Field Education Orientation
Department of Social Work
SOW4510 BSW Field Education
Adrienne Chel Rodriguez, LCSW
Field Education Coordinator
Welcome to Field Education
Social Work Field Instruction Manual
available online at:
http://uwf.edu/cops/departments/social-work/
TK20 available online:
https://uwfsocialwork.tk20.com/campustoolshighered/start.do
Instructions for using TK20
available online at:
http://uwf.edu/cops/departments/social-work/tk-20-resources/.
BSW Internship: Senior Status Undergraduates, Final
Semester
-One semester at the same agency
-Completion of 400 hours in one semester (25 hours
per week Spring/Fall or 35 hours per week
Summer)
-Required supervision minimum one hour per week
with an approved BSW or MSW
-Attend weekly seminar (SOW4522)
This is a generalist practice placement in which students
should expect to be able to observe and practice social work
skills such as assessments, interviewing skills, community
networking/referrals, group work, use of supervision and
beginning treatment planning.
OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD PROCESS:
1. Activate tk20 account
2. Complete Field Application Spring 2016 in tk20
3. Application subject to approval by Field Coordinator
4. Student must meet with their Academic Advisor and
complete verification that student has completed all academic
requirements.
5. If application is approved, student notified of appointment
process for pre-placement interview with Field Coordinator
6. Student participates in pre-placement interview
7. Student is assigned to potential agency
8. Student contacts agency to schedule agency interview
9. If accepted by the agency, student completes Field
Placement Confirmation Form in tk20
Summer/Fall 2016 Field Dates
Field Application for Summer & Fall Available:
Monday February 1st
Field Applications DUE: February 21st at 11:55pm
Pre-placement interviews with Coordinator :
February 22nd –March 4th
Agency Interviews: March 21th-April 29th
Field Placement Confirmation Forms Due:
Friday April 29th at 11:55pm
Field Placement Summer 2016 begins: Monday May 9th
Field Placement Summer 2016 ends: Friday August 5th
13 weeks x 31 hours per week=400 hours
Field Placement Fall 2016 begins: Monday August 22nd
Field Placement Fall 2016 ends: Friday December 2nd
15 weeks x 27 hours per week=400 hours
Important Reminders
-Students are no longer permitted to begin field
internship hours prior to the start of the
semester.
-Students receiving an Incomplete in field must
enroll in and pay for a one-hour directed study
the following semester.
-Hours cannot be completed between semester
breaks.
-Field placement hours can be concluded no
sooner than two weeks prior to the end of the
semester.
Completing the Field Application
Applications must be submitted online via tk20.
A copy of your resume must be uploaded in completing the application.
Please proofread you’re application and resume carefully as agencies
have declined to interview students upon reviewing applications
containing grammatical errors, misspelled words, excessive typo’s, etc.
Students are instructed to rank their area of interests, however, there is
no guarantee a student will be assigned to the agency and/or population
requested.
You will not be referred to an agency without having submitted the field
application in full.
Pre-placement Interview
Following submission and approval of the field application, the field
coordinator will be in touch to schedule a pre-placement interview.
You will need to discuss with the Field Coordinator any current or past
situations in your life that may impact where you should be placed (i.e.,
being in recovery, being the victim of domestic violence, having a
terminally ill relative, etc).
If there are any legal issues in your past it is important that you discuss
such with the Field Coordinator. Prior legal involvement may not
exclude you from completing your internship. However, agencies vary in
their background policy requirements therefore it is necessary to address
this prior to being referred to an agency. Failure to disclose any legal
involvement or related concerns may result in disqualification from field.
BSW students are required to meet with their Academic Advisor prior to
participating in the preplacement interview with the Field Coordinator.
The purpose of meeting with the Advisor is to verify the student’s
eligibility to proceed to field the following semester. If eligible, the
student will receive a signed copy of the degree plan which must be
provided to the Field Coordinator at the time of the preplacement
interview. The preplacement interview will not proceed without a degree
plan signed by the Academic Advisor. BSW students must complete their
400-hour internship during their final semester. Students are not permitted
to enroll in more than one 3-hour course in addition to field and seminar.
AGENCY ASSIGNMENT
Either during or shortly after the pre-placement interview students are
referred to an agency.
Under NO circumstances are you to contact an agency before being advised to do so
by the Field Coordinator.
Please contact your agency as soon as you are referred. Time is of the essence as
some agencies require several weeks to complete the process of backgrounds, drug
screens, etc. At the time of the interview please inquire as to agency screening
process.
The Field Coordinator will make every effort to match students with an agency
within reasonable driving distance. However, there are no guarantees regarding
preferred location. Students may be required to intern in an agency outside their
community to achieve the best educational opportunity.
During the agency interview please discuss scheduling. A student’s schedule must be
approved by the field instructor, as well as any changes made after the fact.
Students must be available to complete internship hours within regular business
hours. Agencies are unable to provide the supervision required for students to
complete their internships on evenings and weekends.
AGENCY INTERVIEW
PROFESSIONALISM PROFESSIONALISM PROFESSIONALISM
-Dress appropriately for the interview.
-Arrive a few minutes early, ie. Don’t be late!
-Communicate professionally in all oral and written
communication with the agency, ie. email and phone
conversations.
-Please treat the agency interview as if is a job interview.
At the time of the interview or shortly after the student will be
notified as to the agency’s decision. If the agency accepts the
intern, the next step is to complete the Field Placement
Confirmation Form in tk20.
Some agencies require background checks, drug screens,
physicals, immunizations such as the flu vaccine, etc.
Many of these agencies will require the student to incur the costs
of these backgrounds, drug screens, immunizations, physicals, etc.
The Field Confirmation Form must be submitted in tk20 by the
specified due date. Students will not be assigned to the field
seminar course until this form is submitted.
The Confirmation Form will require the following information:
1. Name of agency
2. Address of agency
3. Name of Field Instructor (MSW or for undergraduate, BSW,
supervisor)
4. Credentials of Field Instructor, ie. MSW, LMHC, LCSW
5. Email address of Field Instructor
6. Phone number of Field Instructor
In some instances a student will be assigned a Task Supervisor.
If the student is assigned to a task supervisor, please contact the
Field Office prior to completing the Confirmation Form.
Internship Attendance & Availability
Students are expected to report to their agency as scheduled. Excessive
absences an/or tardiness will result in termination from the agency.
Students are to adhere to the agency schedule . In the event of holidays
or breaks, students should remain in the agency so as to ensure continuity
of care for the clients served by the intern.
Almost all of the placement agencies affiliated with the Department of
Social work require that a majority of hours be completed during regular
business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm). Placements that provide
opportunities to work evenings and weekends are rare and cannot be
guaranteed. Most field instructors work during regular business hours
and the majority of services are provided during regular business hours
hence opportunities capable of providing quality supervision and a
relevant learning experience are limited at those times.
If a students foresees that their schedule will be unable to offer the
flexibility needed to be present during regular business hours, students
are encouraged to consider if this is the semester to enter field.
Integrative Field Seminar Course
During each semester that a social work student is in field placement,
the student is concurrently enrolled in an Integrative Field Seminar
Class taught by regular or adjunct faculty. The purpose of this class is
to integrate social work research, theory, and policy with activities the
student is involved in while in the field placement. Field Seminar
Course Attendance is MANDATORY. Attendance policies will be
further outlined in the syllabus. Excessive absences will result in a
grade of “unsatisfactory” for field (5532). SOW4522 is a graded
course.
Field Education Contract
Students are responsible for creating a collaborative learning contract
with their field instructor at the agency. The process of initiating the
contract will be addressed during the course of field seminar.
Templates for the learning contracts are available online:
http://uwf.edu/ceps/departments/social-work/careers-andinternships/bsw-field-instruction/
Resolving Issues in Field
Notify your seminar instructor of any placement concerns
In most cases students are advised to first address their concerns
with the Field Instructor prior to the Seminar Instructor
intervening
If the student is unable to resolve the issue in speaking with
his/her supervisor the seminar instructor will intervene in
assisting to resolve the issue
It may be necessary to complete a Performance Improvement
Plan
The Performance Improvement Plant will identify areas of
concern along with the goals and responsibilities of each person
Failure to comply with Performance Improvement Plan may result
in a referral to the Admissions & Retention Committee
TERMINATION
Unethical behavior
Attendance problems
Inappropriate behavior
Unwillingness to accept feedback and make corrections in words
and/or behavior
Walking away from placement
Inability to integrate theory and practice
Students are not permitted to change field placements. Any changes in field
placement must be facilitated by the Field Coordinator and there must be
extenuating circumstances (you cannot change your field placement because you
don’t like it, don’t get along with staff, etc.)
Students are NOT permitted to terminate their internships. If a student “quits” or
decides to discontinue the internship, the student will be referred to the Admissions &
Retention Committee. The Committee will determine if the student is to be placed
in another agency and if so, under what conditions.
CODE OF ETHICS
Read the Code of Ethics prior to beginning your field
placement.
Ethical practice in field will be evaluated based on the
NASW Code of Ethics available online at :
https://www.socialworkers.org/
Please direct any questions or concerns to the
Field Coordinator
Adrienne Chel Rodriguez, LCSW
arodriguez@uwf.edu
(850)474-2941
Please direct any questions or concerns regarding
your degree plan or academic status to your
Academic Advisor
Erica Mack, MSW
emack@uwf.edu
(850)474-3259
Please direct any questions or concerns regarding
tk20 to
Loan Crider, LCSW
lcrider@uwf.edu
(850)474-2709