Field Education Manual
Senior Social Work Practicum

Social Work Program
Updated Fall 2020

Greetings Community Partners,
On behalf of the Social Work Program within the School of Social Sciences & Professions at Eastern Mennonite University, it is my honor to thank you for your willingness to partner with the EMU Social Work Program in the education of new social workers. We are especially grateful to you for working with us in the placement of our seniors in practicum placements in your organizations. It is our hope that you find walking with them on the final leg of their BSW journeys, as field instructors for senior practicum placement, a satisfying experience.
EMU is a fully accredited four-year liberal arts university with historic and current affiliation with the Mennonite Church USA. EMU is located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Our Social Work Program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national accrediting for body for Social Work Education. Our social work learning objectives comply with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) passed by CSWE in 2015.

The professors of our Social Work Program view field instructors as key partners in the training of our bachelor level social work students. We hope to work closely together with you and our senior social work student to ensure a successful practicum placement. As our students are immersed into active organizationally based social work practice during the semester, we believe they will be able to put puzzle pieces together from theory, research, and the practice skills that they have studied. We expect to see them, by semester end, having gained more confidence and skill as new social workers. The opportunity to build real professional relationships with the clients and colleagues that they meet in your organizational setting are an essential part of demonstrating their beginning generalist social work values, skills, & abilities.
This Field Education Manual was created as a guide for both student and field instructor for the trek through practicum. It includes important information regarding practicum expectations, roles and responsibilities for all parties.

Please take the time to review this manual within the first 2 weeks of this practicum. We suggest that a full discussion of the requirements noted in this manual be addressed in your initial supervisory meetings. The first item that needs to be reviewed, signed and returned is the "Memorandum of Agreement."

As we continue this learning journey together, please feel free to contact me and/or the field coordinator/Liaison with any concerns, questions or clarifications as they may arise.
The EMU Social Work Program thanks you for agreeing to serve as a field instructor this semester. Your time, efforts and contributions play a critical role in the development of our new social work professionals!

Sincerely,
Carol Grace Hurst, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Director of Social Work Program
Associate Professor of Social Work
School of Social Sciences & Professions
Eastern Mennonite University
1200 Park Road
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Office: Roselawn 202
Carol.hurst@emu.edu Office Phone:(540) 432 - 4451