University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point
Department of Sociology & Social Work
Social Work Field Education Learning Contract
Student’s Name: Click here to enter text.
Semester (Fall/Spring/Summer): Click here to enter text. Year: Click here to enter text.
Agency Name: Click here to enter text.
Primary Field Supervisor: Click here to enter text. Secondary Field Instructor: Click here to enter text.
Date Placement Begins: Click here to enter text.
Anticipated Ending Date: Click here to enter text.
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Number of Hours to Complete this Semester (Field education must total 400 hours over one or more semesters): Click here to enter text.
Schedule (Specify the days and times each week student will be in field placement):
M Click here to enter text.
Th Click here to enter text.
T Click here to enter text.
FClick here to enter text.
W Click here to enter text.
Sa Click here to enter text. Su Click here to enter text.
Agency Expectations (Discuss the expectations regarding illness, holidays, personal time, make-up for lost time, notification and
coverage during absences, etc.).
Discussion Completed: ☐(please check)
Supervision: In addition to the supervision that takes place during day-to-day agency and internship activities, students are expected
to receive at least 1 hour per week of individual, face-to-face supervision with their primary field instructor.
Supervision Day/Time: Click here to enter text.
NASW Code of Ethics: I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the NASW Code of Ethics, NASW Standards for Cultural
Competency, and NASW Standards for Technology. I have reviewed these documents and will address any questions or
concerns that I have with the Field Coordinator and/or my Field Supervisor. Click here to enter text. (student initials and
date)
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Instructions for Students:
This learning contract is based on competencies students are expected to demonstrate upon completion of
their internship. The field evaluation asks the field supervisor to evaluate skill development in each of these
areas. Some learning objectives are closely related to each other and may be addressed with the same
internship activities. The learning contract is a living document. Students and supervisors should refer to it
each week in supervision, and update it as field activities change. If a student is interning for more than one
semester, the learning contract should be updated at the beginning of each semester. The contract must be
approved by the Field Coordinator at the beginning of every semester.
Students are advised to create a draft of their learning contract prior to asking their field supervisor to
review it. Standard student outcomes are provided in each section, but students should modify them as
needed and indicate additional outcomes that will help them to attain competency in each particular area.
Once the student has created a solid draft, he or she should consult with his or her supervisor, make needed
modifications, secure the supervisor’s signature, and upload a TYPED copy to the drop-box of D2L.
By the end of the internship, the student will have demonstrated competency in each of the
following arenas of performance as a generalist social worker:
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Competency 1—Identify as a professional social worker and
conduct oneself accordingly.
1. Advocate for client access to the services of social
work
2. Practice personal reflection and self-correction to
assure continual professional development
3. Attend to professional roles & boundaries
4. Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior,
appearance, and communication
5. Engage in career-long learning
6. Use supervision and consultation
Student Outcomes
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Student demonstrates skill in advocacy.
Student maintains a journal, reflecting on activities,
skill development, strengths, weaknesses, and strategies
for improving practice. This journal is shared with the
field coordinator, who provides feedback. Student
reviews this feedback and uses it to improve practice
and self-awareness.
Student maintains appropriate boundaries with clients
and colleagues.
Student articulates elements of professional behavior
during seminar discussion and will demonstrates
professionalism in behavior, appearance, and
communication in seminar and internship.
Student demonstrates commitment to career-long
learning.
Student meets with field supervisor weekly, and
consults with other colleagues appropriately, to obtain
feedback on performance, reflect on internship progress,
and identify strategies to improve practice.
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Competency 2—Apply social work ethical principles to guide
professional practice.
7. Recognize and manage personal values in a way that
allows professional values to guide practice
8. Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the
NASW Code of Ethics
9. Tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts
10. Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at
principled decisions
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Student recognizes personal values and experiences as
they relate to practice and manages them effectively.
Student identifies ethical issues in practice, processes
ethical uncertainties with supervisor and colleagues,
applies strategies of ethical reasoning, and makes
principled ethical decisions in accordance with the
NASW Code of Ethics.
Student has tolerance for ambiguity in resolving ethical
Conflicts
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Competency 3—Apply critical thinking to inform and
communicate professional judgments.
11. Distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources
of knowledge, including research-based knowledge,
and practice wisdom
12. Analyze models of assessment, prevention,
intervention, and evaluation
13. Demonstrate effective oral and written
communication in working with individuals, families,
groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues
Competency 4—Engage diversity and difference in practice.
14. Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures
and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or
create or enhance privilege and power
15. Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the
influence of personal biases and values in working
with diverse groups
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Student understands and integrates multiple sources of
knowledge and is able to use them appropriately to
inform practice.
Student understands and analyzes models of
assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation
used by the agency and uses them appropriately.
Student communicates effectively in all aspects of the
internship experience.
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Student understands and articulates how various
elements of diversity impact clients’ lives and the
practice of social work.
Student demonstrates the ability to work effectively
with diverse groups.
Student engages in self-reflection regarding personal
16. Recognize and communicate their understanding of
the importance of difference in shaping life
experiences
17. View themselves as learners and engage those with
whom they work as informants
Competency 5—Advance human rights and social and
economic justice.
18. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression
and discrimination
19. Advocate for human rights and social and economic
justice
20. Engage in practices that advance social and economic
justice.
Competency 6—Engage in research-informed practice and
practice-informed research.
21. Use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry
22. Use research evidence to inform practice
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biases, minimizing their influence on practice.
Student demonstrates ability to learn about diversity
through clients and colleagues.
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Student identifies the history of, or potential for,
oppression and discrimination in their particular
client/agency context.
Student advocates for human rights and social justice.
Student practices in a way that promotes social and
economic justice.
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Student considers how scientific inquiry may be used
to address questions that arise in practice.
Student questions agency approaches and services
based on his/her research knowledge base
Student understands and analyzes the research used to
inform practice in their particular client/agency
context.
Student evaluates his/her own practice through use of
the Field Education Evaluation Instrument, feedback
from the field coordinator and agency supervisor, and
self-reflection.
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Competency 7—Apply knowledge of human behavior
and the social environment.
23. Utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes
of assessment, intervention, and evaluation
24. Critique and apply knowledge to understand person
and environment
Competency 8—Engage in policy practice to advance social
and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work
services.
25. Analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that
advance social well-being
26. Collaborate with colleagues and clients for effective
policy action
Competency 9—Respond to contexts that shape practice.
27. Continuously discover, appraise, and attend to
changing locales, populations, scientific and
technological developments, and emerging societal
trends to provide relevant services
28. Provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes
in service delivery and practice to improve the quality
of social services
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Student uses a social systems, strengths, and person-inenvironment perspective as a guide for assessment,
intervention, and evaluation.
Student demonstrates awareness of the social service
network as it impacts clients’ lives.
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Student identifies agency, local, state, and federal
policies that influence the provision of services.
Student identifies policy issues that interfere with
social well-being.
Student collaborates for effective policy action/change.
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Student demonstrates understanding of the
relationships among community organizations.
Student demonstrates understanding of eligibility
criteria for their particular program, as well as how
clients access services.
Student professionally communicates concerns about
the dynamics of service delivery systems, including
their own agency, and identifies opportunities for
change.
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Competency 10 — Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate
with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and
communities.
Engage
29. Substantively and affectively prepare for action with
individuals, families, groups, organizations, and
communities
30. Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
31. Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and
desired outcomes
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Assess
32. Collect, organize, and interpret client data
33. Assess client strengths and limitations
34. Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and
objectives
35. Select appropriate intervention strategies
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Student effectively prepares for work with clients,
colleagues, and the broader community.
Student develops rapport, conveys empathy, and
utilizes effective interpersonal skills.
Student engages with clients to develop goals and
objectives.
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Student demonstrates skill in collecting, organizing,
and making sense of client information.
Student is able to assess client strengths and
limitations.
Student collaborates with client to develop goals and
objectives.
Student selects appropriate intervention strategies
based on assessment.
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Intervene
36. Initiate actions to achieve organizational goals
37. Implement prevention interventions that enhance
client capacities
38. Help clients resolve problems
39. Negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients
40. Facilitate transitions and endings
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Student intervenes appropriately and according to
agency policies and goals.
Student engages in prevention activities that enhance
client capabilities.
Student assists clients with problem resolution.
Student is able to negotiate, mediate, and advocate for
clients.
Student demonstrates skill in ending client
relationships in a professional way.
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Evaluate
41. Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions
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Student demonstrates skill in evaluating intervention
effectiveness.
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SIGNATURES
Student: Click here to enter text. Date: Click here to enter text.
Primary Field Instructor: Click here to enter text. Date: Click here to enter text.
Field Coordinator: Click here to enter text. Date: Click here to enter text.