The Gerontology Field Placement

The first book to focus specifically on practical gerontology field experiences This innovative text guides gerontology students step-by-step through the process of searching for, securing, and completing an aging-based internship, practicum, or field placement. It underscores the value of hands-on, community-based learning and provides a framework for identifying experiences that fit a student's academic requirements and professional objectives. The text describes the multitude of interdisciplinary and interprofessional career opportunities available for those working with or on behalf of older adults, ranging from traditional opportunities in health and human services to careers in leisure, business, housing, and finance. The text not only draws attention to ageism's presence and inappropriateness, but also discusses ways to detect, avoid, and actively dismantle ageist beliefs and actions. Emphasizing that there is no such homogenous block as "the elderly," the book helps students to understand the varied experiences of aging. It addresses important nuances in working with older adults including the development of effective communication skills, awareness of diversity, and the development of cultural competencies. Real-life scenarios and activities throughout are designed to enhance content and support students' professional and personal growth. Readers are also introduced to the interprofessional aging service system, delineating ways to navigate the complex network of policies, programs, and personnel, along with a discussion of the unique roles, responsibilities, and perspectives in these settings. Practical information for transitioning from student to professional includes tips on job searching, resume preparation, and networking. Key Features: Addresses the interdisciplinary nature of gerontology practice throughout health and human services Focuses on ageism among professionals in health and human services and how to detect, avoid, and eliminate it Explores significant nuances in working with older adults including effective communication and awareness of diversity and cultural competency Covers understanding and supporting older individuals with physical and/or cognitive impairments Includes an extensive glossary to better navigate interprofessional communication Each chapter incorporates real-life scenarios, learning objectives, professional development activities, savvy professional tips, pitfalls to avoid, and discussion questions Instructors have access to the Instructor's Manual and chapter PowerPoints to facilitate teaching

Inspire the next generation of gerontological social workers The growing number of people over the age of 65 in the United States has increased the demand for social workers who are trained to work with the elderly—a demand that’s in danger of not being met. Fostering Social Work Gerontology Competence presents innovative techniques and strategies to help educators infuse aging content into their graduate and undergraduate curriculums in an effort to produce a new generation of social work practitioners who are up to the task of working with an older population. Recent surveys show that there has been a decline in the number of aging specialties and courses offered by schools of social work. Fostering Social Work Gerontology Competence offers a renewed focus on the promotion of gerontological social work education, presenting papers that grew out of the first National Gerontological Social Work Conference (NGSWC), held in 2003. This unique book is invaluable to anyone who educates future social workers, leads staff training sessions, and/or teaches continuing education courses on aging. Leading gerontologists examine teaching research, community collaboration, and social work competencies, while focusing on special populations and issues including end-of-life care, elder abuse, grief counseling, cultural diversity, cultural competence, and the effects of spirituality and social support on the well being of the elderly. Fostering Social Work Gerontology Competence examines: curricular and organizational change developing intergenerational projects involving older persons in the educational process uniting field practice with theory strategies to promote student interest identifying geriatric competencies intergenerational service learning developing an aging prepared community emerging trends in aging and health care end-of-life care and death education environmental issues affecting elder abuse victims mental health services for older persons in rural communities kinship care and much more Fostering Social Work Gerontology Competence is a vital resource for social work educators and practitioners, gerontology educators and practitioners, and students.

"101+ Careers is rich with useful information. I highly recommend the book for any student, emerging, or re-careering professional exploring their options for a career in gerontology and the resources they may need to go about pursuing it." Jarmin Yeh, Institute for Health and Aging and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco American Society on Aging Blog Describes a wealth of diverse career opportunities in gerontology and how to prepare for them How do you know if a career in gerontology is right for you? What opportunities exist in the field? Completely updated to reflect significant changes to policy and management of resources, the second edition of 101 Careers in Gerontology provides a wealth of helpful and timely guidance in this rapidly growing field. Written for all levels of job seekers ranging from community college students to credential-seeking professionals, the book outlines a multitude of opportunities that dovetail with careers ranging from sociologist and home care agency administrator to architect and documentary filmmaker. Interviews with practitioners provide insight into job particulars and the experience of starting out with a degree versus on-the-job learning. The book describes five emerging gerontology-related fields, updates already existing job profiles including salary scales, and includes many new careers and their education requirements. New interviews are replete with advice and job search tips. Surprising additions to the list of career profiles include financial planner for elders, custom clothier, health coach, social or cultural historian, travel/tourism specialist, senior theater director, and many others. This second edition encompasses career changes and opportunities resulting from the newly created Administration for Community Living, and those influenced by policy changes in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Also new to the second edition are lists of gerontology professional organizations that can be helpful career search resources and links to professional organizations and other websites specific to each career profile. Changes to the Second Edition Include: Many new careers and their education requirements Updated job profiles including salary scales A description of three types of gerontology career pathsand how to prepare for them Coverage of such emerging fields as entrepreneurial gerontology, global aging, journalism and aging, and urban gerontology Career changes resulting from policy changes in relevant government agencies Lists of professional organizations and websites specific to each career profile 13 new interviews and 12 interviews updated from first edition Information about national, international, and local gerontology organizations including student and new professional member sections Updated and expanded glossary of acronyms

s your gerontological social work program as comprehensive—and as well attended—as it could be? Advancing Gerontological Social Work Education will help you develop courses that effectively prepare social work students and practitioners to work with the ever-increasing older population. It clearly presents the rationale for geriatric/gerontological preparation and defines the current status of geriatric/gerontological education. With fascinating case studies, detailed curricula, and a review of the skills and knowledge competencies necessary for effective geriatric social work practice, this book also describes a variety of courses and teaching programs in detail—noting the problems that other educators have encountered and offering practical suggestions to help in replicating the programs in other institutions. This book is especially useful because it not only examines the issues surrounding—and need for—increased gerontological education for social workers, but because it follows this with specific, concrete descriptions of educational approaches and curricula. It provides you with both the framework and the specifics to develop your own gerontological social work education program at the graduate or undergraduate level. Helpful charts and tables make the information easy to access and understand. Advancing Gerontological Social Work Education is divided into three sections, each of which will increase your knowledge and understanding of this vital area of social work education. The first section examines: the historical development of gerontological social work education the CSWE/SAGE-SW Competencies Project the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork—and the educational basis for interdisciplinary team training, highlighting organizational context, team structure, team process, and team outcomes ways to increase students' interest in this vital area of social work In the second section of this well-referenced book, you will examine school-based initiatives, focusing on: the development and implementation of the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Initiative the recruitment of students into geriatric social work—with an examination of a fellowship program the relationship between the aging population of the United States and the growing demand for geriatric social workers-and how that need can be met through graduate-level social work training developing a field training rotation model a doctoral fellowship program and its dissertation support, mentorship, and leadership development The third section of Advancing Gerontological Social Work Education features: an empirical study exploring the potential for a limited curriculum module to enhance MSW and BSW students' gerontological practice-related knowledge, attitudes, and interest an overview of the history and rationale of service learning in elder care a description of the varied service learning in elder care programs an experiential exercise that was used successfully to assist graduate students in integrating and applying their knowledge about geriatric assessment the results of interviews with MSW students about the appropriateness of their preparation for medical social work with an aged population—conducted at the beginning, midpoint, and end of their field placements a report on incorporating intergenerational service learning into an undergraduate introductory gerontology course the use of the “family study,” which exposes teams of students for 20 weeks to a family that includes an older adult