a) Inclement Weather
In case of inclement weather, students should monitor their MIX email, as notification via the MIX email system will occur if class is canceled. Students may also check the School website at https://www.wvu.edu/.
In the event of inclement or threatening weather, students should use their best judgment regarding travel to and from campus, and to their placement site. Safety should be the main concern. If a student cannot get to the in-person seminar class or their placement because of adverse weather conditions, they should contact their seminar instructor and/or Field Instructor as soon as possible.
Students should discuss in advance with their Field Instructor the agency’s notification process for agency closure due to inclement weather and a plan to adjust their schedule or complete hours remotely due to inclement weather, per Field Instructor approval. Overall field hour requirements do not change due to inclement weather.
b) Personal Safety
Students engaging in their field education experience should exercise both caution and good judgement in situations where there may be risks to their personal safety and/or harm to themselves or clients. Examples of such situations may include confronting an agitated, explosive, or violent client alone; intervening in an escalating situation involving more than one client where interpersonal violence seems likely; and/or any situation where a client has a weapon.
In any situation where a student feels threatened or is concerned for their personal safety they should, 1) immediately contact their supervisor or the supervisor on site for support and assistance, and 2) contact the police or emergency medical services for immediate assistance. Any situation where a student has experienced a threat to their personal safety should also be discussed in supervision. The student and/or field supervisor must notify the field liaison so that the incident can be reviewed and documented by the Field Office. This will prompt the field liaison to consult with the field director and determine if the problem-solving process needs to be engaged.
If a student experiences any type of injury during their placement, a WVU Injury Report must be completed within 24 hours of the injury occurring.
c) Health & Medical Coverage
While student injuries in field placement are rare, there is an element of personal risk for those who engage in the practice of social work. It is important for students to know that if an injury should be sustained while in the field placement, his or her own medical insurance will be the only source of medical coverage. The University is not responsible for accidents occurring to students in connection with class, laboratory, shop, field work, travel, or other activities. Students may rely on their own coverage or purchase a student health policy. Information about this policy may be obtained from the University Health Service.
d) Malpractice Insurance Coverage
Professional liability insurance coverage is provided by West Virginia University for students enrolled in the School of Social Work, provided there is a written Memorandum of Affiliation (MOA) or Understanding (MOU), establishing an agreement between the placement agency and the University. Students must be enrolled in the correct section of the appropriate field course to be covered under this policy. It is important that students are acting within the scope of their role as a student learner within the field placement agency. This coverage is self-insured by the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management. The insurance program provides professional liability coverage on an occurrence basis with limits of One Million Dollars per occurrence. AIG insurance company is the third-party administrator for the State’s insurance program.
Addresses are as follows:
State Board of Risk & Insurance Management
4501 MacCorkle Avenue,
SW300 Ghannam Building
South Charleston, WV
AIG Insurance Companies
300 Capitol Street Kanawha Valley
Bldg-12th Floor
PO Box 11177
Charleston, WV 25330
e) Immunizations
Many field placement agencies have specific requirements related to infectious disease immunizations, such as TB tests, Hepatitis immunity, etc. These requirements are reviewed prior to the student and Field Instructor finalizing the placement. Compliance with these requirements, as well as the documentation of immunizations, health status, etc., are to be discussed between the student and the field agency staff. Although the SSW may verify medical tests and/or immunizations provided by students, the West Virginia University School of Social Work does not require, nor maintain, records of student immunizations or health status as a condition of admission to the program.
The field site is responsible for providing interns with all necessary information about its safety protocols prior to the intern beginning any activity on-site. This should include safety protocols to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for trainees, staff and patients. Equally importantly it is your obligation to follow all safety protocols and requirements put in place at each site, including any vaccination requirements. If you are not willing or able to adhere to your field site’s vaccination requirement and your site will not grant you a waiver, the SSW cannot guarantee an alternative placement.
f) HIPAA Training Requirement for Field Students
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted in part to protect the security and privacy of individually identifiable health information. Federal law requires every person who will be in contact with a patient's protected health information to have training in the HIPAA Privacy Standard.
Because students are covered by West Virginia University’s malpractice insurance while they are in their field experience, the School of Social Work and WVU requires that students complete WVU’s online HIPAA training annually and renew their certification every twelve months. Students must complete and maintain their HIPAA certification during their field experience and will find this to be a required activity as part of field experience courses. A copy of the student’s HIPAA certification is submitted by the student and uploaded into the ELC system with field documentation. The training is conducted with an on-line tutorial with quiz, which must be passed with a minimum of 80%, and may be taken as many times as necessary until they pass with the minimum percentage. Students may also be required to take the HIPAA training at their field placement sites.
g) Criminal Background Checks
Field placement agencies may require potential students to submit to a criminal background check and/or an APS/CPS background check prior to acceptance for placement. Compliance with this requirement, as well as any related fees, are to be negotiated between the student and the field agency staff. Students are made aware by the Field Education Director, that the existence of a criminal background has the potential to negatively impact placement, licensure and future employment within the social work profession. The West Virginia University School of Social Work does not require, nor maintain, records of criminal background checks as a condition of admission to the program. See appendix B for more details.
h) Transportation
Students shall not transport clients in their personal automobile as a requirement of their field placement, unless the agency can provide insurance coverage to them for this activity. University insurance does not include any coverage for the student should an accident occur while transporting a client in a personal automobile.
i) Sexual Harassment
Per the Board of Governor’s Governance Rule 1.6, West Virginia University (WVU) does not tolerate sexual misconduct, including harassment, stalking, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, or relationship violence. It is important that students know that there are resources available if you or someone you know needs assistance. Students may speak to a member of university administration, faculty, or staff, but keep in mind that they have an obligation to report the incident to the Title IX Coordinator.
If a student wants to speak to someone who is permitted to keep your disclosure confidential, please seek assistance from the Carruth Center, 304-293-4431 (24-hour hotline), and locally within the community at the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center (RDVIC), 304-292-4431 (24-hour hotline).