Field Notes highlights student experiences in their Title IV-E field placements.
IV-E Advanced Standing Student, Lea Stucci, is interning in Washington County in the permanency unit. Below, she reflects on the importance of gathering as a team outside of the office to receive needed support, guidance and perspective. The permanency unit at Washington County provided us with a treat. They brought us on a [...]
An important skill for all social workers is the ability to critically reflect upon the work they are engaged in. MSW IV-E students are asked to keep a field journal to reflect on growth, experiences, strengths, challenges, difficulties, successes, supervision, etc. from their field placement. At times, they write about integration of theory into practice, [...]
Esther Wattenberg, September 2015 From time to time, a concerned visitor to my office will make a polite inquiry, after glancing at my cluttered desk: Have I heard of something called a “filing cabinet”? My muffled response is usually along these lines: “Yes, and I hope that person received the Nobel Prize for invention.” Occasionally, [...]
Earlier this week, advanced year IV-E MSW students from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the University of Minnesota Duluth attended classroom 2 of DHS' Child Welfare Foundation Training (CWFT). Prior to this classroom training, all students completed 10 on-line learning modules. Foundation Training meets the statutory requirement {Minn. Stat. 626.559, subd. 1a} for [...]
On the evening of September 22, IV-E MSW Fellows met at our Fall Gathering. Beyond enjoying an ice cream sundae bar, students were able to meet other Fellows in the IV-E program, connect with CASCW staff and get updated on each other's field placements for this academic year. First year Fellows are involved in field [...]
On Tuesday, Sept 8th, classes officially began at the University of Minnesota. On that same day, the 2015-16 MSW Child Welfare Hennepin County Cohort began orientation for their child protection and child welfare field placements. The 10 MSW students were welcomed by over 30 Hennepin County Child Protection and Child Welfare Social Workers at a [...]
Resiliency. the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy. Definition from Dictionary.com Below MSW student, Caleb Williamson, reflects on his experience as a participant at the 2015 Summer Institute in American Indian [...]
The UMD Summer Institute in American Indian Child Welfare is an annual opportunity for Tribal child welfare workers and administrators to spend three days together developing new practice skills, sharing their collective experiences, and learning with Indian Child Welfare professionals and scholars in a Tribal context. The theme for 2015 was "Honoring our Strength: Building [...]