Senior Practicum Eligibility and Placement Matching

The following eligibility standards must be met for the senior practicum:

1. Submit Social Work Practicum Application.
2. Successfully complete all required Social Work courses that are prerequisites for enrollment in SOWK 430.
3. Earned a grade of C or better in all SOWK and SOC courses.
4. Maintained an overall EMU cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
5. Achieved full program admission standing if under any contingent admission status.
6. Evaluated by faculty as professionally ready for placement via Professional Behaviors Checklist.

Social Work program faculty use a Professional Behaviors Rubric to evaluate each student applying to practicum.  The rubric is completed by two faculty members for each student according to a 4-point likert scale.  Students must demonstrate the ability to maintain scores of 3 or 4 in each of the professional behavior areas to be admitted to practicum.  The Professional Behaviors Rubric includes ratings for eight professional behaviors that students have had opportunity to demonstrate through their performance in classes.  The behaviors on the checklist include: attendance, punctuality, initiation of communication, initiative & reliability, self-awareness & respect for others, diversity awareness, responsiveness to feedback, and quality of and follow-through on coursework.

In conjunction with SOWK 400 Practice II, the Field Coordinator (who is usually the instructor of SOWK 400 Practice II) reviews the results of the rubric ratings with each student prior to their practicum placement matching.  Strengths are highlighted as well as areas where growth may be needed to be successful in field placement. 

After field coordinator's clearance for placement matching, the student prepares to interview for a prospective placement match.

The Faculty Field Coordinator makes contact with a prospective placement organization in student interest areas, to inquire whether it is feasible for the organization to host a student in a particular upcoming semester.  If organizational personnel are willing to host in this time frame, and a qualified field instructor is available, the field coordinator then introduces student and field personnel digitally and an interview is arranged with the student.  

Placement Interviews are a mutual assessment process addressing some or all of the following:

1. Student's professional and personal career goals for the placement.
2. Expected experiences the agency anticipates being available for a generalist social work BSW practicum student.
3. Discussion of strengths and weaknesses of background and fit for organization.
4. Organization's expectations of the student, and expected frequency and format for supervision and regular work schedule.
5. Any organizational training required of interns by the practicum organization.

Following the interview(s), the student will contact the faculty coordinator regarding how the interview went and whether the organization has invited them for a placement. The student is then responsible to communicate an acceptance of the offer. 

Disability Statement

If you have received services in the past related to a physical disability or learning disability that will impact you in the seminar course or practicum setting, please make an appointment to speak with the Faculty Field Coordinator about this.  Arrangements with EMU Academic Support Center and the Social Work Program may need to be coordinated with the Field Organization.  

Importance of Teamwork

The senior social work practicum student in their field education agency and in the practicum seminar classroom becomes an active participant on a team in their learning process. The EMU faculty coordinator/liaison, the agency instructor, agency colleagues, student peers and the student make up an integral team enhancing the personal and professional learning and growth process. Teamwork and collaboration are seen as key components of "best practice" and the student is expected to participate fully with the agency team in a professional manner.
Field instructors and colleagues are role models demonstrating the use of team work and collaboration in an agency setting. Teamwork, for the purpose of the practicum experience, is defined as the use of resources to enhance and improve the quality of care provided to client systems. Resources include field instructor and colleagues providing guidance and answering questions to assist the student in acquiring knowledge and understanding available resources. Resources also include the array of complimentary services utilized by the agency through referrals that meet the client systems needs and challenges.
Teamwork is also a component of self-care as challenges can be shared with colleagues thus gaining needed support for persons on the agency team.