Educational assessment of a social simulation for MSW students using the CAMS framework

ABSTRACT

Approximately 45,000 people die by suicide annually in the United States with over 60% seeking help in the year leading up to their death. Of students receiving suicide-specific training in their degree programs, nearly two-thirds feel inadequately prepared for practice with suicidal clients. This study explores the outcomes of an educational pilot study (N = 29) integrating didactic instruction, readings, role-plays, and simulation for teaching suicide intervention skills. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework is used as a guideline to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with clients who are suicidal. Repeated measures ANOVA results indicate statistically significant improvements in students’ knowledge and Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (CSEI) scores overtime (p <.05). Moreover, CSEI and the subscale of dealing with difficult client behaviors showed statistically significant improvements from pre-simulation to post-simulation (p <.05). While an abundance of research exists regarding the use of simulation within medical education, a limited amount of research examines the relevance of simulation within graduate education for helping professionals (e.g., counselors and social workers). These results suggest an added benefit of high-fidelity simulations in the training of helping professionals to develop clinical suicide intervention skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Simulation
• social work education
• suicidology

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jon Kratz

Jon Kratz as an Assistant Clinical Professor in Tulsa. He is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience serving Spanish speaking populations in forensic, school based, and outpatient mental health settings. Most recently, Jonathan has worked as a licensure supervisor and administrator at Daybreak Family Services in Tulsa.

Jedediah E. Bragg

Jedediah E. Bragg is a lecturer at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work.  In his work, Jedediah engages in research for the school exploring the use of social simulation as an educational tool for undergraduate and graduate students.  Additionally, Jedediah is a Senior Research Fellow with the Hope Research Center focusing on assessment of hard to identify populations, in particular the sexual and gender minority population.

Eden D. E. Nay

Eden D. E. Nay is a recent graduate of the school of social work and has studied the use of simulations as an educational tool. Additionally, they have studied the impacts of positive social institutions on the overall sexual and gender minority population. Eden is pursuing an additional master’s degrees and doctoral degree in Social Psychology at Oklahoma State University.

Julie Miller-Cribbs

Julie Miller-Cribbs is the program director at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and her current research amplifies factors pertaining to vulnerability, strengths, and functioning in the arenas of diversity, health, and community life. She is particularly interested in health disparities and access to health care and improving social work education in the state of Oklahoma.

Ricky T. Munoz

Ricky T. Munoz is an assistant professor at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and his scholarship work includes work in the importance of hopeful thinking to clients and local area non-profits, along with community engaged research efforts centering on health with homeless youth and other vulnerable populations.

Daniel Howell

Daniel Howell is a recent graduate of the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work whose work focuses on the use of simulations in education and positive social institutions in relation to the sexual and gender minority population. Daniel is preparing to start his doctoral studies at Portland State University in social work.