Prepare students to be ethical social work practitioners who make sound professional judgments, across various levels of specialized practice, and advance lives of children, families, communities, and groups domestically and abroad.
Prepare students to be caring, self-reflective advocates for those who are oppressed, marginalized, disenfranchised, and without a voice to advocate for themselves.
Engage faculty and students in research that informs practice and policy and expands the knowledge base of the profession.
Create and deliver models for outstanding inter-professional education and collaborative practice to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities.
Prepare competent, informed students to engage in specialized social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.
MSW Practicum Requirements
Field Education is the signature pedagogy of the social work profession-- the primary method used to guide students in becoming competent practitioners. At Chamberlain, we provide two types of experience to help students master social work competencies—the Immersion Experience and the Field Practicum. At this point in the MSW journey, students will have successfully completed the Immersion Experience.
The Field Practicum provides a hands-on opportunity to apply the skills learned in coursework in an actual social work setting. As a Traditional Two-Year student, he/she will complete a total of 1000 hours between two field practicums--Foundation Field Practicum in year 1 and Advanced Practicum in year 2. As an Advanced Standing student, he/she will complete a total of 500 hours in Advanced Practicum, during their one year in the program.
The Advanced Field practicum is connected to MSW 550 – Advanced Practicum I and MSW 551 –Advanced Practicum II, which provides additional support through the course instructor, the Field Liaison. During the field practicum, the Field Liaison will be the first point of contact to guide students through their learning, alongside the on-site supervisor, the Field Instructor, who holds an MSW and is responsible for the student’s learning. In addition, some students may also have an on-site Task Supervisor, depending upon the structure of the agency, who will be involved with supervising the student as well.
Student Learning Agreement
The Learning Agreement reflects the tasks and activities, per each behavior, that students will complete during the practicum. Students’ professional goals and interests should be considered and incorporated as best as possible, given the agency’s capacity. Students will be evaluated based on their competency in each behavior, as aligned with the activities outlined below. The evaluation process should be a collaborative and reflective one between the student and Field Instructor. The Field Instructor has the final decision all evaluation scores.
The Learning Agreement is an assignment in the MSW 550 – Advanced Practicum I and MSW 551 – Advanced Practicum II courses. Please complete this form in consultation with your Field Instructor and submit via Canvas for review by your Field Liaison, by the due date outlined in the course.
Social Work Competencies, Behaviors, & Student Activities:
Students, in consultation with their Field Instructors, must develop specific activities for the student to complete, for each behavior of the CSWE Social Work Competencies, and relevant behaviors. It is required that each behavior have a corresponding task or activity. A task or activity may apply to more than one behavior/competency. Tasks and activities should be explicitly stated according to the services offered by the agency. Refer to the examples below for guidance:
For Competency 5(a): “Student will research relevant local, state, and federal policies that influence the services provided by the agency.”
For Competency 7(a): “Student will complete bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment for each new client.”
For Competency 3(b): “Student will review agency policy manual and highlight any policies that may violate client human rights or restrict access.”
For Competencies 1(b) and 8(b): “Student will maintain a caseload of 7-10 clients, providing case management and crisis intervention services.”