Fostering Interprofessional and Team-Based Care Skills and Values Among Social Work Students

Background and Purpose: Scholars have increasingly advocated for integrated care, as research has shown that it can improve health outcomes for historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups and individuals residing in rural communities. It can also improve the quality of care and care coordination. Given this research, training initiatives across the United States have strived to prepare social workers’ ability to work on integrated teams. However, prior research has rarely examined whether participants are showing improvements in their interprofessional skills after participating in such programs. Without this information, the effectiveness of these programs will remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether participants had increased interprofessional socialization, teamwork skills, and CSWE competencies related to integrated care after participating in the Integrated Behavioral Health Care Training (IBHC) Program for MSW students.

Methods: This study used a one-group pretest-posttest design with final-year MSW students participating in the IBHC Training Program (N = 29). Quantitative data were gathered using two standardized scales, the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (King et al., 2016) and the Team Skills Scale (Hepburn et al., 1996). Quantitative data were also gathered from an investigator-developed measure assessing CSWE beliefs and practices competencies. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and paired sample t-tests were used to compare pretest and posttest scores.

This study also analyzed qualitative data gathered through interviews via Zoom conducted 12 months after participants completed the workforce program. Questions explored participants’ perceptions about their learning in the training program and how it has influenced their work in the year following program completion. Qualitative data were analyzed using conventional content analysis.

Results: The 29 students participating in the IBHC Training Program were 23-62 years of age (M = 36 years), predominately female, non-veterans, with 59% representing historically excluded racial or ethnic groups, and 45% having lived in a rural location. The paired sample t-test indicated significant improvement between pretest and posttest data for both standardized scales. The Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale showed improvements, with mean scores for before (M = 4.71, SD = 1.11) and mean scores for after the program (M = 5.93, SD = 0.73) t(28)= -4.89, p<.000. The effect size was 0.91. Similarly, the Team Skills Scale showed improvements, with mean scores for before (M = 3.12, SD = 0.74) and mean scores for after the program (M = 4.14, SD = 0.53); t(28)= -5.88 , p<.000. The effect size was 1.09. Students also showed significant improvement on pre-post CSWE questions related to use of self, culturally responsive practice, and collaboration. Follow-up qualitative data revealed that students applied their training on micro, mezzo, and macro levels, including developing interagency collaborations and engaging in policy advocacy.

Conclusions and Implications: Students participating in an IBHC Training Program showed improved interprofessional skills as well as self-reported CSWE competencies, including providing culturally responsive, interprofessional behavioral health care. Results suggest that providing specialized training may help prepare social work students in developing the skills and values needed to work on interprofessional teams.