Contact: Whitney Hale

John R. Ballantine

The symposium is held in memory of Associate Professor Emeritus John R. Ballantine who served the college for nearly 24 years. Ballantine was also a former deputy commissioner of Community Mental Health Services for the state of Kentucky.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 11, 2005) -- The University of Kentucky College of Social Work will host the second annual John R. Ballantine Symposium on Supervision at 11 a.m. Friday, May 13, at Spindletop Hall on Ironworks Pike. The symposium discussion focuses on how supervision can effectively impact practice and is drawn from professional literature and practical wisdom on this topic.

This year’s presentation is titled, “A New Model for Field Education: Rotations in Field,” and will be presented by Linda Mertz. The new field model uses a combination of settings or agencies to enhance student learning. Advantages of the model will be discussed as well as challenges encountered in implementation. The presentation notes the importance of the supervision role by field instructors and the value of this model in developing future social workers with a broad range of practical knowledge.

Mertz, a project coordinator for Internships in Aging Project at the State University of New York at Albany, received her master’s in clinical social work from Boston College. She has practiced as a geriatric case manager, medical social worker and a private clinician. Mertz also serves as a support group leader for the Alzheimer’s Association and acts as a trainer/lecturer for the American Red Cross.

The symposium is held in memory of Associate Professor Emeritus John R. Ballantine who served the college for nearly 24 years. Ballantine was also a former deputy commissioner of Community Mental Health Services for the state of Kentucky. Ballantine is remembered at the college for his unwavering commitment and generosity to students and his passion for practice and supervision. He was a social worker, teacher, mentor, advocate and friend to many.

The symposium is held in conjunction with an Appreciation Luncheon for Field Instructors and an awards presentation. The John R. Ballantine Excellence in Supervision Award will be presented to two outstanding field instructors. The Symposium and luncheon are sponsored by Joanne I. Bell, a professor emeritus in social work at UK, and the Field Education Office in the UK College of Social Work.