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FIELD EDUCATION

Quick Links:  About Field Education  |   Background Check Information   |    Agencies

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This page is designed to facilitate the field education experience for all those involved鈥攕tudents, field instructors, agency supervisors, agency representatives, and faculty liaisons. It also provides useful information for prospective students and agencies/organizations.

Update: Please view our COVID-19 Field Education Safety Policy.

What is field education?

Field education (also known as practicum) at the University of Alaska is organized and implemented as a partnership between the educational community and the practice community in training future social work practitioners. Within this partnership, there are three key people to the success of the field education experience: the student, field supervisor, and faculty liaison. First is the student, who possesses the willingness and desire to observe, learn, take action, and reflect. The student鈥檚 professional development is guided and nurtured by the field supervisor whose role as teacher is pivotal in the student鈥檚 evaluation of self as an emerging professional social worker. The faculty liaison鈥檚 role is to provide ongoing support and information to the student and the field supervisor.

Communication among all parties is critical in meeting the objectives of field education and maintaining a healthy partnership. Ongoing feedback is welcome from all parties.

How many field hours are required?

BSW required hours: Students in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program are required to complete 448 hours over the Fall and Spring semesters of their senior year in the program.  (224 hours each semester; approximately 16 hours per week)

MSW required hours: Students in the  Master of Social Work (MSW) program are required to complete 960 hours of field work. Students in the first year (generalist) of the full time program and the second year of the part time program complete 480 hours of consecutive field instruction during the fall and spring semesters. Students complete 480 hours of field instruction during the second (advanced generalist) year or fourth year of the part time program. Students accepted into the program with Advanced Standing are required to complete the 480 hours of field work.

Placement Categories

Placement sites must be with an established organization in Alaska that provides, regulates, or establishes policy for a social service function to a population at-risk, provides access to the service for individuals without financial resources, and represents organizationally a set of values consistent with those of the profession of social work. Every effort is made by the field faculty to recruit a wide range of agencies, field instructors, and client populations served that reflect the diversity of the community.

For those students that have a particular interest in a specialized area, below is a list catagorized by the services that many of our agencies offer.

Placement Locations

Placement sites must be with an established organization in Alaska that provides, regulates, or establishes policy for a social service function to a population at-risk, provides access to the service for individuals without financial resources, and represents organizationally a set of values consistent with those of the profession of social work. Every effort is made by the field faculty to recruit a wide range of agencies, field instructors, and client populations served that reflect the diversity of the community.

Below is a list of locations in which students have been previously placed. This list is not inclusive and our program welcomes MSW students from other locations within Alaska.

* The BSW program is campus-based so all BSW placements are located within the Anchorage and Mat-Su Areas.

BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION

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Some agencies may require students to obtain special background checks that could also include fingerprinting, Barrier Crime checks, and/or a medical clearance. It is very important to inquire about these checks and conditions at the time of the interview at the agency. The student is responsible to obtain, provide, and in some cases pay for the information required by the agency. Please initiate the background check as soon as possible, some of the checks can take 4-6 weeks to complete. If a student is held up because of incomplete requirements it may hurt the student's ability to accumulate the required number of practicum hours.

Providence Background Check Instructions

Providence Medical Center goes through the State of Alaska for their background checks. If you are doing your practicum at Providence you need to follow the posted instructions:

Important information about your practicum placement at Providence

Background check instructions for Anchorage students doing their practicum at Providence Medical Center

State of Alaska Disclosure of Personal History & Release of Information Authorization

Student Information Authorization_& Release

Anchorage area fingerprinting agences are posted above; "information about fingerprinting".

Immunization Information

Some agencies may require that you provide proof of immunization. The UAA Student Health and Counseling Center provides immunization services including titer tests. The link below to the SHCC lists their immunization services. The cost, and results time per selcted titer, and per specific lab, are at the bottom of the link. The top of the page is the current cost per immunization.

UAA Student Health Center Immunization Information

Providence Alaska Medical Center Immunization Document

AGENCIES

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Agency Roles & Responsibilities

There are several different titles we use for field volunteers within our programs, some of which overlap:

• Agency Supervisor (AS)

  The agency professional directly responsible for supervising the student's day-to-day activities. The agency supervisor, in many cases, does not necessarily have a Degree in Social Work.

• Agency Representative (AR)

  A person employed by the placement agency who represents the agency in all matters relevant to the placement. This could be the field instructor or an agency employee who determines if the agency will take a student for the year. 

• Field Instructor (FI)

  A professional, qualified, experienced MSW- or BSW-degreed social worker who supervises, instructs, and mentors the social work student in the field placement. The field instructor usually is an employee of the agency in which the student is placed. The CSWE requires that field instructors be graduates of an accredited social work program and have a minimum of two years of professional, post-graduate experience.

• Outside Field Instructor (OFI)
   The term used for a field instructor recruited from among qualified social workers in the community who provides the weekly supervision to a student who is placed in an agency which does not employ a social worker who meets UAA / CSWE field instructor requirements.
   

Placement Process Information for Agencies

Please note that neither students nor agencies solicit or arrange placements. Placements will not be made outside the following process.

• Placement Process
  1. The student completes their Field Application. The student becomes familiar with the potential placements in their community.     
                        
  2. Agencies interested in hosting a Social Work student submit to the School of Social Work a brief description of the learning experience the agency can offer the practicum student. Field Instructors submit a Field Instructor Application. Agency Representatives submit a contact information sheet.
     
     
  3. The Field Education Coordinator meets with each student during the spring semester to discuss the student鈥檚 interest and learning needs. The Field Education Coordinator will work with the student to identify potential placement options.
     
     
  4. The student prepares to interview at the agency or agencies mutually identified as the preferred placement choice(s). The student is given the name of the agency contact person and is instructed to arrange an interview. The Field Education Coordinator contacts the agency to provide names of the student(s) referred to the agency for an interview.
     
     
  5.  The student schedules an interview at the agency. Students are encouraged to bring a resume and to prepare for the interview as they would a job interview, although the focus of this interview is clearly one of securing an appropriate social work learning experience rather than employment. The goal is for both student and agency personnel to determine whether there is a fit between student expectations and agency expectations for the practicum placement.
     
     
  6. Students interview at the placement site. Students take the agency placement referral/decision form and give it to the interviewer to return to the School of Social Work.
     
     
  7.  The student and agency interviewer submit their respective decision form to the Field Education Coordinator. Either is welcome to contact the Coordinator to discuss their decision. If all parties concur (agency interviewer, student, and Field Education Coordinator) that this is the best match, the Coordinator will confirm the placement. The School of Social Work will contact the agency if additional information is needed (i.e. Field Instructor Application or if UAA does not already have an Affiliation Agreement on file between the agency and the university outlining practicum policies, one will be sent out for signatures).
     
     
  8.  If the interview does not result in a placement of the student at the agency, then the student will interview at other agencies as referred by the Field Education Coordinator.
     
     
  9.  A field orientation will be held in late August for students and agency staff. Program materials will be provided to guide the practicum and the necessary forms for documentation of practicum activities will be included.
     
     
  10. Students enter placements in late August or early September following review of practicum expectations in the practicum seminar.

Contact Us

Interested in or have questions about hosting a student in the future? Contact us!