Field and Practicum Guidelines

1
Field and Practicum Guidelines

• Winona State University
• Social Work Program

2
Requirements of an Agency Field Instructor for
Field Experience

• A Field Instructor for Social
• Work Field Experience should
• Have a strong working knowledge
• of the human services profession.
• Be willing mentors of students
• who are considering a career
• in social services.
• Be available to support through
• mentorship and be able to provide
• feedback using two written
• evaluations (mid-term and end of term)
• to the student and the Social Work Department.

3
Requirements of the Field Instructor for Practicum

• A Field Instructor for
• Practicum should
• Have a strong working
• knowledge of the social
• work profession.
• Hold at minimum a BSW
• degree and be license eligible.
• Be willing mentors of students
• who are entering the profession
• as entry-level generalists.
• Be available to meet with students
• in supervision one hour per week.
• Be available through mentorship
• and be able to provide support in
• research work and in written feedback
• to the student and the Social Work Department.

4
Agency Supervisors in Practicum

• Sometimes the direct supervisor
• of a student in Practicum does
• not hold a degree in Social Work
• or is not license eligible.
• This individual has sufficient years of
• experience and is available to share
• his or her knowledge and skills with students.
• Agency direct supervisors who do not
• hold a BSW or who are not license eligible
• can still serve in this role as long as the
• agency has an individual who holds a
• minimum of a BSW or is license eligible
• and available to meet with the student
• one hour per week.
• Both the direct supervisor and the social
• work field instructor are asked to provide
• written evaluation on the students progress.

5
Responsibilities of a Field Instructor

• The agency field instructor
• agrees to meet with interested
• social work students who are
• potential interns.
• The agency field instructor and
• student discuss whether the
• agency and the student mutually
• meet each others needs.
• Students who are a good agency fit
• will return for further discussion in a
• formal interview with the agency
• field instructor.

6
Interviews with Students

• Agency field instructors
• agree to follow up with
• interested students in
• scheduling interview appointments.
• At the closure of the interview,
• should the field instructor
• and student agree, fills out and
• signs the Practicum Placement Memo.
• Students and Field Instructors
• are advised to keep a copy of
• this memo.
• Students turn in a copy of the memo
• to the Field Director.

7
Field Manuals

• Agency Field Instructors
• should receive regularly
• updated field manuals from
• the Social Work Department.
• Field manuals are offered
• free of charge to agencies
• and are available upon request.
• Field Instructors should keep
• themselves updated on the
• requirements of field through
• reading updated field manuals
• and/or attending training sessions.

8
Orientation and Support

• Agency Field Instructors
• agree to provide an
• orientation to the agency
• for each new student
• accepted into placement
• Field Instructors agree to
• meet regularly with student
• interns to provide support
• and discuss progress.
• Field Instructors agree to
• complete written evaluations
• on each student intern.

9
Unsatisfactory Progress in Placement

• The agency field instructor
• should discuss this openly
• and directly with the student.
• Should the difficulty continue,
• the agency field instructor needs
• to notify the faculty field liaison
• immediately to arrange a conference.
• In a conference, the student, the
• agency field instructor, and faculty
• field liaison will develop a plan for change.
• If the agency wishes to explore whether
• a student should be removed or can
• stay with certain conditions, the faculty
• field liaison will work with the agency
• field instructor and student through
• additional follow up meetings.

10
Considering Removal of Student?

• The Agency Field Instructor
• should discuss the concerns
• with the student.
• Immediately inform the
• faculty field liaison and
• a meeting may be
• scheduled among the
• participants (student,
• agency field instructor,
• faculty field liaison).

11
Removal of Student, Continued

• If the situation continues to be
• unsatisfactory, the student will
• leave the agency in a time frame
• which is preferably agreeable
• to all parties.
• Written documentation of the
• concerns/problems in the placement
• by the field instructor are very
• important to assist the Social
• Work Department in working with
• the student in reassignment
• of internship or in finding a more
• suitable degree.

12
Grounds for Removal of a Student from Internship

• Failure to maintain
• confidentiality in
• reference to a client
• as mandated by
• agency policy and/or
• the NASW Code of Ethics.
• Failure to abide by the
• NASW Code of Ethics
• Repeated tardiness at
• the agency and/or tardiness
• without notification.

13
Removal of Student, Continued

• Repeated absences from
• the agency and/or absence
• without notification.
• Repeated change in
• scheduled field hours
• without prior approval.
• Failure to follow the
• guidelines and standards
• of the Social Work Department
• (refer to the WSU Social Work
• Student Handbook Student
• Standards for Professional Conduct.

14
Removal from Internship

• The final decision regarding
• removal from the field
• placement should be made
• by all participants.
• The decision should be
• supported by the director of
• field education and the faculty
• field liaison.
• The student has the right to an
• appeal following the guidelines
• for grievance procedure in the
• Social Work Student Handbook.

15
Removal from Placement

• Whether the student will
• be allowed to return to field
• in the same or a different
• agency would depend on
• the seriousness of the
• incident and/or the ability
• of the student to work through
• the issue(s).
• The director of field education
• and/or the faculty field liaison
• will have the responsibility to work
• with the student around these
• issues and together they may
• formulate certain conditions for a
• return to field.

16
Removal from Internship, Continued

• Students have the
• right to file appeals
• with the University.
• Written documentation
• from the field instructor,
• faculty field liaison, and
• director of field education
• assure proper protocol
• was followed in removal of
• a student from his/her internship.

17
Student Wants to be Reassigned

• The student should
• first discuss the concerns
• with the agency field
• instructor.
• If resolution doesnt
• occur, the student should
• speak with the faculty field
• liaison about the situation.
• The faculty field liaison,
• student and agency field
• instructor will then meet to
• discuss the issues involved.

18
Student Wants to be Reassigned, Continued

• Further attempts may
• be made to explore
• solutions that can be
• achieved within the agency.
• If the decision is made to
• have another placement,
• the student and faculty field
• liaison will discuss arrangements
• for an alternative placement site.
• This should be a thoughtful decision
• and should be done relatively promptly.
• Leaving a placement prematurely
• can result in a student having to
• complete additional hours