1
Office of Field Education
July 30, 2014
TO:
Incoming MSW Day Students -2014-2015
FROM: The Office of Field Education
Leon Preston, Director of Field Education, MSW (206) 543-3881, Rm. 112B, ltp3@uw.edu
Stan de Mello, Associate Director, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 616-5983, Rm. 112K, demellos@uw.edu
Michelle Bagshaw, MSW/BASW Field Faculty, (206) 616-1561, Rm. 112G, mbagshaw@uw.edu
Jennifer Brower, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 616-8551, Rm. 112F, jjb2@uw.edu
Stacey De Fries, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 221-5017, Rm112C, sdefries@uw.edu
Cynthia Dickman, MSW CWTAP Field Faculty, (206) 897-1835, Rm. 111D, cdickman@uw.edu
John Hires, MSW CWTAP Field Faculty, (206) 543-6319, Rm. 111D, hiresja@uw.edu
J'May Rivara, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 616-5792, Rm. 112H, jbr@uw.edu
Alice Ryan, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 221-7527, Rm. 112E, alicer2@uw.edu
Aida Wells, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 221-2694, Rm. 112D, aida@uw.edu
Ebasa Sarka, MSW Field Faculty, (206) 221-1348 Rm. 120, sarkae@uw.edu
Tracey Coleman, Program Coordinator, (206) 221-6171, Rm. 112, tracec@uw.edu
Cheryl Yates, Program Coordinator, (206) 543-8618, Rm. 112, dancin1@uw.edu
RE:
Foundation Practicum Procedures, Policies and Questionnaires
Congratulations on your acceptance into the MSW Program and welcome to the University of Washington, School of
Social Work! We are contacting you now to begin planning and preparing for your Foundation (first practicum)
placement, which you will complete during the upcoming academic year. The purposes of the Foundation Practicum
placement are to: build and apply knowledge and skills in professional social work; evaluate whether the profession
of social work is the right choice for you; provide you with learning experiences in social work that are new to you;
and develop interviewing, assessment and intervention skills with individuals, families, groups, organizations and
communities, which is the cornerstone of a generalist practice.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE CWTAP PROGRAM, THE PLACEMENT PROCESS WILL BE
SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT. THE FOLLOWING CWTAP FIELD FACULTY WILL BE ASSIGNED TO YOU:
CYNTHIA DICKMAN (206) 897-1835, Rm. 111D, cdickman@uw.edu
PRACTICUM PLACEMENT PLANNING AND PROCEDURES:
(1) Please note the additional attachment, “Introduction and Questionnaire,” which needs to be completed and emailed to us by
August 25th.
(2) After all incoming MSW students’ questionnaires have been reviewed between the dates of September 15h - October 3rd, you
will be assigned a Field Faculty. You will receive their name, and it is your responsibility to contact them to schedule an
individual or group meeting to begin the placement process for your practicum.
(3) Students preparing for Foundation Practicum placement register for a one credit practicum course
(SocW 523-Introduction to Practicum) for Autumn Quarter 2014. This course will include activities both
in the placement agency and at the School of Social Work and will allow students to: (1) clarify the purpose of
Practicum; (2) become familiar with agency programs, missions, and forms of practice; (3) begin to develop a
relationship with the Practicum Instructor and Field Faculty and the agency and (4) develop the basic skills and
self-awareness needed to maximize learning in a Foundation Practicum placement. All meetings below are
required as part of SocW 523 to receive credit.
(4) Although you will already have had discussions with your Field Faculty about a possible site, you will receive
the final practicum site referral in STAR by, the week of October 13th with instructions on who to contact. Our
2
agreements with agencies dictate that students are not able to contact them until after October 15th. For additional questions
regarding this agreement, please contact your Field Faculty.
(5) There will be 4 required sessions of SocW 523 held in the month of October on Monday afternoon’s
from 1:30-4:30 which will cover important information about interviewing with the site you will be referred; 523
assignments which will be completed by the end of Autumn Quarter with your matched site; Council of Social
Work Education (CSWE) required competencies for the Foundation Year and our STAR database system for
completing later, the Contracts and Evaluations. Please reserve your Monday afternoons in October 6, 13, 20, 27, from
1:30-4:30. Details of the class sessions along with the assignments will follow shortly. Some assignments will need to be
completed prior to the class to contribute to group work and discussion.
(6) By November 14th we expect you will have completed your interview at your agency and updated your
confirmation in STAR.
(7) You will be spending up to approximately 24 hours at your practicum site for orientation during the final weeks
of Autumn quarter. The following Fridays have been set aside in the Autumn quarter schedule for you
to be at your practicum site: November 14th, and November 21nd or December 5th. Please note: These
dates are negotiable with your agency’s availability, but cannot conflict with your class schedule.
Your SocW 523 orientation activities and assignments should all be completed during these hours spent at the
agency.
(8) The Foundation Practicum placement (Soc W 524) will include 160 hours in both Winter and Spring quarters (4
credits each quarter) on Mondays and Tuesdays in the practicum agency.
(9) Please note the Health Sciences Immunization requirements. Students who are not compliant with the
University of Washington Health Sciences requirements by the end of Autumn quarter will NOT be able to start
their Practicum in January. Immunization information will be forthcoming later this summer.
Important Dates:
By August 25th
September 15th -Oct. 3rd
By week of Oct. 13th
Month of October
Monday’s from 1:30-4:30 (10/6,
13, 20, 27)
Between October 13th -Nov 7th
November 14th , 21st or Dec 5th
( or as negotiated with site)
December 8th
Return your resume and questionnaire to FoundQst@uw.edu by
Aug 25th.
Interview between your assigned Field Faculty and Student
Notice of Referral to Agency and Student for Interview
523 Sessions with Students to discuss Foundation 523 Course,
Foundation Competencies, interviewing with site, 523
Assignments and STAR–Locations to be announced later.
Interviews with Practicum Agency Contact, login to STAR to
“Accept” the practicum referral by Nov 7th.
On-site Agency Orientation and completion of 523 assignments
SocW 523 Assignments Due
Please complete the questionnaire, information form with the dates of your availability for the
telephone and group interview, and return along with your resume by EMAIL ATTACHMENT TO
FOUNDQST@UW.EDU, BY August 25th.
H: drive/PlacementDocuments/FoundationDay/2014-2015 Foundation Day Memo (Rev. 7/2014)