Field Practicum Policy

Students in the MSW Program must earn a B or better in all field practicum courses (see below). Any grade of B- or lower in a field practicum course must be repeated with remediation. Only one field practicum course may be remediated and a grade of B or better is required before continuing on to the next field practicum course.

• SWG 596: Practicum I: 3 Credits
• SWG 597: Practicum II: 3 Credits
• SWG 598: Practicum III: 3 Credits
• SWG 599: Practicum IV: 3 Credits
• Total Credits: 12

Field Placement Policy

If an MSW student is referred to three field placements and not accepted due to unprofessionalism, the program reserves the right to suspend the placement process. The student may reapply for field placement in the next academic year.

Field Dismissal Policy

Students who are dismissed from field by their placement agency for violations of Academic Integrity may immediately receive an F for the course, be removed from field and dismissed from the Graduate Social Work Program.

Please refer to Graduate Catalog for the official policy.

Field practicum agencies, programs and service sites are visited by the Director of Field Education and selected for Foundation or Concentration field students based on the site's ability to provide practice opportunities for developing and demonstrating competency behaviors. Typically, Foundation field placements are in programs that provide such services as case management, intake, assessment, co-facilitation of groups, resource gathering and discharge planning. Concentration field placements are those that offer more advanced opportunities, such as carrying an independent caseload, facilitating groups, working with multiple stakeholders, and complex case management. Some sites offer Concentration field opportunities for more systems-oriented, administrative placement activities, such as program evaluation, community and program planning, capacity-building, and system of care coordination.

A field practicum site is selected based on the site's ability to provide students with opportunities to:

• Practice social work with individuals, families and communities, including groups and larger organizations for Foundation field students, and advanced practice opportunities for Concentration field students
• Engage in social work practice that is consistent with the values, ethics, principles and theories of social work and the mission of West Chester University Graduate Social Work Department
• Learn through assignments and activities so that the student can achieve the competency behaviors identified for each semester of field practicum
• Practice non-discrimination with regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, age, religion, or disability in providing services
• Provide orientation to the site services, procedures, human resources policies and guidelines, including safety policies and procedures
• Provide a qualified Field Instructor who has adequate time to supervisethe student and meet with the faculty liaison, and who has completed or agrees to complete the Seminar in Field Instruction series
• Field sites must also sign an Affiliation Agreement with West Chester University.

The identification of a field placement is a collaborative process between the student and the Director of Field Education. All students applying for their first field assignment must complete a Field Practicum Application , along with a resume. This will be reviewed by the Director of Field Education along with the personal statement submitted as part of the student's application to the MSW Program.

The Director of Field Education discusses possible placements taking into account the student's:

• learning needs and professional interests
• level of professional development based on life and social service experience
• course work in the program
• geographic location and available transportation
• unique circumstances

The Director of Field Education meets with each student individually to explore placement possibilities. Students are asked to be flexible and open to a variety of learning opportunities.

Evening and weekend-only placements are not available. Students are required to have some weekday hours at field sites to participate in learning activities that are only available during the day such as case consultations, staff meetings, and professional training.

Students who have satisfactorily completed their foundation field practicum are required to update their field practicum application before meeting with the Director of Field to guide the selection of a second field placement. They must also to renew their liability insurance. All students completing a field placement must fulfill any additional requirements specific to the site where they are placed.

Employment-based field placements may be approved if the workplace is able to offer the student:

• New assignments different from the student's role as an employee, which will meet the student's learning needs
• A Field Instructor who has an MSW and is someone other than the student's work supervisor
• A signed Affiliation Agreement with West Chester University

To maintain the integrity of the student/Field Instructor relationship, dual relationships should be avoided. For example, the student and field instructor should not be friends or socialize outside of the work environment.

• The student, in consultation with the employer offering a field practicum, must initiate a written plan that includes:
  • Employment organization's name, student's job title, name of employment supervisor and brief description of job responsibilities
  • Proposed field practicum assignments that are different from the job responsibilities, that provide opportunities to acquire new skills and are commensurate with the expectations for the corresponding Field Practicum Course
  • The name, title and credentials of proposed Field Instructor (someone other than the employment supervisor) and the name, title and credentials of the proposed Task Supervisor (if someone other than the Field Instructor).

To ensure that all parties are in agreement about the employment-based field practicum and that there will be no conflicts of interest between a student's field practicum assignments and work assignments, or between a student's Field Instructor and work supervisor, the plan must be signed by the:

• Student
• Student's employment supervisor
• Proposed Field Instructor and proposed Task Supervisor (if applicable)
• Director of Field Education

The proposed plan must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Field Education prior to the start of the semester. The plan is also submitted to the student's Faculty Field Liaison as an attachment to the student's Learning Agreement.

Extended Field Practicum hours may be approved in conjunction with or separate from employment-based field placement. Extended hours enable students to complete the same total number of required hours, but over more weeks, to reduce the average number of hours per week. This option is available for students who are employed full-time or have other extenuating time commitments that prevent them from completing the standard 16 or 18 hours per week.

• A written plan for extended hours must be negotiated with the proposed Field Instructor when the student interviews for the placement to ensure that the placement organization is in agreement with and willing to accommodate the extended hours plan for the student's practicum.
• The student must submit all required documents to the Director of Field Education before beginning any field hours. The Director of Field Education must approve the plan for extended hours.
• Acceptable activities before classes start include participating in orientation, job shadowing, and learning about the agency and its policies.
• Field practicum extended hours continue through WCU's winter and spring breaks and into the summer until all required hours are completed.
• The total number of hours per semester must be completed before the student can begin the next practicum course.
• Student must maintain an accurate log of field hours completed, signed by the Field Instructor and submitted to the Faculty Field Liaison documenting fulfillment of required hours.

Foundation Year

• Total of 224 hours per semester for field practicum courses (SWG 596 and SWG 597)
• Field practicum hours:
  • An average of 16 hours per week over 14 weeks = 224 hours per semester
• Extended hours:
  • Average of no fewer than 12 hours over 20 weeks = 224 hours (includes field hours over breaks, including winter break between semesters and/or after the end of spring semester)

Concentration year

• Total of 252 hours per semester for field practicum courses (SWG 598 and SWG 599)
• Field practicum hours:
  • An average of 18 hours per week over 14 weeks = 252 hours per semester
• Extended hours:
  • Average of no fewer than 13 hours for up to 20 weeks until 252 hours completed
  • Student can participate in graduation ceremonies but will not receive a diploma until hours are complete and a final grade is posted for SWG 599

The Director of Field Education serves as a liaison between the MSW Program and field placement site before and after each semester, as necessary. Students with a plan for extended hours will typically receive a grade of NG until required hours are completed and the Faculty Field Liaison assigns a final grade.

A written plan for extended hours, separate or combined with an employment-based plan, must include:

• Proposed start date for the field practicum hours
• Projected end date for the completion of the required number of hours (224 or 280)
• Days, specific times/hours, and total number of hours projected each week

The plan must be signed by the:

• Student
• Student's employment supervisor (if applicable)
• Proposed Field Instructor and proposed task supervisor (if applicable)
• Director of Field Education

The written plan must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Field Education before the start of the semester. The plan is also submitted to the student's Faculty Field Liaison as an attachment to the student's Learning Agreement.

The 16 and 18 hours a week is the minimum requirement. Agencies have the right to ask students to complete the number of hours that they determine is appropriate. In some cases this will be as many as 24 per week, while in others it may be 16 or 18.