped me re client life. Found something really liked to do, ex, teach parenting class (so rewarding)

Using sw skills in mission then get MSW here.

Continue with career in sw.

Eventually get masters but sw applies everywhere: worker, parent all around better person.

Work for a while -> MSW, really enjoyed sw

eventually get my masters, experience here enhanced interaction with learning process, now want to continue

but est good relationshipos

belief system becomes part of self; use sw with husband as therapy.

Group III

Already trained for professional careers so when trained at new agency, redundant.

Emphasis on finding individual niche

different classes allow experimentation to enable students to find that niche.

• Has the Social Work program prepared you for that choice?

Group I

Opened doors. Want to offer him a job.

Realized how broad sw is, wide range of career goals

great how you have prepared us (interviewing skills, how to write a resume)

inf about licensure

Group II

practicum placement so excellent, experience will help obtain job (most useful, effective in new setting)

variety of classes helpful can appreciate all-around learning we’ve had

taught how to network knowing how to use resources totally applicable in real world

Group III

New supervisor impressed with sw program after seeing effectiveness of student

• In terms of that career preparation, what have we done well?

Group I

Really excited to get out there and use skills learned this year

Glad have background I do. I had a lot more background (re interviewing skills), more prepared, especially compared to others (other students from other majors).

From Group I – Skills learned

practice with interviewing helpful, could refer back to

develop a group

prepared to do anything (not just limited to practicum)

good interpersonal skills (apply beyond sw)

Group II

Practicum whole year helps get to point where can work independently

sw interns most prepared, esp group skills, glad to consult about decision

we didn’t know how prepared we were

willingness to be flexible

paperwork is a good learning experience

Group III

Enthusiasm about learning more

better prepared than other schools/majors, compliment from supervisors about level of preparation compared to others, “know boundaries better”

• What could be done better?

Group I

[More inf about] What to expect in grad school

More hands-on practice (biggest learning experience)

Pay peer advisors more

Group II

Didn’t realize how well prepared I was, helped me realize it myself.

Sw students always hired first, have skills that are needed;

child abuse should be required.

Unprepared for masters program

Start process earlier, letters

junior year have to choose practicum (pressure)

shadowing or hear more from interns

student experience on website

Group III

Talking about grad school earlier (junior year) exposure to outside world opened her eyes

more encouragement

More specifically, we would like to know your perceptions of the social work curriculum. How do you feel that the social work program prepared you in terms of each of the following?

• Effective integration with the required liberal arts course work (anthropology, sociology, human development, biology, & psychology)?

Group I

Anthro, tons of different cultures, more exposure to theories from different perspectives

Improve communication skills in this curriculum (like sw courses)

Improve public speaking

government policies class would have been helpful

Group II

stat course needs to be more on computers