For both Foundation-Generalist and Specialized-Advanced placement processes, students are encouraged to use the listing of field sites in ELC as a starting place to explore field experience settings that reflect their practice, population, and learning interests. Students may recommend or suggest sites that are not currently listed, with the understanding that any new site must complete the standard application and review process. Students may not finalize their placements without involvement and approval from the field office. This is to provide students with a placement where the sites and Field Instructor have committed to the expectations and standards described in this manual. Students in the Morgantown region should only initiate contact with potential field settings regarding placement after consulting with the Field Office.
a) On-Campus Foundation-Generalist Placement Process
An intentional “matching” process is used by the field office to refer both BSW and MSW students to their Foundation-Generalist placement sites. This process enables the field office to be responsive to students with specific interests and needs, and to also consider the needs of the student cohort. This incorporates the Field Team and SSW faculty’s community knowledge in contributing to the experiences available to students. Students engaged in this process are only “matched” to one agency at a time.
Step 1: Approximately 3-6 months prior to the established placement start timeframe, students are required to attend a Field Education Briefing session to acquaint them with the matching process for field placement. During this session, the field placement process and expectations are reviewed, including the educational objectives of the program and students are prepared to move forward in the matching process. Students are also provided with further details on placement options to assist them in identifying their preferred placement sites.
Step 2: Students complete the Student Field Placement Application in ELC. This application provides students with the opportunity to describe their background, experience, and learning goals, and takes into consideration their personal concerns and needs during the referral process. Students will indicate the client populations, practice settings, and practice activities that they are most interested in engaging. Students may also indicate their preferred placement agencies and geographic locations, including potential new placement sites, and must submit an up-to-date resume for review. Students are encouraged to work with Eberly Career Services for resume support.
Step 3: Students completing a generalist field placement are required to schedule and attend a field consult. The field consult is a twenty to thirty-minute session with the student and a member of the field team to discuss the student’s interests, needs, and potential matches with agencies. The consult also allows an opportunity for the field office to discuss any student questions or specific circumstances.
- If the student is proposing an employer-based placement, they will indicate this preference as part of their application. The Field Office will discuss the employer-based plan with the student to determine if it meets the SSW’s policy and consider how it will impact student’s learning and educational goals.
Step 4: After the student has completed their field application and participated in a field consult, the Field Office begins the matching process. Students will be paired with the best site available, based on site and supervisor availability, student interests, limitations, such as transportation access, and the perspectives of the field team regarding the agency and student fit. Students are informed of the agency and site representative they are to contact and with whom they should arrange an interview.
Step 5: After receiving the match information, the student contacts the agency to schedule and conduct an interview. During the interview, both student and potential field supervisor will assess the appropriateness of this placement. Agencies have the option of declining the placement if it is not a good match for either Field Instructor or student.
Step 6: After the interview, the students complete an Interview Feedback Form to share the interview experience and if they are interested in moving forward to secure the placement. The Field Office will review the feedback and either 1) approve the student moving forward to secure the placement or 2) re-match the student to another agency for a second round of interviewing.
Step 7: Once a placement is approved following the interview feedback, the Field office will send the Placement Confirmation Letter to the agency to indicate agreement/disagreement to the placement. Once this form has been signed in the ELC system, the placement is confirmed.
If the student is establishing an employer-based placement, they will submit a complete and fully signed Employer-Based Field Placement Proposal (see appendix F) for review by the Field Office. Upon approval the Employer-Based Proposal will be uploaded in ELC as part of the student’s documents.
b) On-campus Specialized-Advanced Field Placement Process
More independent than the Foundation-Generalist process, the Specialized-Advanced placement process is driven by the student and supported by the field office. This enables the student to exercise independence and autonomy as they work to secure their Specialized-Advanced placement, while also incorporating the Field Office’s knowledge and experiences with community agencies.
Step 1: Approximately 3-6 months prior to the established placement start timeframe, students are required to attend a Field Education Briefing session to acquaint them with the process for Specialized-Advanced field placements. During this session, the field placement process and expectations are reviewed, including the educational objectives of the program and students are prepared to move forward in the placement process. Students are also provided with further details on placement options to assist them in identifying their preferred placement sites.
Step 2: Students complete the Student Field Placement Application in ELC. This application provides students with the opportunity to describe their background, experience, and learning goals, and takes into consideration their personal concerns and needs during the placement process. Students will indicate the client populations, practice settings, and practice activities that they are most interested in engaging. Students will also indicate their site preferences. Students must submit an up-to-date resume for review. Students are encouraged to work with Eberly Career Services for resume support.
If the student is proposing an employer-based placement, they will indicate this preference as part of their application. The Field Office will discuss the employer-based plan with the student to determine if it meets the SSW’s policy and consider how it will impact student’s learning and educational goals. All students considering employer-based placements are required to discuss with the field team.
Step 3: Students may schedule a field consult with the Field office to discuss the agencies they are planning to pursue and their interests. The field office will review the students’ preferences and may provide additional feedback regarding site and supervisor availability, student interests, limitations, and the perspectives of the field team regarding the agency and student fit. Students are affirmed of the agency and site representatives to contact and with whom they should arrange an interview. Once the Field Office approves the application, the student may begin contacting and pursuing their preferred agencies for interviewing.
Step 4: Student contacts the agency to schedule and conduct interviews. Students are encouraged to interview with more than one agency to assess and compare fit. During interviews, both student and potential Field Instructor will assess the appropriateness of this placement. Both have the option of declining the placement if it is not a good match for either.
Step 5: After interviewing, students provide Interview Feedback for each interview completed to share their impressions and indicate if they are interested in moving forward to secure the placement. The Field Office will review the interview feedback.
Step 6: If the placement is approved following the interview feedback, the Field office will send the Placement Confirmation Letter to the agency to indicate agreement/disagreement to the placement. Once this form has been signed in the ELC system, the placement is confirmed.
- If the student is establishing an employer-based placement, they will submit a complete and fully signed Employer-Based Field Placement Proposal (see appendix F) for review by the Field Office. Upon approval the Employer-Based Proposal will be uploaded in ELC as part of the student’s documents.
*Students participating in specific programs, such as RIBHT or Title IV-E, may be required by their program to consult with their academic advisor prior to finalizing their field placement site, and discuss their career goals, learning needs, and how the selected placement site will best facilitate this learning.
c) Online Placement Process (Foundation-Generalist and Specialized-Advanced)
Students in the online program who live outside of the Morgantown region will work collaboratively with the field team to identify appropriate placement sites. This process recognizes the students’ knowledge and connections within their own communities. Online students who reside in the Morgantown region will still work collaboratively with the field team, but their placement process will more closely match the on-campus placement process.
Step 1: Approximately 6 months prior to the established placement start timeframe, students are required to attend a Field Education Briefing session to acquaint them with the field placement process. During this session, the field placement process and expectations are reviewed, including the educational objectives of the program and students are prepared to move forward in the placement process. Students are also provided with further details on placement options to assist them in identifying their preferred placement sites.
Step 2: Students complete the Student Field Placement Application in ELC. This application provides students with the opportunity to describe their background, experience, and learning goals, and takes into consideration their personal concerns and needs during the placement process. Students will indicate the client populations, practice settings, and practice activities that they are most interested in engaging. Students may also indicate their preferred placement agencies and geographic locations, including potential new placement sites, and must submit an up-to-date resume for review. Students are encouraged to work with Eberly Career Services for resume support.
Step 3: Students completing a generalist field placement are required to schedule and attend a field consult. The field consult is a twenty to thirty-minute session with the student and a member of the field team to discuss the student’s interests, needs and ideas about potential placement sites. The consult also allows an opportunity for the field office to discuss any student questions or specific needs. Students completing an advanced placement are encouraged but not required to attend a field consult.
- If the student is proposing an employer-based placement, they will indicate this preference as part of their application. The Field Office will discuss the employer-based plan with the student to determine if it meets the SSW’s policy and consider how it will impact student’s learning and educational goals. All students considering employer-based placements are required to discuss with the field team.
Step 4: After the student has completed their field application and participated in a field consult, the student will work towards finding a placement site. With direction from the field office, the student will reach out to potential sites and work towards scheduling interviews. Upon finding a potential match, student will provide the field office with contact information for a representative of the site. The Field Office will work through the approval process with the site.
Step 5: After the student completes an interview, they complete an Interview Feedback Form to share the interview experience and if they are interested in moving forward to secure the placement. The Field Office will review the feedback. Upon a positive confirmation, the Field Office will ensure agency can be approved as a site and maintain communication with student though this process.
Step 6: When the agency is approved, the Field office will send the Placement Confirmation Letter to the agency to indicate agreement/disagreement to the placement. Once this form has been signed in the ELC system, the placement is confirmed.
- If the student is establishing an employer-based placement, they will submit a complete and fully signed Employer-Based Field Placement Proposal (see appendix F) for review by the Field Office. Upon approval the Employer-Based Proposal will be uploaded in ELC as part of the student’s documents.
d) Other Placement Policies & Considerations
Suggesting a New Site:
After exploration of approved agencies, the student may contact the Field Office to discuss the possibility of cultivating a new site. The Field office will evaluate the request and decide whether to pursue approval based on the same criteria used to evaluate other requests for affiliation, which also includes applicability for future students.
Unable to Secure Placement:
Students who are not successful in securing a field placement by the placement confirmation deadline will have a Student Success meeting with their academic advisor, the Field Coordinator, and/or the FED to discuss options for moving forward. Reasons for not securing a placement, which may be due to interviewing skills, communication and follow-up skills, or other challenges will be assessed. Students may be referred to resources such as career services for interview support. Students will not be permitted to continue in a field experience course (SOWK 491, 581, or 682) past the add/drop date without a finalized field placement. Failure to finalize a field placement may result in an academic review.
Opportunities Lacking Traditional Supervision:
For both MSW and BSW students, and in instances in which field credit is provided for student activities but there is no field instructor with a CSWE-accredited social work degree or the required experience, the Field Office will assess if there are alternative methods for reinforcing the social work perspective, such as with an external field instructor.
Changing Placements After Placement Confirmation:
Once a placement has been confirmed, students seeking to change placement sites prior to the first day of classes or the start of the internship are required to meet with the field office to review the circumstances, discuss potential challenges, and explore available options. Following this review, the field office will determine whether the student may pursue an alternate placement. Students may not contact potential placement organizations prior to this meeting.
e) Students with Disabilities and/or Special Needs
West Virginia University is committed to social justice. WVU does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. The field education experience concurs with West Virginia University's commitment and expects to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication and mutual respect. Any suggestions as to how to further such an environment will be appreciated and given serious consideration.
Students are asked to indicate accommodation needs in their Student Field Education Application. This provides the Field team with additional details for consideration during the match and placement approval process and greater insight for successful field experiences.
If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in field placement and/or field courses, please make appropriate arrangements with WVU Office of Student Accommodations (OSA). If accommodations are necessary for a particular class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact OSA to register and make appropriate arrangements.
OSA will contact appropriate instructors and inform them of the agreed upon accommodations. It is the instructor’s responsibility to provide students with all necessary accommodations as outlined by OSA. In the absence of such documentation, instructors are not responsible for providing accommodations.
WVU recognizes the diversity of its students, many of whom must be absent from class to participate in days of special concern. Students must notify their instructors prior to the event regarding religious observances that will affect their attendance. Further, students must abide by the attendance policy of their instructors as stated in their syllabi. Faculty will make reasonable accommodation for assignments that a student misses as a result of religious observance.
f) Employment-Based Field Placement
The SSW makes available the option of field placement where students are employed, with particular attention paid to the student’s learning opportunities. For maximum educational growth, it is important that students be exposed to a range and diversity of practice experiences to support their professional development process. Proposals for Foundation-Generalist or Specialized-Advanced placements in a student's place of employment will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The agency and student must be able to create and support an educationally based field learning experience as defined below. Students will indicate their interest in exploring an Employer-Based Placement in ELC as part of their Student Field Experience Application. After discussing with the field office, students will work with their employer to develop an Employer-Based Proposal that outlines how the student will meet the social work competencies and supervision requirements in their work setting. When this proposal is completed and approved by the student, employment supervisor, field instructor, and field office, it is uploaded into ELC to be kept as part of the student’s placement documentation.
The following policies regarding employer-based field placements are in accordance with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Accreditation Standards and are designed to help recognize the role transition that is expected of employees who are engaging in employer-based field experiences in these circumstances.
- Proposed field instruction assignment must be appropriate to the level of education
that the student is pursuing and meet curriculum requirements.
- The agency employs qualified staff, meets the established criteria for affiliated
agencies in the program, completes the Application and Review Process, and has,
or agrees to enter into an Affiliation Agreement with the University.
- An individual who meets the criteria to be an approved Field Instructor is available
to supervise the placement activities. When possible, this person is not the
student's current employment supervisor. In cases where the field instructor
is also the employment supervisor, supervision for field education learning must
be separate from supervision time for employment. If off-site, or from another
program within the placement agency, the proposed placement Field Instructor
must be approved by all parties involved in the placement. All persons who will
be supervising the student's placement activities are strongly encouraged to
complete the SSW field instructor training.
- Student field assignments and employment tasks may be the same and counted toward
required field hours if the tasks have clear links to the social work competencies.
- Students have a maximum hour per week limit, which is the same as the hour range
for non employment based placements. See appendix E for specific hour requirements
- The agency must provide written endorsement of the rationale of the student's proposal,
and agreement with the SSW’s goal of providing a professional educationally-based
learning experience. The student, their employer supervisor, the Field Instructor,
and Field Office must all agree to the proposed arrangement and provide their
signatures before the proposal will be accepted. See appendix F.
- Site visits will be conducted between the employer, field instructor, and field team representative as part of the approval process. This provides an opportunity to discuss the dual roles of learner and employee and to establish communication expectations with the employment agency about any potential issues that could impact the student’s learner role.
g) Enhanced Field Experiences
As the SSW continues to strive for high quality and innovative field learning experiences, students have the opportunity to include various shorter-term experiences as part of their field learning. For brief opportunities that occur while students are in field placements, they are encouraged to speak with their field instructor about incorporating such opportunities into their field learning. This may include attending outside trainings, engaging in interprofessional workshops through the HSC, short term volunteer opportunities, or other appropriate activities.
Enhanced Field Experiences are opportunities for students to engage in a targeted activity that can enhance their social work competency either before they are in a field placement, or an opportunity to participate in a significant experience outside of the current field placement. Students may apply to count approved experiences towards a current or upcoming field placement as an Enhanced Field Experience. These opportunities provide students with new and non-traditional environments in which to develop social work competencies, while also providing an enhanced view of social work in action.
Students interested in completing an Enhanced Field Experience must formally apply to the Field Office to engage in the activity by completing this application. Students will describe the proposed field activity, agree to complete required competency-focused documentation, and follow the NASW Code of Ethics. The social work perspective is reinforced through competency-related reflection activities and dialogues in which the student documents their growth in one or many specific social work competencies. All experiences will be approved on a case by case basis by the field office. Students can complete a maximum of 10% of their field placement in an enhanced experience.
Students who are approved for an enhanced field experience will complete a short Competency Reflection Essay that summarizes how the experience aided in their social work competency development as a final assignment. Students will then be able to record their time in ELC, which will contribute to the hour requirements of their current or upcoming field experience.
h) Partially Paid Internships & Agency Stipends
Depending on the field agency and their resources, students may receive financial support during their field placement in the form of a stipend or partial payment for their placement hours from the agency. These funds are typically provided to support student transportation costs, meals, etc. While a partially paid placement or stipend from the agency does not qualify as an employer-based placement and the arrangement is made between the student and agency, with the student bearing the responsibility to complete any and all tax-related documentation and verification. Student receiving funding from their agencies must notify the field office to determine if other necessary steps are required.
i) Dual Degree Field Experiences
The time frame, settings, and minimum requirements for field instruction for all students enrolled in dual degree programs, such the JD/MSW, must conform to the standards of the SSW, as well as to the other program's standards.
Students who are in the JD/MSW dual degree program should consult with their academic advisor and begin planning for their field education requirements for both programs from the beginning. A student’s plan must be approved by both programs.
j) Required Field Hours
SOWK 491 – BSW - Professional Field Experience
400 total hours
The BSW Professional Field Experience occurs during the student’s final year of the undergraduate program and is a 400-hour Foundation-Generalist Placement. Utilizing a delayed placement model, students begin field at midway into the fall semester and complete the placement by the end of the Spring semester. The BSW Field Experience consists of 17-20 hours per week over approximately 24 weeks, for a total of 400 minimum hours, plus required attendance and participation in professional field experience course.
SOWK 581 – MSW - Foundation-Generalist Placement
300 total hours
Foundation-Generalist field placement requires 300 hours for all students enrolled in the program, regardless of full-time or part time.
Full Time Program:
Students will enroll in SOWK 581 for 3 credit hours in Fall, and for 3 credit hours in Spring of Year One. Utilizing a delayed placement model, students begin foundation field at midway into the first Fall semester in the program and complete the placement by the end of the Spring semester. Students are expected to complete approximately 12-16 hours per week for approximately 24 weeks to reach the required minimum of 300 placement hours.
Part Time Program:
Utilizing a delayed placement model, students begin their Foundation-Generalist field midway into the Summer semester of Year One and complete by the end of Fall of Year Two. Students enroll in SOWK 581 for 3 credits in Summer and 3 credits in the Fall. Students are expected to complete approximately 12-16 hours per week for approximately 24 weeks to reach the required minimum of 300 placement hours.
SOWK 682 – Specialized-Advanced Placement
600 Total Hours
Specialized-Advanced field placement requires 600 hours for all students enrolled in the program, regardless of full-time or part time, or regular or advanced standing.
Full-Time:
Students will enroll in SOWK 682 for 5 credits in Fall and 4 credits in Spring semester of Year Two. All students take the advanced research course (SOWK 616) during the Spring semester of Specialized-Advanced field. Students will be in their field placement between 20-22 hours per week, for approximately 30 weeks. Student must maintain a consistent presence in the agency throughout the placement period. Full-time students are enrolled in the advanced field experience course (SOWK 682) throughout the fall and spring semesters.
Part-Time:
Students will enroll in SOWK 682 for 3 credits in Fall, 3 credits in Spring, and 3 credits in Summer semester during their final year. All students take the advanced research course during the Spring semester of Specialized-Advanced field. Students will be in their field placement approximately 15-18 hours per week, for approximately 36 weeks, and must maintain a consistent presence in the agency throughout the placement period. Termination of field placement occurs during the final summer semester. The timing of termination is based upon completion of required 600 field hours, including a minimum of 100 completed during the summer semester, as well as completion of timesheets, final evaluation, and discussion of termination with supervisors.
Students may not finish their placements more than two weeks before the end of their planned semester unless approved by their Field supervisors, Faculty Field Liaison, and the Field Office due to extenuating circumstances.
k) Time Keeping & Time Report Approval
Students enter their completed field hours in the appropriate activity area each day in ELC, and generate monthly reports. Regular timekeeping enables the student to document completed field hours and weekly activities, and to ensure ongoing accountability.
Time reports are required for each monthly reporting period while a student is in field and are submitted to field supervisors for final approval through ELC. Field Instructors, and Site Supervisor where applicable, are required to approve all time reports. Faculty Field Liaisons provide final approval of completed field hours. Time reports are approved in the following order: #1) Site Supervisors (if applicable), #2) Field Instructors, and #3) Faculty Field Liaisons.
Students submit completed Monthly Time Reports by the 5th of each following month for the field hours completed during the prior month. For example, field hours completed during the month of August would need to be submitted by the student to their field supervisors by September 5th.