KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY SOCIAL WORK
FIELD INSTRUCTOR MANUAL
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
KUTZTOWN, PA 19530
610-683-4235 (office)
610-683-4383 (fax)
socialwork.kutztown.edu
Version 1.12
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Contents
FIELD INSTRUCTOR—WELCOME! .............................................................................................................. 3
HOW THIS MANUAL CAN HELP.................................................................................................................. 3
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF FIELD EDUCATION AT KUTZTOWN ......................................................... 4
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania .................................................................................................. 4
Social Work Vision ............................................................................................................................... 4
Baccalaureate Social Work Program Mission...................................................................................... 4
Master of Social Work Program Mission............................................................................................. 4
CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT OF FIELD EDUCATION AT KUTZTOWN ................................................................ 5
Generalist Social Work Practice .......................................................................................................... 5
Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice ......................................................................................... 5
Advanced Year Specialization: The KU Practice Perspective Family-In-Environment........................ 6
THE GOAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: STUDENT COMPETENCIES..................................................... 7
Social Work’s Core Competencies....................................................................................................... 8
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIELD INSTRUCTORS AND HOST AGENCIES .................................................... 9
Selection Criteria for Host Agencies.................................................................................................... 9
Responsibilities of Field Agency Settings ............................................................................................ 9
Safety-Related Responsibilities of Host Agencies ............................................................................. 10
Field Instructor Selection Criteria ..................................................................................................... 10
Responsibilities of Field Instructors .................................................................................................. 11
In-service Trainings/Meetings ........................................................................................................... 11
Web Support ..................................................................................................................................... 11
STUDENT SELECTION CRITERIA AND RESPONSIBILITIES .......................................................................... 12
Criteria for Admission to Field .......................................................................................................... 12
Student Responsibilities in Field ....................................................................................................... 12
Student Responsibility Regarding Malpractice Insurance................................................................. 14
Student and Field Instructor Responsibilities Regarding Placement with Employer ........................ 14
FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................................................... 14
Faculty Field Liaison Responsibilities ................................................................................................ 14
Director of Field Education Responsibilities ..................................................................................... 15
THE INTERSECTION OF FIELD AND THE CLASSROOM .............................................................................. 16
BSW Internship Preparation: Early Coursework .............................................................................. 16
The Preceptorship Experience .......................................................................................................... 16
MSW Internship Preparation: Early Coursework ............................................................................. 17
Research Class: The Field Instructor’s Role ...................................................................................... 17
The Role of Seminar .......................................................................................................................... 18
Student Participation in University-Sponsored Learning Events and Experiences ........................... 18
Appendix A ........................................................................................................................................ 19
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FIELD INSTRUCTOR—WELCOME!
Welcome to the field education program in the Department of Social Work at Kutztown University. We
thank you for the commitment you are making to the social work profession and to the students, our
future colleagues. Field instruction is an integral component of the social work curriculum. It engages
students in supervised social work practice and provides opportunities to apply classroom learning in
the field setting.
The overall aim of fieldwork is for students to gain firsthand knowledge under the supervision of a qualified social
worker so that integration of social work theory and
practice can be realized. Students experience
opportunities to practice and ultimately demonstrate the
professional behaviors that mark the competent social worker.
Field Education: Social Work’s
Signature Pedagogy
∞
The purpose of this Field Instructor Manual is to familiarize you with the social work curriculum at
Kutztown University and to serve as your future reference.
HOW THIS MANUAL CAN HELP
With this Field Instructor Manual, we hope to help you understand how to carry out your role—what
forms to complete, when to meet with your student, what you will need to talk about—but also to
understand our program’s organizational and theoretical/conceptual context. We consider you to be
part of our faculty team and would like to keep you as informed as possible about our goals and
objectives as we all strive to help our students reach their highest potential. Specifically, this manual
includes discussion of the field education program’s mission, student competencies, and the relationship
between field and classroom learning. It also includes
For optimal student learning, field
details about field instructor/agency selection criteria and
instructors and faculty are true
responsibilities, as well as how to get consultation or
partners.
support when needed. The manual will describe any
∞
forms required for the internship experience; the actual
documents and others are available to current field instructors through the Field Instruction Desire to
Learn website at Kutztown.edu. Also available at that site are continuing education opportunities for
field instructors.
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ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF FIELD EDUCATION AT KUTZTOWN
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is an institution of
higher education offering programs of study leading to
the bachelor and master’s degrees; it is a member of
the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
The Social Work Department is housed in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Department consists of
two programs: the baccalaureate and the Master’s.
Both the BSW and the MSW programs at Kutztown
University are accredited by the Council on Social Work
Education.
PA State System of Higher Education
∞
Kutztown University of PA
∞
College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences
∞
Department of Social Work
Social Work Vision
Social Work at Kutztown University aspires to create opportunity for individual fulfillment and societal
contribution for all citizens of this rural, urban, and suburban region. Poised to respond to the changing
needs of the region, Social Work prepares professional social workers, develops knowledge, and
provides leadership for the human service network.
Baccalaureate Social Work Program Mission
The Kutztown University BSW program aspires to restore and enhance the social functioning of
individuals, families, groups, institutions and communities in this rural, urban and suburban region.
Accordingly, it focuses on creating functional social conditions in which differences within and between
groups are respected, accepted and celebrated. The program prepares entry-level, generalist
professionals and potential graduate students who have professional identities as social workers.
Master of Social Work Program Mission
The Master of Social Work Program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is dedicated to elevating the
quality of life for Pennsylvania’s families in all their diverse forms and backgrounds. Through the
program’s curricular and programmatic activities, it aspires to prepare competent, autonomous
professionals—grounded in core social work values—to develop social work knowledge and skills and to
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provide leadership in the development of policy for service delivery systems. Overall, the program
works with and on behalf of families to create a social environment in which the family—as a pivotal
social institution—functions to assist individuals to realize their fullest potential for accomplishing goals,
for developing resources, for preventing and alleviating personal distress and social injustice, for finding
personal fulfillment, and for making social contribution.
CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT OF FIELD EDUCATION AT KUTZTOWN
Generalist Social Work Practice
Generalist social work practice—as it applies to both the BSW and MSW practitioner—includes work
with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in a variety of settings. Generalist
practitioners view client systems from a strengths perspective in order to recognize, support, and build
upon the innate capabilities of all human beings. To do so, they recognize and celebrate the strengths
within and among diverse groups. They use a
Both BSW and MSW practitioners
professional planned change process to engage, assess,
demonstrate generalist social work
broker services, advocate, counsel, educate, and
competencies in their practice.
organize with and on behalf of clients and client
systems. Generalist practitioners recognize the impact
of social welfare policies upon these services and work to create and refine policies so that they are
responsive to the needs of clients and client systems. In addition, generalist practitioners engage in
community and organizational development. Finally, generalist practitioners evaluate service outcomes
in order to continually improve the provision and quality of services most appropriate to client needs.
Generalist social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and is committed to improving the
well-being of individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations and furthering human rights
and social and civil justice.1
Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice
Advanced generalist practice put simply is the extension of generalist practice. The precise meaning of
that extension varies across programs and disciplines, but one area where ideas seem to converge is
that advanced generalists are expected to apply holistic, generalist methods by discovering increasingly
complex interventions that may be applied at all levels of practice.2 At KU, we take this to mean in part
that the advanced generalist may be expected to manage increasingly complex client systems while still
engaging in multi-level practice with each case. Thus, the mission of the KU MSW program includes
attention to the ideal of creating autonomous professionals. Autonomous practice is in part professional
activity and decision making that occurs in relative independence of supervision and is characterized by
practitioner-based standards of performance and self-monitoring.3 For the KU MSW program,
autonomous practice also includes practitioners’ reflective practice based upon examination of their
1
Adapted from the Baccalaureate Program Directors’ definition as approved by its Board of Directors in 2006.
Available on line at www.bpdonline.org.
2
th
Adapted from the National Association of Social Workers. (2001). 19 Encyclopedia of Social Work. Author:
Washington, DC.
3
th
Barker, R. (2003). The social work dictionary ,(5 Ed.). NASW Press: Washington, DC.
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own family experiences. In addition, practitioners
recognize the interdependent nature of the supervisory
relationship and work with conscious and considered
knowledge of the agency’s function and the worker’s
role in the agency. The KU MSW program also
understands autonomous social work practice to
include identification with the profession of social work.
The program strives to graduate autonomous
practitioners with a clear professional identity, including
commitment to the NASW Code of Ethics and identified needs for future professional growth.
Advanced generalist practitioners
assess strengths, needs and areas of
diversity on micro, mezzo and macro
levels of complex systems; they may
implement change processes on all
levels simultaneously.
Advanced Year Specialization: The KU Practice Perspective Family-In-Environment
The KU MSW Program’s concentration augments the core competencies through knowledge and
practice behaviors specific to a unique practice perspective: Family-in-Environment (FIE). A logical
extension of General Systems and family theories, the generalist intervention model, and comparative
policy analysis provides the basis for the FIE perspective. This perspective is a meaningful way of
articulating the multi-level aspect of generalist, family-centered practice. As a perspective for practice,
FIE provides a conceptual foundation for students’ advanced year in which students synthesize and
apply a broad range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills in the context of a
strengths perspective.
The FIE practice perspective is based upon the strengths perspective. A strengths perspective on the
family recognizes that while the face of the family changes, it is possible to identify a universal core of
resilience common to all families. Diverse families adapt, shift and develop as they struggle to meet the
needs of their members. For those who do so, the institution of family is strengthened rather than
weakened as various successful coping mechanisms appear.
This practice perspective is multi-level. It includes, but is
KU MSW graduates are advanced
not limited to, the creation of a meaningful partnership
generalist practitioners who view their
with family members in direct practice, policy
work through the family-indevelopment, and research. FIE holds up the family as a
environment perspective.
unit of social attention, the pivotal social institution.
Students learn to work on multiple levels of practice
while recognizing the family as the critical intersection between the individual and society. Students
come to view their generalist practice through the family-in-environment lens, facilitating the
development of family-centered practitioners capable of practice with individuals, families, groups,
organizations and communities. Family-centered practitioners understand that diversity in family
forms is adaptive and brings strengths to its members. More focused on quality of relationship than
family structure, workers help client systems define family as an entire family realm, a more inclusive,
relational definition than is traditional. Given that definition, workers are capable of multi-level
practice, research and policy development with and on behalf of families.
The family-centered practitioner’s work on behalf of families includes service to human service agencies.
Practitioners refine and advance the quality of social work practice and that of the larger social work
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profession. They are able to respond with autonomy—to suit each action to the circumstances at
hand—using the discrimination learned through experience, self-improvement and particular attention
to introspection based upon their own lived experiences of family.
A series of principles guide FIE practice:
Family: A Pivotal Social Institution
Family is a social institution that effectively transforms resources to enhance life experiences for its
members and society. A social environment which accepts, respects and celebrates differences in lived
family experiences inherently engenders the potential of the family to act as catalyst for the positive
development of self. This affirming environment also releases the synergy that enables the family and
other social institutions to carry out their functions. Family-centered policy practitioners work to create
a social environment in which family members in the entire family realm collaborate to realize their
fullest potential.
Individuals Define Family
Practitioners understand that there is no one desirable family form and help family members to
conceptualize family in a functional, relational and contextual manner. FIE as a practice perspective
recognizes that populations at risk have responded to difficulties in gaining resources by bringing diverse
cultural, ethnic, and family traditions to their social environment and have creatively adapted new and
dynamic family forms…they have adapted the institution of the family so that it continues to function to
meet their needs. Individuals do not necessarily hold the roles that are stereotypically assigned to them,
but do fulfill the family’s function of serving the needs of its members. It is the goal of the familycentered practitioner to consider the intersection of social systems within the family to support those
functions that meet individuals’ needs. The practitioner also bears the responsibility of assessing
efficacy using the voice of family members in consideration of their interaction with larger systems.
Practitioners Work with and on Behalf of Families
In multi-level practice from a family-in-environment perspective, workers collaborate with family
members. Together, they strive to identify family members, recognize and build on family strengths,
accomplish goals, access and develop resources, and eliminate social injustice. They partner with
families to assess community needs and help families partner with policy makers to express them. In
this way, families and advocates may develop purposefully evolving, family sensitive policies and
research methods based on a holistic approach to enhancing individual and social wellbeing.
THE GOAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: STUDENT COMPETENCIES
Graduates of social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education are capable of
demonstrating a series of competencies. The field setting provides students the opportunities to
practice and demonstrate these competencies.
KU BSW graduates are expected to demonstrate the following competencies; MSW graduates
demonstrate those on both the foundation and advanced level. In brief, the competencies are as
follows:
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Social Work’s Core Competencies

Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself
accordingly.

Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.

Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional
judgments.

Engage diversity and difference in practice.

Employ self-awareness to understand and articulate the strengths
inherent in diversity. (Program Specific Supplement)

Advance human rights and social and economic justice.

Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed
research.

Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.

Engage in policy practice to deliver effective social work services.

Respond to contexts that shape practice.

Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families,
groups, organizations, and communities.
On the generalist level, students demonstrate these competencies by carrying out practice behaviors. On
the advanced level, students—already capable of the generalist practice behaviors—carry out additional,
specialized practice behaviors. See Appendix A for a detailed list of behaviors associated with each social
work competency.
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ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIELD INSTRUCTORS AND HOST AGENCIES
The host agency is a social service agency that is available to offer opportunities necessary to carry out
the student’s and social work program’s educational goals and objectives. Host agencies are volunteer
educational partners with the University committed to service to the profession. The field instructors
employed by them believe that this educational partnership enhances their practice through renewal of
knowledge and opportunities for continuing education.
Selection Criteria for Host Agencies
The criteria for the selection of field instruction settings include the
following:

availability of a rich learning experience which complements the goals
of the program;

a well-defined social service program that affords students the
opportunity for a social work experience;

adequate space, equipment, clerical support, and supervision;

expressed interest in and commitment to social work education;

willingness of the agency to accept
students as learners and provide them
with appropriate assignments including
at least one evaluation of the student’s
own practice;

field instructors provided with adequate time and resources to carry out
their function as field instructors, including the time for training
provided by the University;

students with adequate time provided for supervision (at least one
uninterrupted hour per week);

commitment to ongoing liaison with the program faculty (including at
least one agency visit per semester).
Responsibilities of Field Agency Settings
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Agencies commit to accept students
as learners who are expected to
make mistakes.
Host agencies provide students with opportunities to see and to practice social work. This includes the
ability to practice social work competencies including identifying with the social work profession,
applying ethical principles and critical thinking in practice, incorporating diversity in practice, advocating
for human rights and social and economic justice, engaging in research informed practice, applying
knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, engaging in policy practice, responding to
contents that shape practice, and engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating with individuals,
families, groups, organizations, and communities.
More specifically, host agencies provide experiences appropriate to student learning needs. For
example, generalist practice opportunities are required for BSW and foundation year MSW students.
In agency settings where it is not immediately apparent that practice with individuals, families, groups
and organizations is available, field instructors are urged to consult with field liaisons. Often, multi-level
practice opportunities for undergraduates and foundation year MSW students may be developed
through creative thinking; alternatively, the placement may be appropriate for advanced level MSW
students who are focused on a specialized area of interest.
Safety-Related Responsibilities of Host Agencies
Violence against social workers cannot be eradicated, but in many cases it can be prevented and its
impact can be lessened through agency-specific policies and practices. The KU Social Work Program
trusts that host agencies will create safety plans that include prevention, intervention and aftermath
strategies and take steps to ensure the safety of students. It is expected that agencies provide safety
plan training at the outset of the internship experience. Resources for the development or
enhancement of safety plans may be found at
http://www.naswdc.org/profession/centennial/violence.htm.
Other resources are available on the D2L website available to current field instructors at
https://desire2learn.kutztown.edu/
Field Instructor Selection Criteria
Criteria for field instructors include the following:
1. possession of the MSW or BSW from a CSWE-accredited program;
2. a minimum of two years post-graduate social work practice for BSW holders;
3. ability to carry responsibility for teaching, supervising, and evaluating students’ field
experience, including a commitment to one hour per week face-to-face supervision;
4. knowledge and acceptance of the social work program’s educational process and outcomes,
including participation in program-sponsored field education meetings;
5. knowledge of community resources, and the community’s need for services provided by the
agency;
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6. ability to work cooperatively with the social work program to provide a meaningful field
experience for the student;
7. willingness to attend field instructor training; and
8. knowledge of the application of professional social work values and ethics in the delivery of
social services: active membership in the National Association of Social Workers is strongly
encouraged.
Responsibilities of Field Instructors
Students receive one hour per week
of supervision.
The field instructor interacts regularly with agency
administrators, program field liaison and students and is
responsible to inform the field liaison in the event of any
unusual challenges facing the student and the agency during the course of the placement.
Field instructors work with students to complete all aspects of the Practicum Prospectus in a timely
fashion: the learning contract should be completed at the beginning of each semester (preferably
within the first two weeks), and the evaluation component of the Practicum Prospectus should be
completed at the end of each semester, preferably prior to the field liaison’s end-of-semester visit. If
challenges arise in the completion of either the contract or the evaluation components of the learning
contract, the faculty field liaison should be informed immediately.
The field instructor commits to at least one hour per week of face-to-face supervision with the student
as well as attendance at university-sponsored field instructor training sessions. This individual
supervision may be supplemented with—but should not be replaced by—group supervision.
In addition, since the program places a great emphasis on the development of professional identity, field
instructors are requested to seriously consider membership in the National Association of Social
Workers and/or other professional organizations.
In-service Trainings/Meetings
In-service trainings/meetings for field instructors, students, and liaisons are held at Kutztown University
during the Fall/Spring semester. Field instructors are expected to attend both fall and spring sessions; if
they are not able to attend, they are required to notify their field liaison so that remedial action can be
taken to share necessary information. Time spent by the student at any field education-related meeting
may be credited toward the 480 hour field placement requirement.
Additional training material and information for current field instructors is available on the D2L online
site. Opportunities for continuing education credit are also available.
Web Support
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Practicum prospectus forms and other documents are provided at the fall field instruction training and
through field liaisons by request. Additional forms may also be obtained at
https://desire2learn.kutztown.edu/
STUDENT SELECTION CRITERIA AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Criteria for Admission to Field
Eligibility for field is determined individually by the field director in consultation with the student advisor
after the Student Preparation for the Field form is completed and turned in to the advisor. The advisor
reports on the student’s academic performance and the student’s completion of the Professional
Inventory Meeting requirements. (See Student Handbook and Advising Guide for full description of the
Professional Inventory Meeting.) Other criteria considered when determining student eligibility for field
include readiness of the student to undertake field work; the absence of any pending academic
concerns, including child abuse and criminal clearances as relevant to the setting; completion of all
prerequisite courses; completion of all social work courses with a C or better; and a 2.0 grade point
average overall. In cases where a student may be ineligible for field, an academic concern meeting will
be called. (The Academic Concern Meeting process is outlined in the Student Handbook and Advising
Guide.)
Student Responsibilities in Field
Students are required to:
1. maintain a professional commitment to the agency;
2. attend field seminar;
3. observe agency policies;
4. maintain confidentiality of material, punctuality, reliability and responsible conduct;
5. participate in a regular schedule of agency activities (absences must be made up and
negotiated with field instructor);
6. submit required daily logs to the program and respond to comments from field liaison;
7. arrange transportation to and from the agency;
8. maintain regular supervisory contact;
9. develop a written contract with the agency regarding field experiences;
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10. participate in the written student evaluation process;
11. engage in an agency-based research project.
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Student Responsibility Regarding Malpractice Insurance
As developing professionals, students are expected to demonstrate skills, knowledge and values
consistent with responsible relationships between themselves and their clients, agencies and the
community at large. Part of being responsible is the recognition that unintended consequences can
result from even the most professional, and/or seemingly insignificant, actions on the part of the social
worker. Vulnerability to legal processes should neither be ignored, nor exaggerated, in students’
consideration of professional realities. Understanding the complex relationship that exists between the
student and the agency, and the importance of their mutual accountability, the Social Work Department
strongly recommends that students have malpractice insurance. Students may discuss coverage and its
limitations at the host agency; however, students’ individual purchase of malpractice insurance is
strongly recommended. Students may purchase "Student Professional Liability Insurance" through the
National Association of Social Workers Insurance Trust or some other source. The Social Workers
Insurance Trust policies are available only to student members of NASW. The coverage is a nodeductible plan of insurance against claims arising out of professional training with protection against
acts occurring during the policy period. For more information, contact Field Coordinator or call the
NASW Insurance Trust at (800) 355-3869.
Student and Field Instructor Responsibilities
Regarding Placement with Employer
Interns placed with employer have:
 Distinctly different tasks
 Distinctly different field
instructor from direct
employment supervisor
Students who are employed in social work settings while in
the program may arrange to use their agency as a field work
setting if the requirements can be met and if a learning
contract can be negotiated that will meet the program’s
expected competencies and professional behaviors. It will
be necessary for the practicum to comprise entirely new learning experiences, so that the fieldwork will
involve more than a continuation of paid employment. It is incumbent upon the student along with the
field instructor to demonstrate compliance with this policy as approved by the field director. In
addition, it is incumbent on the student along with the field instructor to demonstrate that the field
instructor is not engaged in a dual relationship, i.e. a person who supervises the student’s employment
responsibilities may not be the student’s field instructor.
FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES
Faculty Field Liaison Responsibilities
The faculty field liaison will be responsible for the following:
1. Provide information to agencies and supervisors concerning field expectations and
opportunities for field instructors to discuss concerns;
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2. Facilitate identification of appropriate tasks and documentation of appropriate student
learning experiences consistent with the demonstration of professional behaviors
associated with practice competencies;
3. Inform agencies of ongoing curriculum developments and/or changes;
4. Meet with students and agency field instructors to assess student activities and progress
toward demonstrating professional behaviors;
5. Provide students with feedback on quality of student daily logs regularly throughout the
semester and document appropriately;
6. Assume final responsibility for evaluating the student and assigning the grade, based in
part upon the field agency and daily log evaluation;
7. Visit agency as needed or at least once per semester.
Director of Field Education Responsibilities
The directors of field education will be responsible for the following:
1. Create and maintain processes and procedures to implement the design of the field
program;
2. Develop new agency internship sites to meet student needs and work with field settings to
enhance their understanding of the core competencies and their related practice behaviors;
3. Assess agency/field instructor qualifications and fitness;
4. Evaluate field outcomes student competencies via the systematic design, supervision,
coordination and evaluation of the field program;
5. Present data at regular program renewal meetings;
6. Assure field education compliance with Council on Social Work Educational Policy
Accreditation Standards;
7. Provide information to agencies and supervisors concerning field experiences objectives,
appropriate student learning experiences and curriculum developments and/or changes;
8. Maintain availability to students, agency supervisors and faculty liaisons to discuss
continuous improvement of the field experience;
9. Develop and facilitate field instruction orientation, seminars and educational opportunities
for field instructors and faculty;
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10. Coordinate the Professional Context Preceptor Program experience by obtaining the
students’ practice interest; assign students to the identified agency; identify and prepare
student mentors; coordinate and evaluate the outcome of the volunteer experience;
11. At the beginning of spring semester assess the student interest in the field by disseminating
and gathering the preparation for the field form (see below); and
12. Coordinate student internship placements.
THE INTERSECTION OF FIELD AND THE CLASSROOM
The field instructor is expected to be familiar with course work associated with the concurrent seminar
and is responsible to provide the student with the resources necessary to complete their work.
Students are responsible to initiate requests and to provide necessary documentation, such as copies of
assignments.
BSW Internship Preparation: Early Coursework
Program competencies and their associated practice behaviors are introduced, reinforced, practiced and
demonstrated through course content, program activities and field experiences. Prior to their field
course work and field experience, students will have passed (with a “C” or higher) SWK100 Introduction
to Social Work and Social Welfare, SWK130 Social Welfare Policy, SWK160 Human Behavior in the Social
Environment, SWK200 Professional Context of Social Work Practice. An aspect of SWK200 Professional
Context of Social Work Practice, the Preceptorship Experience, is of particular interest to the field
instructor and is described below.
The Preceptorship Experience
Students enrolled in SWK200 The Professional Context of Social Work Practice are required to complete
a 20-hour social work agency experience. The purpose of this structured experience is for students to
get a first-hand look at social work in a field of interest and to begin to experience the elements of
professional comportment in an agency setting and for interns to experience supervisory responsibility.
During the 20-hour experience, the student shadows a Kutztown University BSW or MSW intern who
serves as preceptor. The student and preceptor build a professional relationship in which the SWK200
student is guided through a process that includes introduction to the agency and its workers and the
completion of a service learning activity. Ultimately, the student will complete a project designed to
explore the agency and share the information with classmates.
The preceptor provides mentorship, guidance, supervision and evaluation throughout the experience.
The preceptor works together with his or her field instructor to design learning experiences and
instruction for the completion of a final project for the student.
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Field Instructor Responsibilities Related to the Preceptorship Experience:
1) Be open to the preceptorship program during internship planning process
2) Identify learning opportunities for the intern within the preceptorship role
3) Help the intern creatively construct service opportunities for the sophomore
4) Provide supervision to the intern on the importance of mentoring, professional identity, and
carrying out the social work role of consultant.
MSW Internship Preparation: Early Coursework
Field instructors should be aware that foundation year MSW students have baccalaureate degrees in a
variety of disciplines. While they have all completed a series of prerequisite courses (American
Government, Macroeconomics, Statistics and at least 15 credits of social science), their familiarity with
social services varies widely. The MSW foundation year curriculum, therefore, presumes that the
student knows little or nothing about social work, and the field instructor should proceed likewise.
Students begin their studies with courses such as SWK400 Foundations of Human Behavior in the Social
Environment, SWK455 Foundations in Social Welfare Policy, SWK450 Foundations of Social Work
Practice with Individuals, SWK460 Foundations of Research Methods in Social Work. Later, they
continue with SWK465 Social Work with Groups and Families and SWK480 Social Work with
Communities and Organizations. Essentially, the generalist practice content that undergraduates absorb
over the course of four years is distilled into a two-semester program. While the students are
continually engaged in practice seminars, field instructors will do well to consider that each social work
experience is likely to be a new one for the foundation year MSW student.
Advanced year MSW students are challenged by two expectations: First, they are to move their
generalist practice skills to a new level of complexity in advanced generalist practice. Courses such as
SWK582 Advanced Theory in Family-Centered Generalist Social Work Practice, SWK560 Applied
Methods of Social Work Research, and SWK555 Applied Family Policy and Family Service Programs
facilitate this process. In addition, advanced year MSW students must engage in a transformative
learning process in which they explore and engage with the theory and practice related to Family-inEnvironment. This is both an intellectual and an emotional experience in which students must learn
theory while reflecting upon—and perhaps changing—their own perceptions of family experiences, both
past and present. The investment of intellect, time, and self in this process is difficult to overestimate;
here, the field instructor plays a critical role in helping the student engage in reflective practice in the
agency setting. In the classroom, this aspect of the curriculum appears most prominently in SWK500
Families in the Social Environment, although it plays a major role in SWK584 Advanced Theory in FamilyCentered Generalist Social Work Practice as students analyze their evolving field experiences.
Research Class: The Field Instructor’s Role
Generalist, advanced generalist and family-centered practice all make use of a process of planned
change. This process consistently includes an evaluative component. For that reason, students at all
levels of curriculum engage in research courses that involve an applied—as opposed to strictly
theoretical—component. Students must engage actively in the research process if they are to
experience the complete planned change process, and this necessity provides one of the most critical
17
roles of the field instructor. The most successful research students are those who engage in meaningful,
productive projects. Therefore, field instructors are asked to work with their agencies, with their
students, with field liaisons and at times with professors of research to assist students in designing
projects that provide a learning opportunity along with information that can truly benefit the agency. In
this way, students carry out research projects that are more than academic exercises, they are
meaningful, professional activities.
The Role of Seminar
Each level of instruction (BSW, MSW Advanced Standing, MSW Foundation, MSW Advanced) includes
practice seminars concurrent with internship experiences. These classes serve to integrate the
knowledge, theory and values of the profession with actual agency social work experience. This
integration is accomplished through written assignments, examinations and classroom discussions. In
the classroom, students engage in structured discussions in which aspects of their internship
experiences are discussed as they relate to readings and lectures in the course.
Student Participation in University-Sponsored Learning Events and Experiences
There are times that the program deems a particular out-of-class activity to be a valuable learning
experience and strongly encourages or even mandates students to attend. Occasionally, these events
are connected to assignments from one of the student’s classroom experiences. For example, students
taking SWK480 Foundations of Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations are typically
required to participate in a lobbying exercise in Harrisburg on Legislative Advocacy Day, sponsored by PA
NASW. Similarly, students and field instructors alike are expected to attend the Community Forum.
These activities and others like them may conflict with internship commitments: it is hoped that with
advance notice both students and supervisors may work together to assure that learning opportunities
are available for students while services to clients may continue with minimal disruption. Likewise, it is
within the rights of the agency to request a student to participate in a training that may be held outside
regular internship hours. Time spent participating in these program- or agency-approved activities may
be
used
by
students
to
count
toward
their
required
internship
hours.
18
Appendix A
Generalist and Advanced (Family-in-Environment) competencies and practice behaviors. Advanced
competencies and their associated practice behaviors appear shaded below.
Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.
Social workers serve as representatives of the profession, its mission, and its core values. They
know the profession’s history. Social workers commit themselves to the profession’s enhancement
and to their own professional conduct and growth. Social workers
 Advocate for client access to the services of social work;

Practice personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual professional
development;

Attend to professional roles and boundaries;

Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication;

Engage in career-long learning;

Use supervision and consultation.
Family-centered social workers embrace their self-definition as members of the social work
profession in interaction with others. They articulate the profession’s philosophy and purpose in
two specific contexts: 1) the context of their own role in the agency context, and 2) the context of
their own role as agency representative in the community. In addition, their plans for professional
growth are developed within the context of the agency and its constituents. Supervision is sought
independently as needed. These social workers

Advocate for client systems via discussion of the impact of policies on families and
service provision;

Articulate to colleagues the role of the family-centered social worker in the practicum
setting and to a variety of agency constituents;

Independently request supervision as needed; engage in self reflection related to
increasingly complex client situations;

Through consultation, develop a list of continuing education resources and articulate a
plan for future professional growth; and

Demonstrate active participation in the social work profession.
Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
Social workers have an obligation to conduct themselves ethically and to engage in ethical
decision-making. Social workers are knowledgeable about the value base of the profession, its
ethical standards, and relevant law. Social workers

Recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide
practice;

Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers
Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social
Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of
Principles;
19


Tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts; and
Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions.
Family-centered social workers manage increasingly complex ethical decision-making through
conscious use of self and self-initiated consultation. They conduct ethical decision-making in the
context of current practice in the agency and community setting with attention to its impact on
families. Social workers

Independently seek out supervision as needed;

Articulate a systematic ethical decision-making process with colleagues based on the
NASW Code of Ethics and a consideration of family impact;

Carry out multi-level planned change as a result of a systematic ethical decision-making
process consistent with current practice in the agency and with attention to the needs of
families.
Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
Social workers are knowledgeable about the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and reasoned
discernment. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. Critical thinking also
requires the synthesis and communication of relevant information. Social workers

Distinguish, appraise and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including researchbased knowledge, and practice wisdom;

Analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation; and

Demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals,
families, groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues.
Family-centered social workers question the ethical and practical implications of traditional
definitions of family. They demonstrate an ability to articulate an inclusive definition of family built
on the premise that no single family form is by its nature superior to others. They critically analyze
policies and practices that affect family members. These practitioners

Explain the relevance of an empirically-based, relational definition of family in the
context of agency function;

Explain to a variety of constituents the relevance of this definition in the context of
agency function; and

Critically analyze theories of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation
relative to their impact on families.
Engage diversity and difference in practice.
Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience
and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the
intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity,
gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex,
and sexual orientation. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a
person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as
well as privilege, power and acclaim. Social workers

Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize,
alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power;

Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate [sic] the influence of personal biases and values
in working with diverse groups;

Recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in
shaping life experiences; and
20

View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants.
Employ self-awareness to understand and articulate the strengths inherent in diversity.
(Program Specific Supplement)
Ever cognizant of its diverse geographic service area, the Kutztown University Social Work
Program places an emphasis on working with diverse client systems. Graduates are comfortable
enough with their own elements of diversity to recognize the strengths of diversity in others.
They understand that those elements of diversity that often result in oppression, poverty and
marginalization are likely to include strengths that may be utilized to enhance individual and
system functioning.






Articulate the program’s strength-based definition of diversity;
Use sources of knowledge regarding diverse populations for multi-level, strengths
perspective assessment of client situations;
Articulate the impact of personal behaviors and values on others;
Examine own attitudes and values; engage in self-reflection with consultation;
Use self disclosure appropriately; and
Articulate the strengths that different groups bring to the agency setting.
Family-centered social workers continuously refine the professional use of self through learning
about diverse family forms and their inherent strengths. They explore their own definition of family
and their own family history to develop the self-awareness that allows them to understand their
own values and biases. These social workers

Articulate an inclusive, strength-based definition of diversity as it relates to multi-level
client systems; and

Study their own definition of family and its historical context, identifying potential
obstacles to work in the context of diverse family forms.
Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
Each person, regardless of position in society, has basic human rights, such as freedom safety,
privacy, and adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers recognize the
global interconnections of oppression and are knowledgeable about theories of justice and
strategies to promote human and civil rights. Social work incorporates social justice practices in
organizations, institutions, and society to ensure that these basic human rights are distributed
equitably and without prejudice. Social workers

Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination;

Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice; and

Engage in practices that advance social and economic justice.
Family-centered social workers consider forms and mechanisms of oppression and
discrimination as they impact the family and develop and carry out strategies for change that
advance social and economic justice for all families. They analyze the impact of social policies on
client systems, workers and agencies. They demonstrate skills for influencing policy formation
and change toward promoting family well-being. Due to the Kutztown University Social Work
program mission to respond to the needs of its immediate community, graduates promote an
effective, efficient and humane social service delivery network in the program service area
through community need-driven, specialized knowledge. These practitioners
 Articulate the impact of oppression and discrimination on families affected by agency
service;
21
 Develop a strategy for change to facilitate human rights and social and economic justice for
families of diverse forms;
 Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting community needs to a variety of
constituents;
 Articulate organizational needs and propose rational, family-centered solutions;
 Discuss mutual areas of study within student learning goals and agency needs; and
 Present specialized learning effectively to identified agency personnel.
Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
Social workers use practice experience to inform research, employ evidence-based
interventions, evaluate their own practice, and use research findings to improve practice, policy,
and social service delivery. Social workers comprehend quantitative and qualitative research and
understand scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers

Use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry; and

Use research evidence to inform practice.
Family-centered practitioners refine, evaluate and advance social work knowledge, service
provision and the profession using a critical evaluation of scientific literature and systematic
practice evaluation. They bring a family-in-environment perspective to multi-level practice-based
research. Viewing family as the pivotal social institution, they develop research questions with a full
consideration of the potential for family impact. They complete independent evaluations of
programs and multi-level practice interventions from a family-centered perspective. These
practitioners
 Consult with supervisors to develop relevant family-centered program evaluation plans;
 Complete independent, family-centered evaluations of identified programs; and
 Complete independent, single system research designs from a family-in-environment
perspective for their own practice evaluation.
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of
social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in
maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge
from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual
development. Social workers
 Utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, and
evaluation; and
 Critique and apply knowledge to understand person in environment.
Family-centered practitioners exhibit a knowledge concentration in the practice perspective
family-in-environment. They respond with multi-level practice to the needs of the institution of
the family so that its members realize their fullest potential for personal fulfillment and social
contribution. These practitioners understand the family to be a pivotal social institution. They
integrate knowledge from generalist social work practice and the liberal arts and sciences with
theories of family functioning and family-centered analyses of social welfare policy and social
work practice research. In addition, they develop specialized knowledge consistent with
individual and agency goals. These practitioners
 Define family from an empirically-based, relational perspective;
 Articulate the family’s impact on person and environment; and
22
 Collaborate with supervisors to identify areas of specialized study that intersect individual
learning goals and agency needs.
Engage in policy practice to deliver effective social work services.
Social work practitioners understand that policy affects service delivery, and they actively
engage in policy practice. Social workers know the history and current structures of social
policies and services; the role of policy in service delivery; and the role of practice in policy
development. Social workers

Analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being; and

Collaborate with colleagues and clients for effective policy action.
Family-centered practitioners function autonomously within the structure of organizations
and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational level change. They analyze the
impact of social policies on families, client systems, workers, and agencies. In response, they
influence policy formation and change toward promoting family well-being. Family-centered
practitioners
 Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting community needs to a variety of
constituents;
 Discuss the impact of policies on families and service provision; and
 Articulate organizational needs and propose rational solutions from a family-centered
perspective.
Respond to contexts that shape practice.
Social workers are informed, resourceful, and proactive in responding to evolving
organizational, community, and societal contexts at all levels of practice. Social workers recognize
that the context of practice is dynamic, and use knowledge and skill to respond proactively. Social
workers
 Continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific and
technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services; and
 Provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes in service delivery and practice to improve
the quality of social services.
Family-centered social workers promote an effective, efficient and human social service
delivery network through community need-driven specialized knowledge. They respond to the
dynamic nature of population and science through family-centered service grounded in their
agency’s mission. These practitioners

Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting community needs to a variety of
constituents; and

Articulate a historical analysis of a social policy using the family-in-environment perspective
and an international comparison.
Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and
communities.
Professional practice involves the dynamic and interactive processes of engagement, assessment,
intervention, and evaluation at multiple levels. Social workers have the knowledge and skills to
practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Practice knowledge
includes identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-based interventions designed to achieve
client goals, using research and technological advanced; evaluating program outcomes and practice
23
effectiveness; developing, analyzing, advocating, and providing leadership for policies and services;
and promoting social and economic justice.
Engagement
Social workers

Substantively and affectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities;

Use empathy and other interpersonal skills; and

Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes.
Family-centered social workers recognize the multi-faceted variety of family forms. Knowing
that individuals and policy makers often hold the preconception that “family” only means persons
related by marriage or blood ties, these practitioners.

Substantively and affectively prepare for multi-level work with and on behalf of families of
diverse forms; and

They work with client systems of all sizes with attention to the importance of helping
individuals to recognize their family members.
Assessment
Social workers
Collect, organize, and interpret client data;
Assess client strengths and limitations;
Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives; and
Select appropriate intervention strategies.
Family-centered practitioners analyze complex problems and propose multi-level, familycentered solutions. They
 Develop strengths-based assessment of client systems from the family-in-environment
perspective; and

Create mutually developed, multi-level service plans based on strengths-based, familycentered assessment of client systems.




Intervention
Social workers
Initiate actions to achieve organizational goals;
Implement prevention interventions that enhance client capacities;
Help clients resolve problems;
Negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients; and
Facilitate transitions and endings.
These practitioners conduct multi-level intervention in the context of agency function, worker
role and family impact. Intervention is informed by the family-in-environment perspective and
based in an eclectic, empirically evaluated knowledge base.





 Conduct multi-level prevention and intervention in the context of agency function,
worker role and family impact;
Evaluation
24
Social workers

Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions.
 Articulate the evidence-based practice principles and/or theoretical framework for familycentered interventions; and
 Develop and carry out independent, systematic evaluations of practice.
25