Towards Understanding the Client and Observer in the Peer-to-Peer Role-Play

ABSTRACT

The longstanding use of the peer-to-peer role-play offers social work students an introduction to developing their skills of intervention in a simulated client encounter. This experiential exercise permits students to practice the generalist skills involved in engaging, assessing, intervening, and terminating with clients in distress. Although the student social worker is the central player of this exercise, the client and observer have integral roles. To explore Bachelor of Social Work students’ (N = 18) perceptions of the client and observer roles, focus groups were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed the following themes for the client role: 1) Helping the student social worker; 2) Increased empathy for the character; 3) Increased vulnerability; 4) The need for feedback; and 5) Coping with triggers. The themes for the observer role include: 1) Learning through observing; and 2) Placement of observers. Implications for social work educators who use the peer-to-peer role-play are offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Role-play
• client
• observer
• BSW students
• generalist practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Notes on contributors

Lea Tufford

Lea Tufford is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at Laurentian University where she teaches Child Abuse and Neglect, Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families, and Social Work Practice with Groups. Her research interests include social work education, child abuse and neglect, contemplative practices, and eco-social work. She has a particular interest in simulation-based research and learning. Lea has been a clinician for 25 years with individuals, couples, and families and maintains a small private practice.

Lori Gauthier

Lori Gauthier is an RA in the School of Social Work at Laurentian University, currently completing her MSW at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a professor in the Social Services Worker Program at Cambrian College and is a certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer. Her background in child welfare and children’s mental health.

Ellen Katz

Ellen Katz is an Associate Professor Teaching Stream at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. She currently holds a joint appointment as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health.  Her research and clinical interests focus on mindfulness and contemplative practices as informed by Buddhist thought, family therapy, simulation, and the development of competence in both students and clinicians.

Angelique Jenney

Angelique Jenney, MSW, PhD, RSW is an Associate Professor and the Wood’s Homes Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.   Dr. Jenney has 25 years of experience in intervention and prevention services within the violence against women, child protection and children’s mental health sectors. Her community-based research and practice interests focus on the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on children and families including: family-based interventions for childhood trauma; child protection responses to IPV cases; and the use of reflective, simulation-based learning approaches to training both social work students and practitioners in the field.