The impact of managed health care policy on student field training

Abstract

The growth of managed health care has created dramatic changes in social work agencies and in student training. Field instructors and graduate social work students were surveyed to identify the impact of managed health care on current practice demands. Agency stress levels, supervision time, practice skills, value conflicts, and coping strategies were measured. Findings confirmed impressions of ongoing agency stress, decreasing job security, and increased need for brief treatment and cognitive‐behavioral practice skills. Implications for curriculum development, field training, and school‐agency liaisons are discussed.

Notes

This article is based on a paper presented at the Annual Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, February 16, 1996, Washington, DC. This Project was supported by a grant from the Simmons College Research Fund.