The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program November 2013
3 Index Continuing Professional Development for Registered Social Workers 12 Categories of CPD Learning Activities 16 Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan 22 Peer Feedback Guide 25 Setting SMART Objectives 28 Example CPD Submission 35 Continuing Professional Development Record Form
Continuing Professional Development For Registered Social Workers
Introduction The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program This guide aims to support social workers in understanding and meeting the requirements for the BC College of Social Workers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program. The most commonly used definition of Continuing Professional Development is that of Madden and Mitchell (1993); developed through their study of a number of professionals: Continuing Professional Development is the maintenance and enhancement of the knowledge, expertise and competence of professionals throughout their careers according to a plan formulated with regard to the needs of the professional, the employer, the profession and society. (p.3) The College s new CPD Program adopts this definition and aims to promote quality assurance with respect to the practice of social work in BC, thus further enhancing the protection of the public. Therefore all* registrants are required to demonstrate that they continue to maintain their capacity to practise safely, effectively and legally within their scope of practice by engaging with the CPD Program. The design of the CPD Program is based on self-directed, reflective learning and an output model of planning and recording. This means that registrants need to think about what they need to learn, why they need to learn it, and the best way to undertake that learning. What professional knowledge and skills do I need to improve or develop to enhance the quality of my practice so as to promote positive outcomes for the recipients of the services that I provide? A New Responsibility Undertaking CPD is a new mandatory requirement for the ongoing renewal of registration. In accordance with the updated bylaws, registrants are required to complete a mixture of learning activities to an equivalence of 40 hours of CPD activity per year. Registrants are required to report this learning to the College no later than October 31 each year to comply with the Standards of CPD. *Registrants in the non-practising category are not required to undertake CPD unless they intend to return to practising categories. Specific requirements exist in the bylaws for those returning to practice. 4
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program In planning to undertake CPD activities, it is recommended that wherever possible, these are considered as an integrated part of an annual appraisal and/or practice supervision. However, the College acknowledges that, due to the breadth of social work delivery across BC, such staff appraisal opportunities may not be available to all registrants. The Standards for Continuing Professional Development In supporting registrants to meet the requirements for CPD, the College has developed Standards for CPD which represent the minimum expectations for engagement with the CPD Program. These Standards should underpin the planning, undertaking and documenting of learning. Standard 1: Plan continuing professional development activities that will enhance the quality of practice and delivery of services; Standard 2: Undertake continuing professional development activities that enhance social work ethical conduct; Standard 3: Actively seek and participate in a range of continuing professional development activities that maintain and advance professional skills and knowledge within current or future scopes of practice; Standard 4: Seek to ensure that continuing professional development activities promote positive outcomes for recipients; Standard 5: Accurately maintain an up-to-date record of continuing professional development activities as part of ongoing professional development; Standard 6: Accurately report completion of continuing professional development activities to the college in a timely manner; Standard 7: Upon request provide the college with documentation as part of any auditing and review process. It is a registrant s responsibility to plan, select and undertake a mixture of activities that meets the above Standards for CPD. Meeting these Standards along with continued adherence to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and the Social Workers Act (and bylaws) is the basis upon which a social worker can meet the requirements for ongoing registration. 5
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program CPD and Registration The CPD Program is self-directed and involves the formulation of learning goals and the identification of a mixture of learning activities that allows registrants to achieve these goals. Registrants will also need to evaluate and document newly acquired learning and how this can lead to improvements in service delivery outcomes. On an annual basis, registrants will be asked to declare that they have engaged in this type of undertaking and met the Standards for CPD. In order for social workers to be eligible to renew their registration, they will be required to submit to the College by October 31 of each year: 1. A completed CPD learning plan; 2. A record form which lists at least 40 hours of completed CPD learning activities, of which at least 3 hours are related to ethics; 3. A statement on learning which outlines how the learning undertaken has contributed to advancing the registrant s knowledge and skills and sought to improve service delivery outcomes. Registrants are strongly encouraged to regularly log-in to the online member services portal and update the record of activities template as learning activities are completed. It may also be useful at this time to include notes about how the recorded activity meets identified learning goals. As professional learning is a continuous process, it is unlikely that you will have achieved all of your goals in a particular CPD year. However, it is expected that a significant number of planned learning goals have resulted in reasonable outcomes. Each year, registrants will be required to complete a new CPD learning plan that can incorporate some of the unmet goals from the previous year, but overall shows continuing progression in development as reflected in future learning goals. 6
< < The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program An Approach to Undertaking CPD Professional development learning can take numerous forms and there are a variety of recognized approaches to undertaking CPD. The type of approach that is best suited to each registrant can depend on a number of factors ranging from the type of learning styles preferred, to scope of practice, or external factors that make it difficult to fully access learning opportunities. Below is a five-step approach to CPD that may be useful to employ. Step 5: Record & Report < Step 1: Review & Self Assess < Step 2: Plan & Identify Step 4: Reflect & Evaluate < Step 3: Implement & Undertake The College has developed a range of materials and tools to support registrants in engaging with the CPD Program. The use of these tools is discretionary (except for the Record Form and the CPD Learning Plan) and can be accessed from the College s website. STEP 1: Review & Self-Assess Learning Needs A useful starting point in beginning to assess learning needs is to reflect upon your current scope of practice and review the way you meet your professional responsibilities. To do this, consider what you actually do in your professional role as compared to your job description. This reflective process should begin to identify your practice strengths and areas for future development i.e. gaps in current skills and knowledge etc. It is suggested that you assess your 7
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program strengths and areas for development in light of new progress and evidence in your field and then seek feedback on these from an experienced peer colleague or manager who you believe has relevant expertise within your scope of practice. STEP 2: Plan & Identify Learning Activities Identifying your actual professional development needs can be difficult and wrongly identifying them can result in undertaking learning activities that do not fully meet these needs. It is better to first identify what your development needs and goals are, and then work out ways of meeting these goals by selecting the learning activities that would be most effective. The College recognizes that circumstances change (i.e. change in job/role, new interests) and opportunities may come about that you had not anticipated during the planning stage, so you may need to regularly review and make adjustments to your original CPD learning plan. It is important, in order to fulfill the Standards for CPD, that you identify and plan learning goals that seek to improve your professional knowledge and skills so as to promote positive outcomes for the recipients of the services that you provide. These recipients may receive services from your involvement in direct, private, clinical, administration, education, research, policy, management or other scopes of practice. Therefore you need to ensure that your CPD learning plan and associated learning activities are directly linked to your current or future scope of practice. STEP 3: Implement & Undertake CPD To successfully fulfill the requirements for the CPD Program, you will need to demonstrate that the cumulative results of the learning activities you have completed over the year sufficiently meet the Standards for CPD. You can successfully meet Standard 1 through to 4 by undertaking relevant learning activities which form part of your overall annual CPD learning plan (Standard 1). The activities undertaken need to seek to develop your knowledge and skills (Standard 3) so as to enhance the quality of your delivery of services and to improve outcomes (Standard 4). The learning activities within your CPD learning plan should reflect a mixture of activities that amount to a minimum of 40 hours - this includes the mandatory 3 hours of activities to increase ethical practices (Standard 2). 8
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program The time spent on self-assessing, planning and developing a CPD learning plan as outlined in the previous steps can be counted towards qualifying CPD hours to a maximum of 6 hours. STEP 4: Reflect & Evaluate Learning The role of reflection is an integral part of effective professional social work practice and development. Once you have completed aspects of your CPD learning plan it is important to evaluate what learning has been acquired (i.e. what professional skills and knowledge have been enhanced?) and how this newly acquired learning can promote better outcomes for the recipients of the services you provide. It may be useful to utilize a reflective journal or diary to record your thoughts as this evaluation process can inform your CPD learning plan for the following year. STEP 5: Record & Report Learning You are required to document your CPD learning by maintaining a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of learning activities (Standard 5). You are also required to report these activities to the College (Standard 6) so that you will be able to renew your registration. The College also requires you to demonstrate the meeting of Standard 3 and 4 as part of the annual declaration by submitting a completed statement on learning. You will record your learning activities as you complete them on the online membership portal and you will be reminded at regular intervals of your progress. You are required to retain all records relating to your continuing professional development for five years. As the CPD program is built upon principles of self-directed learning, the College will be flexible when considering the approach to learning a particular registrant undertook in meeting the requirements for CPD. Categories of Learning Activities The CPD Program is self-directed as it takes into account that social workers have varying professional development needs, differing opportunities to access resources and also many ways of learning that may suit different individuals. 9
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program While the College is not prescriptive about which learning activities should be undertaken (except on ethics), we do expect registrants to engage in a mixture of learning with the aim of developing or improving professional knowledge and skills to enhance the quality of social work delivery. We also expect that registrants will participate in a variety of learning over consecutive years. To support this, we have identified broad categories of learning activity and the maximum hours of CPD that would normally qualify in each category towards the total 40 hours of CPD in any given year. Audit Review On an annual basis a percentage of registrants will be requested to provide additional documentation for audit review by the Quality Assurance Committee (Standard 7). This audit review process will confirm the nature of a registrant s claim and declaration in meeting the Standards for CPD. The data collected will also provide for the College to assess the effectiveness of the CPD program. Audit guidance will be provided at the time of notification of audit. Important Dates October 31 January 31 April 30 CPD Reporting Deadline Registration status changes to Outstanding CPD for failing to declare or complete requirements by this deadline. Registration Renewal (all CPD requirements must be completed) Reinstatement deadline following non-payment of fees (additional reinstatement fee applies) The College is keen to support registrants in completing the requirements for the CPD program by facilitating their engagement in meaningful continuous professional development. Please email any questions or suggestions related to CPD to: cpdsupport@bccsw.ca 10
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Program References Madden, C.A. and Mitchell, V.A (1993) Professional Standards and Competence: A Survey of Continuing Education for the Professionals. Bristol: Department for Continuing Education, University of Bristol. Acknowledgements Australian Association of Social Workers Health and Care Professions Council UK Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers Social Workers Registration Board NZ Quality Assurance Committee Andrea Harstone, RCSW (Chair) Elaine Halsall, RCSW Leonard Ibbs Sandy Lundmark, RSW Heidi Meseyton, RSW Susan Noakes, RSW We also thank those College registrants who have provided valuable feedback in the production of this guide and associated support materials. 2013 British Columbia College of Social Workers All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval systems of any nature without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. If you require this document in an alternate format, contact the College 604-737-4916 Toll Free 1-877-576-6740 or by email at CPDsupport@bccsw.ca 11
Categories of CPD Learning Activities
Categories of CPD Learning Activities In order to meet the Standards for CPD, registrants are required to undertake a minimum of 40 hours of CPD from a mixture of learning activities (Standard 3). To achieve this, the College would normally expect to see an individual s CPD declaration of completed hours consist of learning activities that fall into at least three of the five categories of learning activity outlined below. These categories are not exclusive and some learning activities can be considered in more than one category. For example, the mandatory three hours of ethics could be considered under any of the categories. There is a maximum number of hours for each category of learning activities that can be put forward towards meeting the annual 40 hours CPD requirement. As part of your professional development, you may exceed this maximum number of hours. However, you will only be able to claim CPD learning hours in a particular category to the maximum stipulated below thus demonstrating that you have engaged in a mixture of learning throughout the year. Any additional hours cannot be brought forward to apply to the hourly requirements of the following year. As continuing professional learning and development is so varied and can be acquired in many ways, the College will exercise judgement and discretion when seeking to confirm that a registrant has undertaken 40 hours of learning from a mixture of learning categories. Category of CPD Learning Activity Self-directed learning Work-based learning Professional activity learning Formal/educational learning Other Maximum Qualifying Hours 15 hours 15 hours 15 hours Up to 40 hours Up to 15 hours 13
Categories of CPD Learning Activities Categories of CPD Learning Activities Self-directed Learning The lists of activities below are not exhaustive. There are likely to be other forms of learning which are relevant for professional development. These examples are provided as a guide only. Producing a professional development plan (up to six qualifying CPD hours allowable) Reading books, journals and research papers Reviewing books, journals and research papers Tele-seminars Writing for journals Webinars Ethics*: A minimum of three hours of activity that addresses ethical conduct and ethical decision making. Work-based Learning Case studies Clinical audits Clinical/professional supervision Critical incident analysis Discussion and networking groups In-service education programs Learning agreements Mentoring or teaching staff and/or students Peer consultations Receiving supervision Systematic reflection on practice Supervising practicum students in the workplace Secondment/work shadowing Self-supported or peer-supported study Ethics*: A minimum of three hours of activity that addresses ethical conduct and ethical decision making. Professional Activity Learning Course instructor Involvement in other professional bodies Item writer (for licensure exams) Participating in a community of practice Professional group based CPD Preparing and delivering teaching Special interest group based CPD Supervising of research Volunteering with a professional organization Ethics*: A minimum of three hours of activity that addresses ethical conduct and ethical decision making. 14
Categories of CPD Learning Activities Formal/ Educational Learning Accredited provider courses Approved licensure exams (up to 40 contributory hours allowable) Attendance at conferences and seminars Certificated study e.g. Diploma, Degree, Higher Degree (up to 40 contributory hours allowable) Conducting research Distance/online learning courses Enrollment in Masters or Doctoral study Post-qualification courses (including short courses provided by both in-house and external providers) Presentation of research papers Ethics*: A minimum of three hours of activity that addresses ethical conduct and ethical decision making. Other (As proposed by registrants) There are many forms and traditions of learning which can provide personal and professional development. The above lists of activities are not exhaustive and there are likely to be other forms of learning that exist which are relevant for professional development and for registrants to undertake. The College is happy to discuss proposals for learning activities put forward by registrants and consider whether these can constitute professional learning in the context of the College s CPD requirements. Please consult the College if it is not clearly evident what constitutes a relevant CPD learning activity where hours are being claimed. *A note on the ethics requirement: the mandatory requirement per year is a minimum of three hours. Ethics is listed within each of the categories to reflect the fact that this requirement may be met through activities related to one or more of the categories. Please email any questions or suggestions related to CPD to: cpdsupport@bccsw.ca 15
Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan When planning to participate in activities as part of the CPD Program, it is important to consider how the selected activities will contribute to your broader professional development throughout the year and over continuous years. Having a well thought out learning plan can help you focus on your personal learning goals. Having a targeted plan can make your professional development activities more meaningful and purposeful. Review & Assess Your Practice Set Your Practice Learning Goals Select Activities That Will Meet These Goals Start by reviewing and assessing your practice. The information gathered from your peer feedback can be used to inform your CPD learning plan. How does my current practice reflect the standards and ethics required of RSW s/rcsw s? What are my areas of strength? What are the areas I may need to develop further? What changes would I like to make to my practice? Ensure your goals are realistic, reasonable and attainable. Asking these questions of yourself may help you to seek activities which target your learning goals. Keep in mind the CPD standards when setting these goals. What do I want to achieve with my professional development plan? By when? What areas of my practice would I like to focus on? How will I make change in my practice? Refer to the guidance on Setting SMART Objectives. After identifying your learning goals, select a range of activities that directly relate to the identified goals. The types of activities you undertake should be suited to your needs, interest, mode of learning, scope of practice, accessibility to resources and time constraints. The implementation of your learning plan can be done alone or with colleagues. This plan can also be integrated into your employment appraisal/evaluation or practice supervision. A wide variety of resources can be used. Be creative! How will I achieve my goals? What will help me improve outcomes for my clients? What will help me grow as a professional? 17
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan Evidence of Goal Achievement Over time, the activities that have been undertaken should demonstrate a progression in knowledge, skills and practice. Keep in mind that the purpose of the CPD program is to enhance the quality of your social work practice and service delivery. How will I demonstrate I have achieved my goals? How will I know my practice or service has been enhanced as a result of achieving these goals? How will I know the changes I have made in my practice have made a difference or enhance my quality of practice or service delivery? Evaluate Your Learning Plan Consider what circumstances might have impeded the implementation of your learning plan. Assess the efficacy of your learning plan by asking yourself these questions. It may also be useful to document your reflections in order to prepare the statement of learning for submission at the end of the CPD year. Who benefited from my learning? Was the outcome valuable to me? Have I been able to maintain and/or enhance my practice? What challenges did I encounter? What will I do differently next time? Did I meet my learning goals and objectives? Why/why not? If your learning goals have not been met, ask yourself why? Was my learning plan realistic and doable? Are there alternative ways I could meet my learning goals? Future Learning Needs What future learning needs are identified from achieving these goals? What additional learning needs are identified if you did not fully meet your goals or what do you need to do differently in future? Acknowledgement: College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia 18
Sample CPD Learning Plan #1 The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan Part of a typical learning plan for a registrant in direct practice may look like this. GOAL ACTIVITIES EVIDENCE EVALUATION Increase my understanding of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Take online course on CBT (formal/ educational learning) Consult with colleague who uses CBT regularly in practice (work-based learning) Presented my learning to my peers at a staff meeting Started to use CBT in practice as applicable I enrolled in the course and consulted with a colleague I taught an education session to my peers Improve my recording skills Review BCCSW Standard of Practice on record keeping and consult with peer Seek feedback on current records from my supervisor (workbased learning) Read article on best-practice for record keeping (selfdirected learning) Records are better organized and consistent with evidence-based best practice in literature Increased awareness of privacy laws and confidentiality policies in my organization I have more clear and concise client records but need to improve the clarity of my follow-up records Learn about working with people with eating disorders Take in-service course on current resources available (work-based learning) Join or start a community of practice (professional activity) Reflected on and discussed learning with peer with experience in this area Engaged in discussions on online forum Increased understanding of complexity of disease process Set new learning goal of meeting with nutritionist and/or physician Take online course from ACE (formal learning) Read book on ethical challenges of working with this population (ethics & self-directed) 19
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan Sample CPD Learning Plan #2 Part of a typical learning plan for a registrant working as a Supervisor or Manager may look like this. GOAL ACTIVITIES EVIDENCE EVALUATION Increase my awareness of organizational structure and policies Access and read org. structure and relevant policies (self-directed learning) Meet with person who previously held my position (work-based learning) Referred employee to appropriate person in risk management Increased understanding of politics between levels of management My staff have more faith in my knowledge and abilities Will continue to review policies in future. Time constraints prevented me from reviewing all Increase efficiency and relevance of meetings Enrol in online leadership course (formal/educational learning) Do literature review to find management articles (self-directed learning) Staff acknowledged relevance of particular topic discussed Discussed strategies used with another manager I have gained insight from my peers as well as from reading articles I am a more effective manager Improve respectful/ethical responsibilities of staff in the workplace Review existing policies (self-directed learning) Create work group (professional activity learning) Review and discuss NASW or CASW code of ethics with workgroup (ethics) Clear ethical guidelines developed Increased reflection, awareness and discussion amongst staff Reduced risk of unethical conduct and complaints Peer professional group adopted process to work with their staff Improved delivery of in-service course based on course evaluations completed by staff Workgroup to prepare guide and provide in-service to staff (professional activity learning) 20
The BCCSW Continuing Professional Development Learning Plan CPD Learning Plan Template GOAL ACTIVITIES EVIDENCE EVALUATION 21
Peer Feedback Guide
Peer Feedback Guide Peer feedback can be a useful tool in helping you to think about and develop your CPD learning plan. Peer feedback is simply a private conversation between you and a colleague, either within or outside your current workplace, and it is different from a performance appraisal. Peer feedback is a way to develop insight into your practice and to validate your perspectives from self-assessment. Please remember this is just a guide. The intent is to set up a safe, non-judgemental environment in which you can have an open but focused discussion. Feedback can also occur in unplanned moments. Regardless of when it occurs, it has the potential to be a very valuable learning experience. Preparing for Feedback Start by selecting a peer. Agree upon a date, time and location to meet. Choose a location that is private with limited chance of interruption. Prepare the information you want to discuss with your peer. Asking for Feedback Briefly indicate to your peer what you would like to review and why it is important. Review a few practice examples. Be specific about your identified strengths and areas for growth. You may want to share your ideas of learning activities planned for the upcoming year. Receiving Feedback Listen, hear and try to understand what is being said to you by your peer. Paraphrase and ask for clarification. Be curious. Ask for suggestions on how you can enhance your practice and grow professionally. Show appreciation for the feedback you receive. Giving feedback is not an easy thing to do. 23
Peer Feedback Guide Giving Feedback Be realistic and direct comments towards actions that your colleague can control. Be specific and sensitive to the goals of your colleague. Try to balance positive and negative feedback. Adapted with permission from CRPNBC Peer Feedback: Learning from Each Other @ http://www.crpnbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ccp-peer-feedback-web-2012.pdf 24
Setting SMART Objectives
Setting SMART Objectives What Do You Actually Want to Learn? The CPD learning plan helps you to identify your learning goals so that you can maximize the benefits of undertaking professional development activities. Most people normally identify learning goals at this planning stage which are broad and all-encompassing e.g. increase my knowledge of the impact of substance abuse. While this may be a very relevant learning goal in meeting your expanding scope of practice, it would be very difficult to measure this goal and therefore difficult to know if you have achieved it. It is better to break down a broad learning goal into key learning objectives i.e. what are the impacts of substance misuse on young people s psycho-social development during the latter stages of adolescence? Identifying a set of key learning objectives that will help you achieve your learning goals is a more assured way for the CPD learning plan to be effective. Be SMART One way to create good learning objectives is to ensure they are S.M.A.R.T. Specific: What do you actually want to learn? Are you setting learning goals that are clearly defined by specifically stating what you are trying to accomplish? Measurable: How will I know? How will you (and others) know when you have reached your goal? Attainable: Is it realistic? Is attaining this goal realistic with effort and commitment? Do you have the resources to achieve this goal? If not, how will you get them? Relevant: How does it benefit my knowledge, skills and practice? Why is this goal important to you? Hone in on why it matters to you and to the recipients of the services you provide. Timely: When will you achieve this goal? What is the timeframe to complete this goal and significant points of progress? 26
Setting SMART Objectives Life Changes Despite the best laid plans, change is usually a constant part of working life. This change may be due to a new job, expanding scope of practice, resource constraints, personal circumstances etc. Therefore you will need to review your learning goals from time to time to make sure that they are still current and relevant to your professional development. You may find that some goals are no longer relevant, that you need to modify existing ones or formulate new ones. It is important to remember that you can meet the requirements for CPD even though you have not met all the goals set out at the start of the year in your CPD learning plan. Moreover, you need to continually review and adapt your professional learning needs to the way you are thinking about and practising social work. All Learning Has Value Reflection is an important aspect of social work practice. Therefore it is important to reflect on things that go as planned and those that don t. Valuable learning can be acquired from reflecting on things that did not work out as planned, as this can give insight on where we need to further develop, or what we need to do differently in the future. Be Accountable When working towards achieving a goal, it is helpful to have people with whom you agree to check in on a regular basis and open up your practice. Discussing your progress with others can be a little daunting at first but a useful reflective exercise and external motivator. Please refer to the Peer Feedback-Guide. Believe you can and you're halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt Celebrate Success Setting SMART objectives is an effective way of breaking down learning goals; then select the right learning activities that are relevant to achieving these goals. We encourage you to use the SMART tool to achieve your learning goals and then to celebrate your successes however small! Acknowledgments: University of Wisconsin USA 27
Example CPD Submission
Example CPD Submission GOAL ACTIVITIES EVIDENCE EVALUATION Increase my understanding of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Improve my recording skills Take online course on CBT (formal educational learning) Consult with colleague who uses CBT regularly in practice (work-based learning) Review BCCSW Standard of Practice on record keeping and consult with peer Seek feedback on current records from my supervisor (workbased learning) Read article on best practice for record keeping (self-directed learning) Present my learning s to my peers at a staff meeting Start to use CBT in practice as applicable Records are better organized and consistent with evidence based best practice in literature Increased awareness of privacy laws and confidentiality policies in my organization I enrolled in the course and consulted with a colleague I taught an education session to my peers I have more clear and concise client records but need to improve the clarity of my follow-up records Learn about working with people with eating disorders Take in-service course on current resources available (work-based learning) Reflect and discuss learning s with peer with experience in this area Increased understanding of complexity of disease process Join or start a community of practice (professional activity) Take online course from ACE (formal learning) Engage in discussions on online forum Set new learning goal of meeting with nutritionist and/or physician Read book on ethical challenges of working with this population (ethics & self-directed learning) 29
Example CPD Submission Continuing Professional Development Record Form Name: Jane Registrant Area(s) of Practice: Mental Health community Reporting Period: November 1, 2013 - October 31, 2014 Please provide a list of all CPD activities undertaken within the reporting period under the various categories of learning activity. Brief Description of Activity Self-directed CPD learning plan and learning statement, see attached Hours Up to 15 Hours 6 Ethics Read: Matusek, J. A., & O Dougherty Wright, M. (2010). Ethical dilemmas in treating clients with eating disorders: A review and application of an integrative ethical decision-making model. European Eating Disorders Review, 18 (6), 434 452. 3 Reflected on article and discussed practice implications with colleague - reviewed and discussed article on best practice for record keeping with peer group - reviewed standards and consulted BCCSW on record keeping 3 30
Example CPD Submission Work-based - sought and reviewed feedback from supervisor on client records Up to 15 Hours 1 Prepare and present education on CBT to my peer social work group Lunch & Learn Professional Activity Meet and dialogue with Mental Health and Addictions interest group with BCASW 3 Up to 15 Hours 4 Engaged with peers and proposed to BCASW a new committee be started to engage in dialogue and best practices in topic of eating disorders 1 Became member of Hope Club For Eating Disorder Professionals - read blogs and upcoming events, engage in discussion in on-line forum Formal/Educational Online course through ACE- Association of Social Work Boards: Advanced Therapeutic Strategies with Eating Disorder Patients 8 Up to 40 Hours 6 - completed course, readings and practice questions Online course CBT Core Principles and application Other Learning Attended movie presented by Silver Screen Insights Into Mental Health on people living with mental illness and engaged in reflective dialogue with other attendees Total CPD hours undertaken 2 Up to 15 Hours 3 40 31
Example CPD Submission Statement on Learning: Jane Registrant This summative statement requires you to briefly articulate how you believe your CPD activities throughout the year have sought to enhance the quality of your practice and promoted positive outcomes for recipients of the services you have provided. Therefore this statement should primarily concentrate on evidencing how you believe you have met Standard 3 and 4 of the CPD Program. Standard 3: Actively seek and participate in a range of continuing professional development activities that maintain and advance professional skills and knowledge within current or future scopes of practice. Standard 4: Seek to ensure that continuing professional development activities promote positive outcomes for recipients. (max. 650 words) I identified three main goals as part of my CPD learning plan that I wanted to accomplish during this year s CPD cycle; learn and use CBT, improve my recording skills, and increase my knowledge about working with people with eating disorders. Currently, I work in the field of Mental Health and Substance Use and have noticed an increase in the number of clients who experience social anxiety disorder. I felt that I could therefore increase and vary my counselling skills to improve practice outcomes for these clients. I also held a general interest and an introductory knowledge of CBT and wanted to increase this understanding and develop my scope of practice by engaging with this type of therapeutic intervention with clients who would benefit from its use. The CBT course I took and the peer feedback discussions I have had with colleagues have been very useful. As a result, I have found that I am now better able to understand client needs and apply a new intervention method. I have also been able to share my knowledge of CBT with colleagues through a Lunch & Learn presentation I delivered. 32
Example CPD Submission I have found that the few clients I have had an opportunity to engage in this type of therapy have been able to catch their own automatic negative cognitions and have started to gradually develop strategies to change these negative thinking patterns. The clients who have engaged with CBT therapy have said that their family members have noticed a positive change in them. These positive outcomes motivate me to continue developing my learning and practice of CBT. Because of the success I have experienced in developing my knowledge and skills in the use of CBT, for next year s CPD cycle I plan on increasing my group work skills with the intent of starting a therapeutic group for people with anxiety to work on behavioural changes in addition to their private counselling work in CBT. The second goal was to improve my record keeping skills. I think making improvements in my record keeping has directly benefited my clients because I am better able to focus my interventions and keep clients on track with their own identified goals of therapy. As many of the clients that attend this program are long term and engage with a multitude of services in the community, it is very beneficial to have clear records to enhance the quality of the continuity of care of each client. Clear records have led to less frustration for colleagues who work with my clients in other areas and less frustration for clients in having to repeat their story or identified needs. I also plan to transition out of my current role and think it is important to have clear client records for whoever takes over my position in the future. This leads me to my final learning goal which was working with people with eating disorders. I have been learning about working with people with eating disorders because I would like to start working with this group and want to be more knowledgeable in this area. In joining the Hope Club for eating disorder professionals I have gained a lot of insight into working with this population and will continue to increase my understanding through volunteer work and attending groups for people living with this disorder. I hope to transition to this area of work in the coming year and want to be better prepared to serve this client group. 33
Example CPD Submission Some of these learning goals will continue to be developed in my next year s CPD learning plan and my intent is to continue to engage with different types of learning activities with the overall goal of enhancing my knowledge and skills and improving service to my clients. 34
Continuing Professional Development Record Form
Continuing Professional Development Record Form Name: Area(s) of Practice: Reporting Period: Please provide a list of all CPD activities undertaken within the reporting period under the various categories of learning activity. Brief Description of Activity Ethics (mandatory) Completion of CPD learning plan and learning statement Self-directed Hours Min. of 3 hours Up to 6 hours Up to 15 hours Work-based Up to 15 hours Professional Activity Up to 15 hours 36
Continuing Professional Development Record Form Formal/Education Up to 40 hours Other Learning Up to 15 hours Total CPD hours completed: 37