Denise Gammonley, PhDAssistant Professor

School of Social Work

Strategic Campus Partnerships to Build a Sustainable International Social Work Program

• Goals:– Develop aging-rich field practicum sites– Recruit increasing numbers and

diversity of geriatric specialist MSW students

• Key Program Components– 1. University-Community Partnership– 2. Competency-Driven Field Education– 3. Integrated Field Education Across

Multiple Programs, Populations and Interventions

– 4. Expanded Field Instructor Role– 5. Focused Recruitment for Geriatric

Social Work

Who are the decision-makers?What are their priorities?

Who are your major allies?

• Multiple roles and levels of involvement available for agencies & field instructors– Program support &

guidance– Hosting internships– Providing seminars

and colloquia– Funding student

stipends– ???

Help

In the 21st century all professional social work is “international”.

• The global context of the profession.

• integrate social and economic justice content grounded in an understanding of distributive justice, human and civil rights, and the global interconnections of oppression

CSWE EPAS,Revised 2004

Share your values and priorities with prospective partners

• an increased understanding of the complexities and human costs and benefits of a globalized and interdependent world with rapidly changing social, technological, and economic systems. (Rotabi, Gammonley, Gamble & Weil, 2007)

What should we try to achieve in conducting international social work?

Think globally, act locally…

• < 5 students per year– but great ones!

• Mainly generalist placements

• Assumption that placements with the elderly are only in nursing homes

• Available placements going unfilled because of lack of interested students

One partnership effort: Social Work, Modern Languages, Film & Digital Media

The Global Classroom Project

• Real time and asynchronous collaborative classroom engagement using interactive technologies.– Wiki’s– Webconferencing – WebCT

• Implementation challenges– Coordination with international partners.– Technology difficulties

Engaging colleagues abroad

• Mentorship• Stipends• Recent program

graduates• Aging network• Undergraduates

considering entrance into Advanced Standing

• Brochures and media

Align your efforts with strategic initiatives

• Curriculum infusion• Social experiences to promote cross-cultural understanding.• Promote international programs and partnerships that advance or complement academic strengths

Be aware of partnership agreement guidelines

•General cooperation•Reciprocal student exchange• Study abroad site approval•Research•Faculty exchange & collaboration

University of Costa Rica—SEDE Pacifico in Puntarenas

Engaging faculty at home: ISW as a faculty owned process

• Limit efforts to one or two key areas and carefully time initiatives.

• Use assessment as a strategy to heighten awareness.• Find roles for faculty without background or interest in

social work activities abroad.– Review data for curriculum analysis– Select important competencies for student learning

outcomes– Help set outcome-based goals for study abroad; faculty

exchange; external funding for international activities; field education abroad.

Develop some useful products…

• Identify agency & • Get the grant• A glossary of international social work terminology to promote use of a common language about internationalization.Unifying frameworks for:• Study abroad• Directed Individual Study Abroad

• Web site with resources for students, researchers, and practitioners on Spanish language translation & interpretation resources, Hispanic health, local community groups representing targeted Hispanic immigrant populations in the service area.• Role play scenarios representing targeted immigrant groups.

Some ideas for sustaining curriculum infusion efforts

• Get the grant

Adapted from: Hooyman, N.R. (2006). Achieving curricular and organizational change. Alexandria, VA: CSWE