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ABSTRACT
Foster care agencies are experiencing a high number of children entering the child-welfare-system, which in turn, increases the demands of competent, skilled, case workers to provide services. Further, foster care agencies are facing low retention and recruitment rates for case workers. This study explores field education in a privatized foster care agency in the United States. The agency of study uses internships to recruit student interns and retains interns as employable staff members upon graduation. Results suggested that student interns who received weekly supervision, training, and certificate opportunities, and engaged in student-led learning positively viewed the agency. Future studies may further explore links between field education experience and recruitment and retention rate of case workers at foster care agencies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tamara Radohl
Dr. Tami Radohl is currently an Associate Professor and the Interim Chair of the Social Work Department at Park University. She has been a faculty member at Park University since August 2014. She specializes in behavioral health; assessment; and work with children and families. She received her BSW from the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS), her MSW from Washburn University (Topeka, KS), and her PhD from the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS). Dissertation research focused on adult mental health recovery, Shared Decision Making, and Personal Medicine. Current research focuses on field education, social work pedagogy, homeless youth, and social work advocacy.
Ashley Phillips
Ashley Phillips is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Missouri. During her career she has specialized in working with children and adolescents. She received her undergraduate degree at Missouri State University (Springfield, MO) and her MSW from Park University (Parkville, MO). Ms. Phillips received a research scholarship to study implementation of TIC in New Zealand and presented research on TIC at the NASW-MO 2018 Conference, St. Louis, MO. She has served as a board member for the National Association of Social Workers (KS Chapter) for four years and has volunteered at numerous local non-profit organizations.
Jan Kircher
Dr. Jan C. Kircher graduated from the South Dakota State University with a Ph.D. in Sociology. She received her Master's in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has spent the last 19 years in higher education. Dr. Kircher is currently the chair and BSW program director at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri.