ABSTRACT

Those in the field of social work education are continuously looking for methods to enhance the production of competent, effective MSWs. One approach is to provide enhanced training programs to select groups of students. Historically, research on these programs has been limited other than for Title IV-E programs. The current study assesses a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program project. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Quantitative survey data assessed participants’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices related to key project competencies. The qualitative data gathered explored participants’ lived experiences of the project. Results reflect increased understanding and self-reported proficiency in regard to project competencies. Additionally, the qualitative themes indicate project benefits as well as areas for improvement. This study adds to the research literature regarding the effectiveness of enhanced training programs for increasing the knowledge and skills of MSWs.

摘要

社会工作教育领域的人们一直在寻找方法来提高有能力、有效的 MSW 的生产。一种方法是为选择的学生群体提供增强的培训计划。从历史上看，除了 Title IV-E 计划之外，对这些计划的研究一直受到限制。目前的研究评估了行为健康劳动力教育和培训计划项目。采用混合方法评估项目的有效性。定量调查数据评估了参与者与关键项目能力相关的知识、技能、态度和实践。收集的定性数据探索了参与者对该项目的生活经历。结果反映了对项目能力的理解和自我报告的熟练程度的提高。此外，定性主题表明项目效益以及需要改进的领域。这项研究增加了关于加强培训计划的有效性的研究文献，以增加 MSW 的知识和技能。