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ABSTRACT
This article presents an innovative activity based on the involvement of Experts by Experience in social work education. The activity was conducted in Italy during weeks of lockdown. In the spring of 2020, due to containment measures adopted by the Italian government to face with COVID-19, day-long meetings of students of social work with Experts by Experience were suspended. This impediment encouraged educators to develop a new initiative named ‘Social work student telephones Expert by Experience’ in which 119 students of social work and 69 Experts by Experience participated. The activity entailed a telephone call exchanged between a student and an Expert by Experience. After their respective calls, each student was invited to fill out an online form describing the lived experience through a short story addressed to an imaginary friend. Three main themes emerged from the content analysis of the students’ stories: students’ learnings acquired through the activity; students’ feelings during the activity; students’ overall opinions on the educational activity. In the international field of service users’ involvement in social work education, the activity represents an innovation that could inspire other universities to adopt similar practices.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Notes
1. For further information: https://covid19.who.int/.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Elena Cabiati
Elena Cabiati is associate professor and researcher of Relational social work center at the Catholic University of Milan (Department of Sociology). She teaches Methodology of social work and Intercultural social work, she is a social worker.
Camilla Landi
Camilla Landi is fellow researcher and member of Relational social work center at the Catholic University of Milan (Department of Sociology). She teaches Social work procedures and she accompanies students in Unconventional Practice Placement experiences. She is a social worker.
Laura Pinto
Laura Pinto is a PhD student in Social Work and Personal Social Services at the Catholic University of Milan (Department of Sociology). She is a social worker in the field of juvenile criminale justice and she teaches social work in northern Italy.