Field education has been designated by the
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
as the “signature pedagogy” of social work education and is a component of all accredited
social work programs.
Field placements occur both within the BSW and the MSW programs. Below is more information
specific to the field experience within the individual programs. Information regarding
training, resources, and other documents can be found within the
Trainings and Resources page.
Current students will find many useful documents and guidance related to their
field placement on the
Forms and Guides
page.
BSW Field Experience
The
BSW Field Experience is a
Foundation-Generalist placement that provides students with opportunities
and experiences that demonstrate the multiple and varied roles that social workers
perform, as well as day-to-day operations within social, human, and health care
agencies, programs and organizations. A major assignment within the BSW Field experience
is a multi-part portfolio which serves to help the student articulate and demonstrate
how they have successfully integrated and applied the social work skills, theories,
values and beliefs in a real world, social work practice setting.
The BSW Field Experience requires completion of a 400-hour internship and utilizes
an “integrated placement” model that occurs during the student’s final two semesters
of the undergraduate program. During the Fall and Spring semester of their senior
year, students are in field placement at least 2 days a week, for approximately
17-20 hours per week throughout the semester. During the semesters that students
are engaged in field placements, they will also be enrolled in SOWK 491 professional
seminars. These interactive seminars serve to help the student articulate and demonstrate
how they have successfully integrated and applied social work skills, theories,
values and beliefs in a real world, social work practice setting. All students
will receive detailed information regarding field placement requirements during
Field Education Briefings scheduled during their junior year.
MSW Field Experience
The
MSW Foundation-Generalist Field Experience provides students with opportunities
and experiences that demonstrate the multiple and varied roles that social workers
perform, as well as day-to-day operations within social, human, and health care
agencies, programs, and organizations. This
Foundation-Generalist Field Experience requires that Regular Standing*
students complete a 300-hour agency placement either during the first or second
year of the program (depending on degree plan). Full-time students begin their
foundation placements in early October of their first year and complete 300 hours
by the end of April (approximately 13-16 hours per week). Part-time students begin
their foundation placements in June between their 1st and 2nd year and complete
300 hours by early December (approximately 12-16 hours per week).
During the semesters that students are engaged in field placements, they will also
be enrolled in SOWK 581 professional seminars. These interactive seminars serve
to help the student articulate and demonstrate how they have successfully integrated
and applied social work skills, theories, values and beliefs in a real world, social
work practice setting. All students will receive additional, detailed information
regarding field placement requirements during a Field Education Briefing session
scheduled 4-6 months in advance of their field placement.
All students begin the
MSW Specialized-Advanced Field Experience in August of their final year.
Full-time students complete 600 hours between mid-August and late April (approximately
20-22 hours per week). Part-time students complete 600 hours between mid-August
and late June (approximately 15-18 hours per week). Students will enroll in SOWK
682 for professional seminars while completing their field experiences. Students
in
Specialized-Advanced Placement will concentrate more intensively and autonomously
in levels of intervention which reflect the elements of the Advanced Integrated
curriculum, including work at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. The
Specialized-Advanced placement is meant to prepare students for entry into social
work practice employment, with the understanding that students have already grasped
the generalist concepts, theories and roles, as well as appropriate professional
behavior. MSW students coming into the program with Advanced Standing** are required
to complete this field education experience only.
*Regular-Standing applies to students whose undergraduate degree is in an area other
than social work, or whose social work undergraduate degree is more than 8 years
old.
**Advanced-Standing students have earned an undergraduate degree in Social Work that
is less than 8 years old, and are only required to complete the Specialized-Advanced
Field Education Experience.
Employer-Based Placements
The School of Social Work permits students, on a case-by-case basis, to complete
their internships at their place of employment, 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.
Students wishing to complete an Employer-Based Placement (EBP) are required to
submit a proposal
(DOCX) (form)
for approval.
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
Tevera 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 Tevera to be kept as part of the student’s placement
documentation.
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. For further information
regarding employer-based placements, please consult the
Field Education Handbook (PDF).
Pre-Placement FAQs
Q. What is the purpose of the field instruction experience?
A. The field instruction experience is an integral part of the total curriculum and
is designed to provide opportunities for students to apply the concepts and theories
taught in the classroom to actual practice situations, thus incorporating the knowledge,
values, and skills studied in class into work with clients and client systems,
at micro, mezzo and macro levels.
Q. What are the eligibility requirements for placement?
Q. How will I know which placement options are available?
A. As you begin the field process, you will register as a student user in Tevera,
the School of Social Work’s online field management system. Using Tevera, you will
be able to explore the agencies with which WVU has a relationship with. Students
in the local area will have a wide range of preapproved options, students outside
the local area will be able to check for preapproved agencies and will also work
with the field office to find appropriate placement options in their local communities.
If there are not already sites listed in your local area, you may find the 211
website, NASW local chapter websites, local United Way websites, or your own professional
network to be good places to start exploring. If you have an agency in mind that
is not in our database, you can share the agency name and contact information with
your field coordinator who will work with you to determine if the agency can be
approved as a field site.
Q. How do I get matched to my field placement?
A. The Field Office works closely with students to determine a placement that matches
their career and educational goals. Students in the Morgantown region will be matched
to appropriate sites for their BSW placement and for their MSW foundation year
placement. These matches are based on factors such as student choice, ability,
and availability of sites. Local students will interview for advanced placements
with more autonomy but still receive support and guidance from the Field Office.
Students outside the Morgantown region will work closely with the Field Office
to find appropriate placements in their local communities.
Q. I do not live in West Virginia, how does field placement work for me?
A. Out-of-state placements and agencies are treated the same as in-state options.
All agencies must complete an application to be an approved field site and must
have an active agreement with WVU for student placements. The Field Offices works
with students to support them in finding appropriate placements in their local
communities.
Q. Can I do my Generalist and Advance placements at the same agency?
A. Possibly. The field office will explore students’ specific goals and circumstances.
When considering multiple placements at the same agency, consideration would be
given to appropriate level of learning opportunities at the placement, variety
of programs offered, and how this lines up with students’ goals.
Q. If I am currently employed at a social service agency, may I do my field placement(s)
at my place of employment?
A. Possibly. Requests for Employer-Based Placements are reviewed on a case-by-case
basis and must meet specific criteria in order to assure that the placement site
will satisfy both CSWE and SSW field requirements. Students submit a proposal and
identify the specific activities that contribute to competency development and
must be supervised by an approved MSW Field Instructor. Employer-Based Placement
applications are submitted as part of the field application process. Students approved
for employer-based placements will move through placement at the same pace as other
students; they may not log more hours in a week than would be typically completed
in a non-employer-based setting.
Q. I work 5-6 days a week during daytime hours, can I do some of my placement on
weekends or in the evenings?
A. Possibly. Field experience is designed to provide students with exposure to multiple
services, activities, social work roles, operations, and populations within an
agency, program or organization. Students are expected to be in field placement
for 2-3 weekdays during the placement period and often the client activities and
opportunity for competency building occurs during regular business hours. Thus,
the majority of placement hours should occur during that time period. A second
consideration is that students must have access to qualified supervision and have
regular interaction with their Field Instructor and/or Site Supervisor. Although
many social service agencies offer 24 hours/7-day services, there may not be appropriate
supervision available for the student. Occasional placement activities experienced
or conducted during the agency, program or organizations “off” hours may be permitted
but must be approved by the Field Instructor.
Q. May I do extra hours to finish my placement earlier in the semester?
A. Students are provided with a two-week period in which they can finish their placement
if they have met all requirements and have approval from their field supervisors.
The field placement experience is intended to provide exposure to the ongoing,
multi-faceted aspects and activities within the day-to-day operations of a social
work practice setting. If a student has met the requirements before the two-week
period, the student is required to maintain a consistent presence (at least 8 hours
a week) throughout the placement period to maximize the depth and breadth of the
learning experiences. However, should a student’s field schedule be disrupted due
to an unforeseen situation (illness, death, etc.), they may make up missed hours
during academic holidays and breaks, per approval from their Field Instructor.
Q. Are there opportunities for paid placements?
A. Sometimes. Field placements are courses that afford students the opportunity to
engage with clients and communities as a component of their educational program
and without a social work license, similarly to educational, medical, or other
health professional accredited programs. These educational experiences are structured
as learning and not labor and comply with the U.S. Department of Labor regulations
and are not required to offer stipends or compensation for students (CSWE). Some
agencies are able to offer stipends for field placements. There are also specialized
programs such as Title IVE and the Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Training
Program (RIBHT) that provide stipends to accepted students. Some agencies may qualify
as work-study opportunities for qualifying students. The Field Office attempts
to promote paid placement opportunities and will help students seek them out when
possible. However, most field placements are unpaid.
Q. May previous work or volunteer experience in social work, or an internship from
another program such as Counseling or Psychology be used in place of the MSW
Field Experience?
A. No. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which is responsible for accreditation
of social work education programs, does not allow work or life experience to be
substituted for the field instruction component. The only circumstance approved
for waiver of the MSW Foundation Field Experience is when the student meets the
requirements for Advanced Standing, due to having a BSW.
Q. I have a Master of Counseling Degree, Psychology or another human services field,
may I use the internship/practicum hours for that program to waive the social
work field instruction requirement?
A. No. Social Work Field instruction experience is based upon very specific Competencies
and Practice Behaviors which correlate with the many varied social work roles,
interventions and practice settings in compliance with CSWE accreditation standards.
Therefore, internships/practicum from other non-social work degree programs may
not be substituted for the field instruction component.
Q. Is there a field fee, or any other costs related to field placement, other than
tuition?
A. Yes. All students registering for field courses (SOWK 491, SOWK 581, and SOWK
682) will be assessed a field fee of $160 per semester. This fee includes a lifetime
license to Tevera for students and supports the SSW’s Field Office activities,
such as cultivating new placement sites and supervisor training. Many sites require
that the student also undergo a criminal background check, drug screen, or infectious
disease testing such as a TB test, and sometimes these costs are the student’s
responsibility.
Q. Are there any state specific restrictions or considerations for field placements?
A. Due to Colorado workman’s compensation regulations, WVU SSW students in Colorado
are required to seek paid or employment-based internships. WVU SSW cannot guarantee
paid or employment-based internships will be accessible to students, which may
impact completion of our program.
Q. What if a student encounters a medical or caregiving scenario that impacts their
ability to complete a field placement?
A. Students should speak with the field office about scenarios that may disrupt their
placement. Depending on the timing, a student may be able to cut down on hours
and then increase them at a different time in the placement, they may be able to
work with the agency to arrange for some amount of remote work that would meet
their needs. The student should work with the potential agency to develop a plan
for when hours could be completed. Students may also consider speaking with their
advisor about possible changes to degree plans
Q. Can I change placements partway through the internship period to work with two
different agencies?
A. Students are expected to complete their full internship with one organization.
This allows for depth of practice and for a longer relationship with supervisors
in order to fully assess competencies. If problems arise with the placement, students
should engage the first phase of the problem-solving process by speaking with their
field supervisor about their concerns. See the full problem-solving process for
more details in the Field Education Handbook.