Locating an Agency Webinar Training

Tip Sheets for Agency Search

If you are a full-time or part-time student, who is NOT advanced standing, you will be required to complete both a Generalist (Foundation) Year and an Advanced Practice (Clinical) Year placement.

Following are resource sheets separated by the four concentrations students can use in identifying potential sites for their Concentration Field Experience.

Starting Agency Outreach Process Early

Some Field Experience Organizations require that the internship and/or legal contract be initiated earlier than the Field Office’s process. When this occurs, our Field Office reviews these requests on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriate process. If this is something you encounter, please see your next steps in the process below.

1. Research the site on the internet or through networking
2. Contact the organization to determine the following:
   • Confirm there are internship opportunities that match your program of study.
   • Confirm there is an MSW with 2 years of post-graduate degree professional experience to provide supervision.
   • Ask about the availability for an MSW internship.
   • If there are appropriate opportunities and the organization states they need to begin the process early, obtain the following information:
     • Site Name, Address
     • Contact Name, Email Address, Phone Number
     • Any additional helpful information, which you can provide in the Early Outreach Process Request Form.
3. Open the Form and complete all pertinent areas.
4. Please note: The MSW Field Experience Office reviews each individual request and can only be submitted for one term beyond the current term. This process does not guarantee the placement will be approved or secured.
5. A member from the MSW Field Experience Team will be in contact within 2 business days to further review your request and/or to begin the process.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at: mswfield@mail.waldenu.edu

Requesting Searching Assistance

When students are searching, but are having difficulty locating agency options, they can contact our Field Office to request additional assistance in the search process. We review these requests to provide you with support and next steps in the process. If you are encountering challenges, please see your next steps in the process below.

1. Research and contact organizations to determine the following:
   • Confirm there are internship opportunities that match your program of study.
   • Confirm there is an MSW with 2 years of post-graduate degree professional experience to provide supervision.
   • Ask about the availability for an MSW internship.
2. You should contact a minimum of 5 agencies before requesting assistance.
3. If there are other barriers, our office will review your request to provide you with support and next steps.
4. Open the Searching Assistance Request Form and complete all pertinent areas.
   • Please be prepared to provide the additional information the form requests, such as geographical area of search and agencies contacted.
5. Please note: The MSW Field Experience Office reviews each individual request. This process does not guarantee the placement will be approved or secured.
6. A member from the MSW Field Experience Team will be in contact within 2 business days to further review your request and/or to begin the process.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at: mswfield@mail.waldenu.edu

Current Agencies in the Meditrek Affiliation Agreement Database

Disclaimer

This database includes all the active agreements that Walden University has with various field sites for programs throughout the university. Walden actively pursues affiliation agreements with new field sites whenever possible, so please contact the appropriate field experience representative for your program to discuss options if your desired field site is not listed here.

Some field sites may not be appropriate for some programs/specializations and an active agreement between Walden and the field site will not require a site to take on any particular Walden student, as space and programs may be limited. You will need to work directly with the field site to ensure their willingness and ability to take you on as a student during the quarter that aligns with your course.

You will need to complete the application process as required for your program as the presence of an active agreement with a field site does not imply an automatic approval of your field experience plans.

Important points about the AA database:

• The database includes all the active agreements that Walden University has with various field sites for programs throughout the University. This means that there are agreements in the database only for specific programs (nursing, counseling, etc.) that do not apply to the MSW program.
• Although an active partnership may be in place with a field site, this does not mean the field site is an appropriate MSW field site. Your assigned field coordinator will verify the site has turned in all appropriate documents and meets field criteria before any MSW placement approval can be granted.
• An active agreement does not require a site to support a Walden student with a field placement, as space and programs may be limited.

How to use the database:

1. Login to Meditrek and select “Search Affiliation Agreements”
   1. If you do not yet have an account email the Field Office to request one be created.  You can reach us at MSWField@mail.waldenu.edu.
2. Select the appropriate categories to narrow your search and reduce your risk of pursuing sites that are not eligible to partner with you for your MSW Field Experience.
   1.  Categories to select: school, program, and state
3. Review the list of agencies currently partnered to develop a list of your own to follow up with.
   1.  Review the agency’s website to see if it seems they offer tasks and MSW supervision needed for your field experience.
   2.  Call the agency to verify if they are interested in partnering.
4. If you do not see any agencies on the list in your area, you can look up other sites in or near your community to request placement with. If you find positive leads, submit your Lead Agency Form so that your coordinator can reach out to the site to see if a partnership might be established. Walden actively pursues affiliation agreements with new field sites whenever possible.

Your initial steps to find a lead agency:

• You will need to work directly with the field site to ensure their willingness and ability to take you on as a student during the quarters that align with your field course.
• You will need to complete the application process as required for the MSW program as the presence of an active agreement with a field site does not imply an automatic approval of your field experience plans.
  • See tab “applying to Field” regarding the application process for the MSW program

Assistance finding a site:

If you are struggling to find a site, please review the resources listed under the tabs “Steps for Locating an Agency” and “Tip Sheets for Agency Search.”  After you research your community using the support documents and call sites in your community, you may reach out to your Field Coordinator to seek follow up support.  It will be important you track your agency reach outs in a document to provide to your coordinator upon seeking assistance.

BSW Resources

The field office recommends students contact multiple agencies to ensure there are alternatives in case the first one doesn’t work out. This process is like getting a job, so method and frequency of communication are important.

1. What to communicate?

• We recommend initially reaching out via phone or email to introduce yourself and request an internship. In your outreach, make sure to include:

  1. 1. A greeting addressed to the agency contact.

     2. An introduction of yourself and outline as to why you are interested in completing an internship with the agency.

     3. End the outreach with a closing statement such as thanking them for the consideration or opportunity.

     4. A closing with your name and contact information.

2. When to communicate and how frequent?

   • If it has been over a week since you contacted the agency, follow up with them. You should try a different method than your initial outreach.

   • Consider visiting in-person to speak directly with someone.

   • If it has been a considerable time (3-5 business days), explore other options.

3. Delineating Professionalism versus Casual Communication

   • When communicating with the agencies, it is important to be professional language.

   • Your contact with agencies is not a personal relationship; keeping boundaries and communicating professionally is an important skill to practice.

Concise and direct communication with the Field Office can provide a timely response.

1. Unlike Student Success Advising, the Field Office is unable to text. You can contact the field office via email or phone.
   1. When contacting the field office, please be clear about your request. This will lead to a clearer response from the field office.
   2. If you have been assigned a coordinator, please address them in your email.
2. Clarify what you are requesting.
   1. Provide context regarding your situation. This may include specific names of the people you are contacting and outlining the steps of your actions prior to sending your request.
   2. Clearly stating your request (examples could include: search assistance or information about general field requirements)
3. If you prefer a certain contact method, please inform the Field Office.
   1. Do you best receive information via phone or email?
   2. If you request a call, please specify a good day and time to reach you, including an accurate phone number.
4. The Field Office works with hundreds of students each term. Some of the requests received may take time to research or follow up with other parties. Therefore, we ask that once you have contacted the Field Office, please allow up to 48 hours for a response before contacting our office again. Please see below for an example of a quality, detailed email to the Field Experience Office

Example:  

“Hello Field Experience Coordinator,

The first agency I am interested in interning with cannot accommodate or move forward with me because they cannot meet program requirements and expectations. I am still trying to contact other agencies but wanted to check with you to see if you have any tips or resources for me.

Respectfully,

Student

5. Check your email daily and read emails fully.

• Please use your Walden email address for all communication with the field office. 
• It is crucial to read emails in their entirety. Valuable information is shared such as field experience policies, requirements, deadlines, and expectations.
• This will save time and provide you a better understanding of what the process is like during your Field Experience and/or provide an update on next steps in the process.

6. Communicating through phone
   1. Requesting a phone appointment
      1. If you would like to speak with your Field Experience Coordinator, please request a phone appointment and inform them what your questions are.
      2. Please outline several days and times you’re available.
   2. Calling your Field Experience Coordinator
      1. If you call your Field Experience Coordinator and cannot reach them, please leave a voicemail.
      2. Do not call back multiple times a day; your Field Experience Coordinator will return your call within 48 hours.
      3. You can always send ONE follow up email after a missed phone call.