Factors Influencing Social Work Identity in Mental Health Placements. (24th August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Fiona Louise; Harms, Louise; Brophy, Lisa
• Is Part Of: British journal of social work. Volume 52:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 2198
• Page End: 2216
• Publication Date: 2021-08-24
• Subjects: field education -- mental health -- social work professional identity -- social work students; Social service -- Periodicals; Social workers -- Periodicals; 361
• DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-3102

Abstract

Abstract: This article shares findings from a study that explored factors contributing to the development of a social work professional identity, with a particular focus on social work students undertaking field education placements in mental health settings. Social work identity is not well recognised or articulated by experienced practitioners, nor does it appear to be adequately emphasised in social work education and training programmes. There is limited research on social work identity in mental health settings and even less pertaining to students' efforts to construct a professional identity in such paradigmatically unfamiliar environments. This qualitative study explored how students understand, experience and articulate their developing professional identity in mental health settings. Participants were interviewed towards the completion of seventy-day (500-hour) field placements. Findings highlight that students struggled to relate to the concept of a 'social work identity' and were unable to articulate what it might be or involve. Students were more at ease describing specific roles they performed during their placement. However, analysis of their reflections on what they observed, what they did during placement, and reflective or integrative opportunities, provided rich descriptions of a range of the factors contributing to and influencing their developing social work identity. Abstract : An overlooked issue for social work concerns how students develop their professional identity in the context of mental health placements where practice is heavily dominated by the biomedical paradigm. To understand factors contributing to professional identity development, we interviewed students who had undertaken social work placements in mental health settings, both clinical and non-government, to gain a clearer picture of how they understood, experienced and articulated the influences relevant to their developing professional identity. The findings presented cover three themes identified in the data analysis: what students observed, what they did and their reflective opportunities. Given the emphasis on social workplaces on supervision, the lack of attention students gave to formal supervision and the high value they placed on their observation of field educators or supervisors was unexpected. Although grounded in the Australian context, questions of social work identity are pertinent internationally. Themes deserving close attention by social work educators, field educators and mental health practitioners are brought to readers' attention.