Professional outlook strengthened through experience Two social work majors involved in field placement during the spring of 1979 were seniors Liz Swilley and T eia Lee. Each worked at a place totally different from the other and therefore had totally different experiences . Oddly enough, the insights gained and the afterthoughts held by each were similar in many ways . Preparation for a career in social work culminates in a seminar class which includes field placement work. Preparation of a seminar to be presented for the school heads the list of demanding requirements. Writing a paper on placement work along with weekly discussing problems of placement work , summarizing of two journal articles and submitting of a journal kept daily completes seminar requirements. Working at two nursing homes was how Liz received her field placement training. Monday through Wednesday . she worked at the Oakdale Nursing Home in Judsonia. On Thursdays only she travelled to Newport where she worked at Pinedale Nursing Home . In each home her duties included bringing books to patients, reading and writing letters, assisting with crafts and transporting patients. She found the work to be both enjoyable and demanding. liz stated that it seemed , however , that working with the aged did not follow the limitations described in course work. Of her experience , Liz said, "I have been enlightened as to how to deal with my parents as they grow older. From it I have been able to formulate ideas concerning what I would like 206 ~ Social Work done for my parents when they are aged. " She was somewhat disappointed , though , that she could not establish good relationships with the patients at the Pinedale Home since she only worked there once a week . Overall, however , she stated that field placement was good in that it " enables graduating students to apply the principles they have been learning for three years." Also emphasizing that "Experience is the best teacher," Teia reported that her field placement experience was a good one . Working with Children ' s Homes , IncorpOTated , which works in conjunction with White County Social SerVices, a majority of her caseload dea lt with child abuse. From her encounters she concluded that "people and programs are not perfect. " Teia's duties with Children's Homes , Inc . bascially involved the placement of children in foster homes. In order to help the chi ldren she worked with and herse lf , she found she had to "deal with each case individua ll y and objectively ." Both Teia and Liz planned to do post-graduate studies affer some work experience in social work. Although liz worked with the e lderly during her placement work, her desire was to eventually work in child placement. On the other hand, Teia planned to work with adults upon obtaining a Master's degree in counseling although she worked with children during her field placement. Above right: SOCIAL worker Liz Swiley confers with her supervisor , Right TElA LEE takes care of another aspect of a Social Worker's job - paperwork. ,,' , _. i''<--~---
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