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Field Experience: School of Social Work: Field Courses, Resources, and Webinars

MSW Course Schedules, Resources, and Webinars

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

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

Course Information

Field Education involves your work at the agency and assignments in your field education course. Your Field course is different from other courses you have taken in the social work program. The field courses not only require coursework but require you to complete 250* hours at your agency during the term. Below are some course expectations:

1) Students will have weekly face-to-face meetings on Adobe Connect to interact with their faculty and peers. These meetings are required and provide you an opportunity to discuss what is going on in the agency, share experiences, and learn content about the social work perspective.

2) There are no discussion posts in the course. Instead, you will post to blogs. The blogs allow you to write about particular points of learning and how they connect to your agency work.

3) You will work with your Field Instructor (agency supervisor) to establish a Learning Agreement. Your Field Liaison (faculty member) must approve the agreement.

4) You will keep track of  your agency hours. You are required to clock 250* hours during each 11 week term to pass the course.

5) At mid-term and end of the placement your Field Instructor will evaluate your learning based on the 9 core competencies outlined on your Learning Agreement. Therefore, it is important that you engage tasks on all of those levels.  

 

The sequence of social work courses allows you to be prepared for your field courses and internship.  Please connect with your Student Success Advisor to discuss your course sequence and load.

*200 hours each quarter for Foundation Summer 2020-Winter 2020.

 

Field Orientation Webinars

The Field Orientation Webinars provide important information about your Field Experience. Please refer to them often.  

If you have difficulty accessing the webinar, you may need to use a different browser. Copy and paste the following URL to a new browser.

MSW Student Orientation for Foundation Year (Skills Lab I) - https://laur.zoom.us/rec/share/3cJIMem39EZLWJXo537uaLZ_EIm_T6a8gSUXqaALzUlZ-gHCdtd3xIYEK0n5O00Z?startTime=1588271171000

MSW Student Orientation for Concentration Year (Skills Lab II) - 

Logging Field Hours

Students are responsible for logging their hours into Meditrek and for ensuring that their Field Instructor signs off on logged hours. Please download the Meditrek Time Log Guide for Students below for detailed instructions for logging hours.  

Important things to keep in mind about tracking hours:

1) Only hours that have been verified by your Field Instructor will count as completed hours.

2) Standard Hours:

- You must have 200 hours verified for each 11 week quarter for Generalist (Foundation) Field.

- You must have 250 hours verified for each 11 week quarter for Advanced Practice Field.

3) Your time sheets are important records for your licensure process and are stored in Meditrek for you use later.

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. 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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Process Recordings

Readiness Checklist

Resources

General Resources

Interview Preparation Resources:

  • Our Career Planning and Development website has some helpful tips on interviewing here.
  • This site has several resume components, but also includes a great Interview Prep module, where students can practice interviewing virtually! Students just have to put in their Walden email/credentials.

Military Concentration Resources

Children and Families Concentration Resources

Healthcare Concentration Resources

Advanced Clinical Concentration Resources

Safety Webinars

Safety training is required prior to each of your field placements.  

NOTE:  If you are an advanced standing student and are attending Residency II you will complete Both trainings. 

If you have difficulty accessing the webinar, you may need to use a different browser. Copy and paste the following URL to a new browser.

1) Safety in Field - MSW Foundation and BSW students: https://laur.zoom.us/rec/share/-ONeKKzO22dJUp3I8BqOUOklTtj5aaa8hnUf_PVfxEjLKp9K9mMQLzc4DUjArBo_?startTime=15893095070002)

 

2) Safety in Field De-escalating Techniques -  MSW Skills Lab II Training:  https://laur.zoom.us/rec/share/7u0uLKrQqUxOaI3DyUf2foo6Bd2-eaa81Ckc-qFfmUfAXA1dUdph8VFgAk-RZoe-?startTime=1589312618000

International Student Acknowledgement Form

BSW Course Schedules, Resources, and Webinars

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

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

Course Information

Field Education involves your work at the agency and assignments in the Course room. Your Field course is different from other courses you have taken in the social work program. The Field courses not only require coursework but require you to complete 400 hours at your agency over the course of two consecutive terms. Below are some course expectations:

1) Students will have weekly face-to-face Virtual Meetings to interact with their faculty and peers. These meetings are required and provide you an opportunity to discuss what is going on in the agency, share experiences, and learn content about the social work perspective. You can only miss 2 meetings. 

2) You will work with your Field Instructor (agency supervisor) to establish a Learning Agreement. Your Field Liaison (faculty member) must approve the agreement.

4) You will keep track of your agency hours. You are required to clock 200 hours during each 11 week term to pass the course. You can not work between terms NOR carry hours from one term to another. 

5) At mid-term and end of the placement your Field Instructor will evaluate your learning based on the core competencies outlined on your Learning Agreement. Therefore, it is important that you engage tasks on all of those levels.  You will also participate in a mid-term and final Site visit with your Field Liaison and Field Instructor. 

The chart below shows the order your courses fall. When you see a Field Education course that indicates when you should begin your field hours. Field hours are taken concurrently with the course. 

Field Instructor Orientation

Field Orientation Webinars

The Field Orientation Webinars provide important information about your Field Experience. Please refer to them often.  

 

 

Logging Field Hours

Students are responsible for logging their hours into Meditrek and for ensuring that their Field Instructor signs off on logged hours. Please download the Meditrek Time Log Guide for Students below for detailed instructions for logging hours.  

Important things to keep in mind about tracking hours:

1) Only hours that have been verified by your Field Instructor will count as completed hours.

2) You must have 200 hours verified for each 11 week quarter.

3) Your time sheets are important records for your licensure process and are stored in Meditrek for you use later.

Process Recording Templates

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. 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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Resources

Safety Planning

International Student Acknowledgement Form

Forms Under Revision