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Featuring the Colorado State University HPPAE Program

The HPPAE Model at Colorado State University

The Colorado State University (CSU) HPPAE model evolved through careful analysis of the elements of an advanced generalist MSW curriculum already in place and engaging community partners in building both instructional and field experiences that supplemented the existing program to help students acquire the competencies of well-prepared gerontological social workers. For a student to be designated a Hartford Fellow in Gerontological Social Work and eligible to receive a stipend, the CSU HPPAE model includes:

· developing primary and secondary field placements (micro and macro) for each student during the concentration year,

· requiring students to participate in monthly seminars designed to supplement aging content not adequately addressed in classroom instruction,

· attending aging-related community meetings outside of normal class time, and

· conducting a research project related to the field of aging and presenting the results at a community meeting

The leadership in implementing the program consists of School Social Work staff including:

· Louise Quijano, Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor

· Emily Dakin, Co-Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor

· Pamela Bishop, Co-Principal Investigator and Assistant Director of Field Instruction

· Brad Sheafor, Senior Consulting Advisor and Professor.

What Makes the Colorado State University Program Unique or Represent a New Frontier?

Several features of the CSU HPPAE program make it different from many other HPPAE programs.

· Initiating the program required carving out a specialization within an advanced generalist program

· Community (agency) partners played a key role in shaping the program, co-teaching the “Gero-Seminars,” and screening students who applied to become Hartford Fellows

· In support of the advanced generalist conception, the rotating field placements required both micro and macro placements

· The field instruction model modified the School’s approach of dictating what activities and learning the student should experience and became a more interactive approach with the students and field instructors

· Faculty members associated with the HPPAE program became the field instruction liaisons from the school to the field agencies

· The supplemental experiences for students were based on a careful evaluation of what gerontology competencies were missing in the standard MSW program and “Gero-Seminars” and “Gero-Rounds” (i.e., community programs) were developed to fill those voids. Student evaluation of these programs helped determine the content of future programs.

· Students conducting their final MSW year research assignment (i.e., direct practice evaluation, program evaluation, or thesis) addressed an issue related to older people and, as a leadership development exercise, presented the results to a community audience.

· The School of Social Work committed a graduate research assistant (GRA) position to the program .

Sustainability: Commitment from CSU’s School of Social Work for a GRA position continues.

In What Ways Has the CSU Program Exemplified the Six Core Components?

o University-Community Partnerships

Faculty associated with the HPPAE program and leadership from community partner agencies worked together to educate students about gerontological social work. Together we selected content and offered educational seminars and rounds to community agencies in order to give students opportunities for networking through attendance at these meetings and developing leadership skills through their research presentations. Partners meetings were held monthly to monitor program implementation and coordinate field instruction assignments between participating agencies.

Sustainability: Partner agencies continue to participate as needed in the HPPAE program.

o Competency-Based Education

Partner Meetings

Implementing the HPPAE program at Colorado State University was guided by the Geriatric Social Work Competencies developed by the New York Academy of Medicine. A matrix was created that listed all of the courses and each student’s field placement on one axis and the geriatric social work competencies on the other axis. This method allowed for the systematic review of competencies that were being addressed in the MSW courses and in each student’s field placement, yielding a clear identification of gaps that we needed to address in the HPPAE program and to prepare students for a career as gerontological social workers.

Sustainability: Curriculum revisions will be monitored by HPPAE faculty.

Gero-Seminars

We created a conceptual model for educational programming to address the gaps in the geriatric competencies that were uncovered during this systematic review of courses and field placements. Some gaps were filled through an educational program called “Gero-Seminars.” The Gero-Seminars are team-taught by one faculty member associated with the program and a representative from one of our community partner agencies. Gero Seminar topics have included conducting assessments, service planning, adaptive interventions, budgeting and grant writing, ethics, and aging policy.

Students and community member, Vicki Martina, discuss social assessments of older people.

Sustainability: Faculty and field educators/leaders from partner agencies volunteer to offer the Gero-Seminars.

Gero Rounds

The other educational program created for HPPAE is called “Gero-Rounds,” based on the concept of medical grand rounds. Gero-Rounds emphasize real-world learning in that they typically take place within and are taught by staff from community agencies and focus on local community-based services. The public is invited and they are attended by a wide audience that includes the Hartford Fellows, staff from community partner agencies, and older adult community members.

Sustainability: Students are required to attend four aging-related community meetings each year. Rather than these sessions being organized by HPPAE, sessions organized by other agencies are identified by HPPAE and students are informed about them. For example, HPPAE Fellows gave the following feedback for one of the 2011 Gero Rounds, Bridging the Gap: A Resource and Networking Event for Providers and Caregivers of the Aging Population.

“I think this event would be very beneficial for future students because it is a great way to learn about resources!”

“It was a great introduction to the disease and its astronomical effects in the older population, and how it can be worked with and accommodated if you have it or have a loved one who has it.”

“I highly recommend this event for future HPPAE students.”

o Field Rotations

Students focus on the macro and micro components of the field, as well as learn and master the placement and the competencies that fulfill the geriatric emphasis. The field rotation model includes concurrent primary and secondary field placements from which Fellows gain experience serving individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. On average, a student will spend about three days in the primary placement and one day in the secondary placement per week. For example, one student has her micro placement (primary) with the VA and her macro placement (secondary) with a community foundation on aging. In another agency (Pathways Hospice) students experienced both their micro and macro placements

Sustainability: The HPPAE alternative to the School’s field instruction program continues to be provided by HPPAE faculty members.

o Expanded Role of Field Instructors

Each student has a field instructor at both internship sites, who communicate and collaborate closely with each other to ensure that the student is assigned tasks and responsibilities that meet the competency-based requirements of the Hartford program, as well as learning the advanced generalist skills and roles as outlined by the social work program. Agency field instructors have been involved with our monthly planning meetings to provide input and help implement our program.

As indicated above, many field instructors co-lead the Gero Seminars with faculty associated with the HPPAE program for students on topics that are generally not covered in the School of Social Work’s Advanced Generalist curriculum, based on their expertise in an area of social work practice in aging. Students are asked to evaluate the seminars for content and delivery for the purpose of quality improvement and future development. Field instructors aid in the evaluation process as well.

Sustainability: The regular monthly partner/field instructor meetings have been discontinued and meetings are scheduled on an “as needed” basis.

o Targeted Student Recruitment

Students are recruited into the program in 3 ways:

1) Students receive an information packet about the HPPAE program when they are accepted into the School of Social Work program.

2) Students experience a formal presentation and discussion by the HPPAE staff demonstrating a presentation they will be making on a vulnerable population during their MSW orientation course.

3) Students receive information and an application to the FGSW by mail and email when they begin planning for their concentration year field placement.

Interested students are asked to complete the application and once all students have been interviewed by a committee of faculty and community members, the interview summaries and application forms are reviewed and the selected students are asked to participate.

Sustainability: Recruitment processes and materials developed while the Hartford funding was available will continue to be used in the future.

o Leadership

The leadership includes students making a community presentation during the course of their fellowship, many or most of these presentations have focused on the research that they undertake in the concentration year of their program. These projects and/or program evaluations can come from one of their field placement agencies. We believe that preparing for and making these presentations help prepare these students for future advocacy roles as leaders in gerontology.

Examples include:

o A thesis on animal-assisted therapy with older people

o A program evaluation of a care-giver support program for the office of aging

o A direct practice evaluation using a single-case design to assess a clinical intervention with a client of the Department of Veteran Affairs.

o A program evaluation of a “Summit on Aging” designed bring community leaders and providers together to discuss aging and community planning. Workshops were held to identify community gaps in services and the results from workshops were compiled by the students and presented to the local AAA senior advisory committee.

o A community presentation about the basics of dementia and what the Alzheimer’s Association provides in regard to services to these older people.

Sustainability: HPPAE faculty and GRA will continue to organize community meetings each year in which Hartford Fellows will report their research.

For further information please contact, Louise.Quijano@colostate.edu, 970 491-7448.