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There have been longstanding debates about Master of Social Work (MSW) Advanced Standing programs. Many schools of social work offer Advanced Standing status to students with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) that allows students to enter directly into a concentrated and specialized second year of the MSW program. There are arguments that BSW programs are not equivalent to the foundational year of the MSW and do not adequately prepare students for entry into specialized programs and direct social work practice. This teaching note describes a bridging Advanced Standing Practice Seminar developed to prepare Advanced Standing students for competent direct social work practice using innovative teaching methods, such as simulation-based learning. Implications for social work education and practice are presented.

Social workers have an important role in the field of mental health, and social work programs have a responsibility to prepare students for practice in the field. This scoping review mapped and synthesized the literature on mental health, addictions, and suicide in social work education and training. We found 51 articles that examined social work education in addictions (n=23), suicide (n=17), and mental health (n=7), and some articles (n=4) focused on more than one area. Most articles were empirical studies that used quantitative methods, and only one article did not examine social work education in the United States. The studies showed variability in teaching methods, format of training programs, extent to which theory and practice were linked, and the integration of culture and diversity in the programs. The articles contained recommendations to increase teaching students about mental health, addictions, and suicide in all social work programs. Studies also recommended training for faculty and field instructors, using simulation-based learning methods, including competencies in training programs that target knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs; identifying a theoretical framework; integrating culture and diversity; and evaluating training programs. The article discusses implications for best practices in social work education in mental health, addictions, and suicide.

Social work students are tasked with learning the meta and procedural competencies required of the profession while facing their own emotional responses to vulnerable populations and managing clients' difficult experiences. Social work educators can support students in exploring, understanding, and learning to tolerate, regulate, and manage their emotional responses in preparation for practice. Neuroscience provides a foundation to discuss the role of emotions in social work education. A multipronged approach to teaching and learning emotion regulation for social work students is presented. Experiential learning, mindfulness and embodied practice, simulation and role playing, and practicum learning are discussed as methods to enhance social work students' emotion regulation capacities in preparation for practice. Considerations for educators and implications for research are discussed.

Social workers play a critical role in assessing and treating individuals and families with mental health and addiction concerns. Although social workers are key professionals in the mental health workforce, there are gaps in the training and education of mental health, addictions, and suicide, and many students are inadequately prepared for field education. Simulation-based learning is an exemplar method of teaching and assessing practice competencies across several health-care professions including social work. This teaching note describes a simulation-based learning activity in which MSW students build competence in mental health, substance use, and suicide risk assessments with standardized clients. This innovation is integrated in a social work practice in mental health course and was developed in partnership with a community mental health and addiction treatment center. Through this partnership, we developed core competencies, case scenarios, as well as teaching resources and assessment instruments. An advisory committee consisting of MSW students, faculty members, and field instructors evaluated the simulation-based learning innovation and made recommendations for the next iteration. Implications for teaching social work practice in mental health are discussed.

There has been a call for social work programs to better prepare students for field education. This qualitative study examined an innovation titled Practice Fridays developed to enhance competence in MSW students in a classroom setting. Students (N=57) described what they learned through this simulation-based learning activity and the processes that facilitated their learning. Students reported an enhancement in knowledge, skills, professional judgment, and self-awareness, attributed to observed practice, focused feedback, and guided reflection. Findings suggest that holistic competence can be developed in the classroom when using holistic teaching methods. These findings support simulation as an innovative method of teaching holistic competence in the classroom to prepare students for field learning.

This explorative study provides insight into the experiences of standardized clients (SC) involved in simulation for social work education and research. The purpose was to contribute to scholarly conversations regarding SCs and to provide an empirical foundation to inform our simulation program by attending to the perspectives of SC participants who are key to simulation-based learning (SBL). A qualitative, cross-sectional survey was employed to understand these experiences. In doing so, this study attempts to ensure SBL design and implementation is more attentive to SCs who increasingly represent marginalized communities. SCs (n = 14) reported an enthusiasm for engaging with social work simulations as they find the work both interesting and meaningful. The findings demonstrate how incorporating SCs into teaching teams fosters a community of practice that can function to incorporate members of marginalized communities into professional education, and reshape pedagogical strategies for supporting the development of holistic competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching students about culture and diversity in social work practice is a complex and important task for social work educators. In this study, we assessed students' conceptualization of culture and diversity factors following a simulated interview. Participants (N = 57 MSW students) completed a reflection questionnaire post-simulation and we conducted thematic analysis of the data. Three themes emerged: 1) culture and diversity impacted the interview, 2) culture and diversity didn't really impact the interview, but ..., and 3) culture and diversity didn't really impact the interview. The results indicate it is important to enhance teaching methods related to culture and diversity, and simulation is a promising innovation to prepare students for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers engage with and hold the emotional context of clients, while managing their own cognitive and affective reactions. As such, the importance of attending to social work students' emotional reactions in the classroom to effectively prepare them for field education and practice has been recognized. A greater understanding of cognitive and affective processes and how to teach students to be increasingly self-aware can better equip future social workers with the necessary competencies for practice. The current exploratory qualitative study examined the role of affective and cognitive processes of MSW students in simulated client interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze reflection questionnaires completed by MSW students (N = 57) after a simulated client interview in a voluntary educational activity (Practice Fridays). The perceptions of participants illustrated a range of emotional awareness, impact of emotions and emotion regulation which intertwined with their cognitive processes and enactment of procedural competencies. Themes identified included: awareness of emotional reactions, and client understanding; impact of emotions from enhancing to interfering; identification of coping, and connection between practice and emotion regulation. Simulation permits students to reflect on their emotional reactions and receive feedback which can heighten self-awareness, a precursor to developing effective strategies for coping with emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work programs need to prepare students for practice in assessing mental health, addictions, and suicide risk assessment. In response to a call for increased training, we partnered with community social workers and re-designed a course on social work practice in mental health using a flipped classroom approach. We conducted a qualitative study using focus groups and individual interviews with MSW students (N = 15) to explore student perspectives on re-designed teaching approaches. Participants identified three teaching methods that increased knowledge, skills, and self-awareness: online educational modules, simulation, and integrated teaching with scaffolded learning. We discuss implications for social work education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article presents a scoping review that synthesized empirical studies on simulation in social work (SW) education. The review maps the research examining characteristics of simulation studies in SW education and emerging best practices. Method: Using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework to develop the methodology and following the PRISMA-ScR checklist, we selected 52 studies for this review. Results: Most studies were published in North America and included quantitative (37%), qualitative (31%), and mixed methods (33%). Simulation was used to teach generalist and specialized practice with interprofessional practice as the highest area of specialization. Simulation was also used for assessment purposes, and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination was a commonly reported method. We identified several facilitators and barriers to using simulation effectively for teaching and assessment. Conclusions: Our analysis permitted us to identify emerging best practices that can be used to guide teaching. Implications for SW research, teaching, and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]