Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

Social work faces enormous challenges in the decades ahead in meeting the needs of a diverse and rapidly aging society. Despite the critical need for skilled workers in aging, research shows that there is a severe shortage of social work practitioners trained to work with older adults (Gonyea, Hudson, & Curley, 2004, Scharlach, Damron-Rodriquez, Robinson, & Feldman, 2000).

The Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW), located at Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW), formed a collaborative partnership with Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley (ESMV), a large urban Area Agency on Aging near Boston, to design, implement, and evaluate an innovative model program of agency-based training for practicing social workers. The training program was comprised of a combination of face-to-face training sessions and online courses addressing basic topics in social work practice with older adults. This type of “blended model” has been identified in the literature as providing the best results when using e-learning (Carter, 2004; Welsh, Wanberg, Brown, & Simmering, 2003). Practice competencies were emphasized through identification of knowledge, skills and values prior to curriculum development and provision of a combination of core courses and electives to target individual deficits (Baldwin & Ford, 1988; Curry, Caplan & Knuppel, 1994; Naito-Chan, Damron-Rodriquez & Simmons, 2004).

A randomized control study was conducted to explore the impact of agency-based training in geriatric social work on practitioners' knowledge, skills and values. This classical experimental design was utilized to evaluate changes in social work competencies as they relate to the implementation of the IGSW agency-based training program. The Hartford Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II (Damron-Rodriguez, 2006) was used to assess the effectiveness of the training program in increasing practice competencies.

A total of 32 ESMV staff members were randomized to the experimental training group; an additional 28 were randomized to the control group. Statistical analysis of pre-test data, (independent samples t-tests with continuous variables and chi-square analyses with nominal level variables) indicated no significant differences between the training and control groups in terms of demographic variables or geriatric social work competencies.

This presentation will provide background information on the training program and research design, as well as results from the randomized control trial. Results from statistical analysis of changes in geriatric social work competencies and significant differences between the training and control group will be discussed. In addition, results from content analysis of interviews, surveys and focus groups with participants will be reviewed. Further, the role of university-agency collaboration in the successful completion of both the training objectives for the agency, and research and pedagogical objectives of IGSW, will be discussed.

This field study of agency-based training will have broad implications for improving the transfer of practice skills in social work education. By studying the effectiveness of training that leads to improved practice skills, identifying elements of “best practices,” and disseminating curricula and training materials nationwide, there can be a significant benefit to social work education programs, continuing professional education programs, and community agencies providing social services to vulnerable, aging populations.