Mary Jacque Carroll and Laurel HitchcockThe Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation (CIPES) highlighted the Department of Social Work in two stories in its recent newsletter. You can read both stories below:
Students Helping At-Risk Patients (SHARP) Program
In Fall 2023, 126 students from Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, and Public Health worked to support patients being discharged from the UAB Stroke program.
After an orientation session, students met their team members and developed a plan for meeting and evaluating their patient. Each interprofessional team had four weeks to consult with their patient, create a care plan, and begin implementing their plan together with their patient. After the four-week session, each team met with SHARP facilitators to debrief and share their SHARP experience and patient outcomes.
Students provided positive feedback about the new program design. The teams enjoyed the opportunity to work with patients in the community and to make a difference in their journey towards better health. This program will be offered again in Spring 2024.
Social Work Simulations
On October 18, the College of Arts and Sciences – Department of Social Work partnered with OIPS to host an on-site simulation in the Volker Hall Sim Center. The simulation consisted of students from the Department of Social Work in UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences and is made possible by federal Child Welfare Title IV-E funding. Three learners participated in the on-site simulation while facilitators and faculty observed the simulation from a nearby conference room. The whole group reconvened after the simulation to discuss and debrief the case. In one case, learners cared for a standardized patient with suicidal ideation. The goals of the simulation were to identify signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation and use appropriate safety planning while seeking supervision when working with an adolescent with suicidal ideation. Another case focused on recognition of intimate partner violence (IPV) and effective safety planning and reporting IPV to a social work supervisor. The learners found the simulation valuable and enjoyed being able to interact with standardized patients. Thanks to Mary Jacque Carroll, the course director, and Laurel Hitchcock for coordinating and facilitating this simulation experience.
