2024 Advanced Standing Practice Seminar
| About the Practice Seminar | Coordination and Instructors | Registration |
| Schedule | Readings and video | Contact |
Welcome to the MSW program at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW)! We would like to invite you to the Advanced Standing Practice Seminar (ASPS), a voluntary learning activity for incoming Advanced Standing MSW students interested in a refresher of foundational social work practice skills.
We started this practice seminar in 2016 based on requests from Advanced Standing students to provide more learning opportunities that would prepare them for practice. Each year, we have had a growing number of students participate and the feedback from students has been very positive.
About the Practice Seminar
The Advanced Standing Practice Seminar (ASPS) will focus on foundational interviewing and assessment skills and will use simulation to help incoming Advanced Standing students be more prepared for social work practice. Please note, this is not an advanced practice skills seminar and attendance is voluntary/optional. Students will learn key ingredients in building an alliance with client(s), important components of a psychosocial assessment, how to give and receive feedback on practice, and how to reflect on your practice. We will also discuss the impact of culture and diversity factors on the relationship with client(s), and develop cultural attunement, sensitivity, and humility. You will watch videos, do role plays and work in small groups. We will have two simulated clients join the seminar and each student will have an opportunity to interview one of the two clients. There will be preparation for these activities, and you will receive more information in preparation for the seminar.
Schedule
The Advanced Standing Practice Seminar (ASPS) will be held in person over two (2) days at the FIFSW (246 Bloor Street West). For the 2024 year, the ASPS is scheduled for:
- Thursday September 5th from 9:00am to 5:00pm and;
- Friday September 6th from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Registered students must attend the entire seminar and you will receive a certificate upon completion.
Coordination and Instructors
This seminar is facilitated by several of our PhD students and the Simulation Program Coordinator.
Readings and viewing of an assessment video
In preparation for the ASPS, students are asked to view an assessment video and prepare to discuss your observations as well as doing some reading from a textbook written by Professor Marion Bogo. The textbook is Social Work Practice: Integrating Concepts, Processes, and Skills, 2nd ed. (2018). Columbia University Press. It is available through Indigo and Amazon, but students can also access an electronic version free through Robarts Library at the University of Toronto.
It is important to note that you must have a UTORid to be able to use library services and you need to obtain your TCard to be able to activate your UTORid. To obtain your TCard, please visit the TCard Office’s webpage for additional instructions.
Students who want to have a copy of the book can also check with 2nd year students to see about buying a used copy.
Students are asked to read the following chapters from Marion Bogo’s textbook in preparation for the first day of the practice seminar:
- Chapter 3 – Learning to Practice
- Chapter 4 – The Helping Relationship: Conceptual and Empirical Contributions
- Chapter 5 – Engage Diversity and Difference
- Chapter 6 – The Helping Relationship: From Theory to Practice
- Chapter 8 – Beginnings
- Chapter 9 – Toward Developing Shared Understanding: Assessment and Formulation
As an optional reading, you may be interested in accessing this article from the library:
Dean, R. G., & Poorvu, N. L. (2008). Assessment and formulation: A contemporary social work perspective. Families in Society, 89(4), 596-604.
Registration
Register for the ASPS through Eventbrite.
The deadline to register is August 1st, however, students are encouraged to register early as spots are limited. Please note, students who are registered must attend both days and will receive a certificate upon completion.
Contact
Please contact Megan Davies, the Simulation Program Coordinator, with any questions. If there are no tickets available on Eventbrite, please email Megan to be added to the waitlist.
* If you have an accommodation need, please contact Megan who will do her best to make appropriate arrangements. *