Doctor of Social Work Capstone Reports

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Browsing Doctor of Social Work Capstone Reports by Subject "BSW field students"

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    Establishing a Foundation of Holistic Wellness: A Feasibility of Self-Care Practices and Self-Compassion Among BSW Field Students
    (2025) Bohner, Rebecca; Cheatham, Leah; Watson, Cayce
    Field education serves as the place where social work (SW) students are socialized to practice through application of classroom knowledge to real-life practice and begin development of their professional SW self. Due to the holistic, empathic, relational care required of social workers for effective practice, there is a cost to caring that places them at risk for helper distress, and can lead to health challenges, negatively impact client service delivery, and decrease sustainability in the SW profession. Despite the CSWE mandate that SW programs prepare students for safe, competent, and ethical SW practice, research reflects noncompliance by SW programs due to their lack of adequate self-care (SC) training that assists with development of essential skills. With holistic SC identified as a protective factor that mitigates helper distress and enhances student wellness, this pre-experimental research study, using the Health Belief Model as its foundation, evaluated the feasibility of a prevention-based curriculum for BSW field students. Adapted from two prior research studies, this 8-week online SC training utilized the CPIES and iM-PAACT frameworks to craft assignments that build a foundational SC competency. Using a pre- and post-test survey design, an availability sample of 13 BSW field students was evaluated for changes in frequency of SC practices and levels of self-compassion. Statistical analysis of the data, using SPSS, found that BSW field students who engaged in the SC training exhibited a statistically significant increase in frequency of SC practices and levels of self-compassion. Despite limitations to generalizability, these findings affirm past research findings from similar studies, suggesting value of SC training for SW students. Implications for SW education include implementation of prevention-based curriculum, nurturing of a SC informed SW program, and use of a shared wellness approach with practicum agencies to support student well-being.