LEXINGTON, Ky. – From the knock on the door to the critical conversations that follow, social workers are trained on best practices to engage and provide support for families in need. Erin Mayhorn, Child Welfare Workforce Development Manager at the College of Social Work (CoSW), is working to streamline that training through an eService initiative.
While pursuing her doctoral degree, Mayhorn focused on research surrounding child welfare training and education, more specifically using virtual reality (VR) in training and education.
“There’s a lot of research out there on how successful virtual simulation has been in aviation, the medical field, and even retail. These groups are using virtual simulation in high-risk situations, and it makes sense to utilize this technology for child protective service (CPS) workers as well,” Mayhorn said.
The cutting-edge, VR technology offers “hands on” training — providing learners the opportunity to interact with and adapt to fluid scenarios. Additionally, the simulations were built in partnership with practitioners who have decades of experience.
The goal is to help current and future social workers build competency and confidence.
During the simulation, participants initiate virtual home visits, conduct interactive interviews, and assess risks and symptoms of child maltreatment. The VR experience also incorporates multiple knowledge checks and learning scenarios designed to match the participants expertise, as well as provide real-time feedback.
“To be clear, no one can ever be fully prepared to conduct a child abuse investigation,” Jay Miller, dean of the CoSW, said. “But this simulation project allows one to garner experience with best practices, and it affords child welfare researchers and supervisors the insights to more effectively support children and families.”
With VR training, the supervisor can program the experience to reflect a diverse experience that participants will face while out in the field. There is also the ability to choose an entry level training and up to an expert level, providing different situations that CPS workers may face.
“Most of the research suggests adding virtual reality in addition to the traditional methods like role playing. You can also use the trainings as an introduction to child welfare so students can get that experience as early as the beginning of a students’ degree,” Mayhorn said.
The consistency of the training across 120 counties in the state of Kentucky is also a benefit of virtual reality. With this technology, training can be updated in the program and sent across the state with the push of a button.
Novelty aside, Miller knows the benefits and potential of using cutting-edge technology in the classroom.
“At the end of the day, we are crystal clear about the purpose of this project, as well as the entire eService Initiative, more broadly,” Miller said. “We are preparing people to engage with, serve, protect and treat the most vulnerable Kentucky children and families. Ultimately, this simulation initiative is yet another tool to help us do that in the most skillful way possible.”
