Evaluating “Professionalism” in Field Practicum Education: The Impact of Our Backgrounds and Biases

Presenter(s)

Tami Walker, LMSW

Assistant Clinical Professor/Assistant Director of Field Education
University of Tennessee College of Social Work
Latausha M. Stevenson, LMSW

Clinical Professor of Practice
UT Knoxville
Allison M. Diehl, MSSW, LCSW (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Practice
University of Tennessee

Acknowledging that we each hold biases around what is considered “professional”, MSSW field coordinators will take a deeper look at the ways background and biases impact the evaluation of student professionalism in the practicum setting.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:

Define and recognize how both implicit and explicit biases related to race, culture, ability and other intersecting aspects of identity influence professionalism assessments in social work practicum settings.
Discuss equitable standards for assessing professionalism that minimize cultural and racial biases.
Evaluate real-world examples of how biases impact assessment related to professional development.