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150 attend annual Field Instructor Appreciation Conference

By Ronni Zuckerman

On May 12, the School hosted a highly successful Appreciation Conference for Field Instructors and Task Supervisors. About 150 participants attended — the most since we began offering this annual event.

Ronni Zuckerman, clinical assistant professor and field faculty, coordinated this year’s conference. Dean Jack Richman and Director of Field Education Rebecca Brigham welcomed participants and described the impact of the School’s upcoming 95th anniversary.

Clinical Associate Professor Tina Souders provided the keynote address, “Ethical Practice in the Digital Age.” Afternoon workshops included three options: “Trends in Psychotherapy Approaches: The Third Wave Behavioral Approaches” presented by Marilyn Ghezzi of the UNC School of Social Work; “Collective Impact Through Systems Mapping” presented by Dorothy Cilenti (MSW/MPH ’89, DrPH), Kristen Hassmiller-Lich, and Steve Orton of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health; andLeniency Bias: How Do We Keep the Scale From Tipping?” presented by Brigham.

Each year, the School gives awards to local agencies that exemplify “the best of the best” in field instruction. Award winners this year were UNC Family Medicine, presented by faculty member Denise’ Dews; the United Way of the Greater Triangle, presented by Brigham; the Rape Crisis Center of Catawba County, presented by Souders; the Women’s Center of Wake County, presented by faculty member Jean Livermore; and the UNC School of Medicine/Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, presented by Zuckerman.

The conference was very well received by participants. As one attendee stated, “It was great. As always, you did a wonderful job.”

The Field Education Program recruits and develops new field instructors on a continuous basis. If you are interested in becoming a field instructor, please contact director Rebecca Brigham at brigham@email.unc.edu.