MSW Practicum

Generalist Year.
The initial portion of your MSW program that includes foundational coursework and fieldwork. In the traditional full-time two-year program, this is the “first year” of the program. For part-time students, “Generalist Year” will extend beyond a one-year period.

Specialized Year.
The second portion of the MSW program that includes advanced coursework and fieldwork. This is when you will learn advanced skills such as crisis intervention, treatment planning and evaluating psychosocial functioning.

Director of Practicum Education.
The MSW department staff member who works to identify practicum placement opportunities and match students to sites to complete their practicum  education experiences. We have two Directors of Practicum Education, one for West Chester and one for Philadelphia campuses.

practicum  Agency. Also known as practicum  site or practicum  placement
The place where you will complete your practicum  education experience. This may be a hospital, school, government agency, etc.

Practicum  Liaison. Also known as faculty practicum  liaison
The faculty member who is the bridge between the student and the practicum  instructor during the practicum  experience. The faculty practicum liaison leads the corresponding classroom practice course associated with your practicum  experience, conducts site visits, and is a key component of the learning process.

Practicum  Instructor.
The individual at your field site who provides supervision, mentoring and evaluation of your field experience.

The identification of a practicum  placement is a collaborative process between the student and the Director of Practicum Education, who meets individually with each student to explore placement possibilities. Students submit a resume and complete an application providing information about career goals, experience, strengths, challenges, and other details that guide the placement process. Students are asked to be flexible and open to a variety of learning opportunities.

The Director of Practicum Education discusses possible placements taking into account the student's:

• Learning needs and professional interests
• Level of professional development based on life and social service experience
• Course work in the program
• Geographic location and available transportation
• Unique circumstances
  
  

Evening and weekend-only placements are not available. Students are required to have some weekday hours at field sites to participate in learning activities that are only available during the day such as case consultations, staff meetings, and professional training.

Students who have satisfactorily completed their generalist practicum are required to update their practicum application before meeting with the Director of Practicum  Education to guide the selection of the specialized placement. Students must also renew their liability insurance. All students completing a practicum placement must fulfill any additional requirements specific to the site where they are placed.

Employment-based field placements may be approved if the workplace is able to offer the student:

• New assignments different from the student's role as an employee, which will meet the student's learning needs
• A Field Instructor who has an MSW (with two years post-MSW experience) and is someone other than the student's work supervisor
• A signed Affiliation Agreement with West Chester University

To maintain the integrity of the student/Practicum Instructor relationship, dual relationships should be avoided. For example, the student and Practicum Instructor should not be friends or socialize outside of the work environment.

The student, in consultation with the employer, must submit a written plan  to the Director of Practicum Education for review.

To ensure that all parties are in agreement about the employment-based practicum and that there will be no conflicts of interest between a student's practicum assignments and work assignments, or between a student's Practicum Instructor and work supervisor, the plan must be signed by the:

• Student
• Student's employment supervisor
• Proposed Practicum Instructor and proposed Task Supervisor (if applicable)
• Director of Practicum Education

The proposed plan must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Practicum Education prior to the start of the semester. The plan is also submitted to the student's Faculty Practicum Liaison as an attachment to the student's Learning Agreement.

Students who are employed full-time or have other extenuating time commitments that prevent them from completing the standard 16 or 20 hours per week of field, may be approved for Extended Practicum hours. Extended hours enable students to complete the same total number of required hours, but over more weeks, to reduce the average number of hours per week. 

What will extended hours look like?

Generalist Year

• Total of 224 hours per semester for practicum courses (SWG 596 and SWG 597)
• Average of no fewer than 12 hours over 20 weeks = 224 hours
• Includes field hours over breaks, including winter break between semesters and/or after the end of spring semester

Specialized Year

• Total of 252 hours per semester for practicum courses (SWG 598 and SWG 599)
• Average of no fewer than 13 hours for up to 20 weeks until 252 hours completed 

 

What should I know about extended hours?

• A written plan for extended hours must be negotiated with the proposed practicum site's Practicum Instructor when the student interviews for the placement to ensure that the placement organization is in agreement with and willing to accommodate the extended hours plan.
• The student must submit all required documents to the Director of Practicum Education before beginning any field hours.
• The Director of Practicum Education must approve the plan for extended hours.
• Acceptable activities before classes start include participating in orientation, job shadowing, and learning about the agency and its policies.
• Practicum practicum extended hours continue through WCU's winter and spring breaks and into the summer until all required hours are completed.
• The total number of hours per semester must be completed before the student can begin the next practicum course.
• Student must maintain an accurate log of completed practicum hours, signed by the Practicum Instructor and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. 
• The Director of Practicum Education serves in lieue of the Faculty Practicum Liaison during extended hours outside of the scheduled semester. Students with a plan for extended hours will typically receive a grade of NG until required hours are completed and the Faculty Practicum Liaison assigns a final grade.
• A written plan for extended hours, separate or combined with an employment-based plan, must include:
  • Proposed start date for the practicum hours
  • Projected end date for the completion of the required number of hours (224 or 280)
  • Days, specific times/hours, and total number of hours projected each week
• The extended hours plan must be signed by the:
  • Student
  • Student's employment supervisor (if applicable)
  • Proposed Practicum Instructor and proposed task supervisor (if applicable)
  • Director of Practicum Education
• The written plan must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Practicum Education before the start of the semester. The plan is also submitted to the student's Faculty Practicum Liaison as an attachment to the student's Learning Agreement.

Student performance in practicum is evaluated through a variety of measures designed to be supportive and collaborative. Both the Practicum Instructor and the Faculty Practicum Liaison contribute to the student's evaluation including:

• Student's self-reflection in Learning Agreement
• Direct observation of student
• Process recordings (only required in the first practicum)
• Practice vignettes and self-reflections in the Learning Agreement and the Final Evaluation

Additionally, Practicum Instructors will evaluate:

• Reports of direct observation of student from other team members
• Weekly supervision and ongoing consultation
• Collaborative assessment of mid-semester and end-of-semester performance

Additionally, Faculty Practicum Liaisons will evaluate:

• Practicum discussions in practice class or practicum seminars
• Ongoing consultation with student and Practicum Instructor
• Ratings and comments from the Practicum Instructor on mid-semester and end-of-semester evaluations

The Faculty Practicum Liaison has sole responsibility for grading student performance in  practicum. While s/he/they may rely on insight from the Practicum Instructor, the grade is ultimately the decision of the Faculty Practicum Liaison in accordance with the course syllabus.

Students who have concerns such as practicum assignment, conditions of placement, quality or frequency of supervision, educational needs, evaluation, grading, social work values and ethics, or any other related issue should:

• First try to resolve the issues directly in meetings with their Practicum Instructor.
• If resolution with the Practicum Instructor is not possible, notify the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The Faculty Practicum Liaison will mediate differences among students, Practicum Instructors and other practicum site staff.

If the problem is still not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the Practicum Instructor and/or the Faculty Practicum Liaison, the student may request a meeting with the Director of Practicum Education. The Director may serve as a mediator between the Liaison, student and Practicum Instructor or site representative as requested. When the grievance involves an educational issue, the Director of Practicum Education may refer the matter to the Program Director for discussion and a decision.

If the issue is still not solved to the student's satisfaction, a final appeal may be directed to the Program Director. If the issue is in regard to an assigned grade, the student must follow the appeal procedure as stated in the West Chester University Graduate Catalog.