Factors Affecting the Number of Students Engaged in Mental Health Fieldwork Education

Abstract

Fieldwork is essential for training future mental health practitioners. In this study, the authors identified factors predicting the number of students engaged in mental health fieldwork education. Proactive efforts (e.g., setting up structured fieldwork programs), such as offering both Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences, and perceiving no challenge to accepting Level II fieldwork students, predicted greater numbers of students participating in fieldwork. Clinicians who had set up structured fieldwork programs were more likely to have guest lectured in an occupational therapy education program and met with interested students. This is the first study to identify factors that predict participation in mental health fieldwork.

KEYWORDS:

• clinical training
• clinical supervision
• occupational therapy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy for funding a portion of this study and also extend thanks to Teri Peterson for statistical assistance and Shari Tayar for her aiding in the development of the survey used in this study. Finally, the authors are grateful to K. C. Austin, Mandy Lee, and Curt Otte who offered substantial insight to the project.

Notes

Note. *Respondents were asked to select all challenges that applied.

Note. *Respondents were given the option to select all that applied.

Note. Supervision Status A—supervised Level II or I & II; Supervision Status B—supervised Level I or I & II.

Note. Supervision Status (Did vs. Did Not Supervise); N = 85.

*two-sided p values; †Pearson Chi-Square; ‡Fisher's Exact Test.