MSW Orientation to the Placement Process June 2012 School of Social Work

MSW Orientation to the Placement ProcessJune 2012

www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk/practicum

School of Social Work

Agenda

• The Field Office• Purpose of the Practicum• Field Placement Requirements• Placement Registration• The Placement Process• The Practicum Roadmap• Work Placements• International Placements• Cover Letters and Resumes• Interviews• Confirmation of Placements• Accommodations• Technical Support• Questions/Concluding Remarks

The Field Office

Cheryl White – Assistant Field Education Coordinator (MSW)

– 416-736-2100, ext. 33354– [email protected]

Carrie Debrouwer – Assistant Field Education Coordinator (BSW)

– 416-736-2100, ext. 66320

Vina Sandher – Field Education Manager– 416-736-2100, ext. 39488– [email protected]

Esther Ng – Practicum Office Assistant– 416-736-2100, ext. 20662– [email protected]

Purpose of the Practicum

The practicum is a core course requirement for the Master of Social Work degree. York University’s MSW degree program is structured to meet the accreditation standards of the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). A basic requirement of the standards is a field education component that is incorporated into the curriculum.

Field education is comprised of opportunities for students to carry direct and indirect social work practice responsibilities and apply knowledge, values, and skills to practice situations, as well as experience educationally focused field instruction, practice supervision and evaluation of practice performance and professional development. -Canadian Association for Social Work Education Board of Accreditation Manual

Geographical Regions

• Policy• Research• Direct Practice• Community Outreach• Activism• Community

Engagement

Where Have We Placed?

• Trillium Hospital• Toronto District School Board• Canadian Mental Health Association• Peel District School Board• All Saints Church and Community Centre• The Family Enhancement Centre• St. Michael’s Hospital• City of Hamilton – Child and Adolescent Services• Halton District School Board• CLASP at York U - Community and Legal Aid Service Program• York University Counselling and Disability Centre• Aislings Discoveries Centre• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)• The Stop Community Food Centre• East Metro Youth Services• Black Creek Community Health Centre• Toronto Catholic District School Program• George Brown College – Redirection Through Education Program• Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin

Agency Search

• Internet Sites– 211Ontario: www.211ontario.ca

• School of Social Work Agency Database

• Advising Appointment

*Do not contact agencies before

speaking with the Field Office

first!*

Field Placement Requirements

MSW Part Time Advanced Standing

• 450 Hours• At least two full days

per week – can be a fulltime, three month block with approval of Field Office

• Begins after September 5th, 2013

Registering in the Practicum Course

• Register: Advanced Practicum Course 5350.6 (Y Term)

• You will be assigned a Faculty Advisor, and be expected to attend four Integrative Seminars as part of your practicum. Participation in Integrative Seminars is MANDATORY and does not count as Placement hours.

The Placement Process

• Collaboration between Field Office and student is essential

• All placements must be confirmed by the Field Education Manager

Factors for Agencies/Field Office to Consider

• Agency’s interest in taking students

• Non-Profit agency

• Agency’s Social Work philosophy

• Learning opportunities

• Supervision

• Educational qualifications of supervisors

• Physical space

• Timelines of placement

• Legal requirements for the agency

• Practicum, not an Internship

• The placement process can take some time because of the previous factors.

• The Field Office works on your first two choices. If those don’t work, we move on to choice 3 and 4.

• For hospitals, school boards and Children’s Aid Societies, please only choose these as your first and second choices

• Should worries arise about your placement process, please feel free to e-mail the Field Education Coordinator to set up an in-person or telephone meeting.

• Students begin to consider their agency interests• Students can set up an advising appointment with Field Education

Coordinator• Students select their top 4 placement choices• Students complete their online application by:

February 18th, 2013.• Students are encouraged to have their applications in sooner than

February 18th if they know their choices.• Field Office then begins to connect with agencies on students’

behalf– If students are offered interviews, advise field office of

interview dates and times.– Placements are competitive, and interviews with agencies

of choice are not guaranteed.• If student is offered a placement, Field Office follows up with the

field instructor for required documentation• The Field Office sends a “Confirmation of Placement Package” once

the placement is approved• Students are expected to attend the Beginning Placement

Orientation, date to be determined

MSW Practicum Road Map

Student’s Obligations in Placement Process

Students are not guaranteed a placement simply because they have completed the academic portion of their degree.

Students are expected to demonstrate readiness for practice in the process of securing a placement in addition to the fulfillment of the practicum hours.

Students’ Obligations in Placement Process

• Complete your core courses

• Know what skills you want out of the placement and be able to express this when meeting with agencies and the Field Office

• Complete the on-line application

• Inform the Field Office of interviews before they happen

• If an agency contacts you, return their correspondence promptly

• DO NOT contact any agencies on your own (most agencies prefer contact from the school), especially hospitals, school boards, and CAS’s

• Be professional during interviews and represent yourself in a positive manner

Work Placements

Work placements: a practicum within one’s workplace; practicum hours would be completed in a different department and with a different supervisor.

•Contact the Field Office to discuss•Proposal to be submitted by February 18, 2013 (with Placement Application)•Subject to approval by Field Education Manager

International Placements

• Possibilities

• Pros and Cons

• Process – submit an international placement proposal at least six months prior to placement beginning

• Student driven

Cover Letter and Resume

• Save resume and cover letter under one document

• .doc or .rtf format• Save it with first and last name as the title

of the documentEx. “SMITH Marie 2013”

• Try to keep resume to 2 pages• Spell check and have someone else read

it over• For additional support: contact York

University’s Career Centre

Interviews

• Professional dress

• Discuss what you can offer

• Be clear about your learning goals and supervision needs

• Inquire about available learning opportunities and daily tasks

• Some sites will require a certain level of practice experience

Interview Workshop

Friday October 12, 2012

10:00am to 12:00pm

Building and room: To be determined

Police Checks and Requirements

• Vulnerable Sector Screening• Toronto takes approximately three months• See Field Office to apply for Toronto police check at least four months

before your placement begins• If you don’t live in Toronto - contact local police station for instructions

on how to obtain police check• Durham students will require a letter from the Field Office (to pay a

volunteer rate versus employee rate)

• License/Access to a car

• Health Documentation:– **10 year booster shot (MMR and DTP)– **Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunizations– Hep B immunizations– 2-step TB test– Mask Fit Test– Flu shot

Once Your Placement is Confirmed…

You will receive a Confirmation Package via email –from Esther Ng. This email will include:•Information on enrollment•WSIB Form•Confirmation of placement: assigned Field Instructor and their address and contact info, placement start date, etc. •Beginning Placement Orientation date•Assigned Faculty Advisor•Mandatory Integrative Seminar dates•And a link to all related placement forms

Accommodations

Please contact the

Counselling and Development Centre

(416) 736-5297

Room N110

Bennett Centre for Student Services

Technical Support

York U Passport Instructions

http://www.yorku.ca/computing/students/accounts/signupinstructions.html

Forwarding York U Emails

• Type http://mymail.yorku.ca as website address (Netscape or Internet Explorer)

• Go to Options• Mail Management• York Mail Management Options• Edit Your Mail Forwarding Settings• In the blank field enter the email address to which

you want to forward your York account• Click save options to save the changes.• Send an e-mail to your YorkU e-mail and make sure

it goes to your other account

Changing Your Personal Information

Open Internet BrowserOn Address Line Type: http://www.yorku.ca

Click on “Current Students Faculty & Staff”


Click on “Current Students”


Click on “My Student Records”


Click on the information you need to change such as address and contact information, emergency contact information, etc.


Log in to Passport York and make the necessary changes

Social Work Social Work Practicum Database Practicum Database

InstructionsInstructions

Open Internet BrowserOn Address Line Type: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk

Registering on the Databasevia Website

Click on “Database Sign In”


You will be directed to the SOWK Online Application Page.


Select “Students”

This will bring you to the SOWK Online Application –Students Page.

• Click on “Register new account” for 1st time users

•If you were a previous BSW student and are now an MSW student, you will have to register again as an MSW student only once.

OR enter your student ID & password (if you have already registered)NOTE: this is different than your Passport York Account Log-in

• Select MSW or BSW Student (if you have already registered)

•Click Submit



Registering on the Database via Website - Agency Search

Once you log-in, you will be directed to your Student Profile screen. Click on “Agency Search” at the top right to research possible placement sites.

Registering on the Databasevia Website - Agency Search

Registering on the Database via Website - Agency Search

When your Agency Search is complete, continue by Clicking on Placement Request to begin the application process.

The Agency Search page allows you to search agencies by Name, Address, and City. Click on Placement Search to see all the agencies in the database

Registering on the Databasevia Website - Agency Search

• There is no list of available agencies for each term

• The database is a list of agencies we have used in the past but may or may not be available, depends on many factors.

• Take a look at the posted links/websites to get an idea of what the place is about

• The search engine is very precise. Be sure to be exact in your spelling

• Check out:– http://www.211toronto.ca/splash.jsp– Other city’s social services search engines

• Research on the student’s part is key in the placement process

Registering on the Databasevia Website - Researching Tips

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

Be sure to fill out the appropriate program and the Term you are applying for. Provide the number of FULL days per week you will be in placement.

Provide emergency contact information and Employment Information. Other personal information will be automatically generated by the database. If any of the personal information is incorrect, please be sure to update it on the main York system.

Type notes, 1-2 lines max. or it will cut you off


Please ensure that you choose 4 distinctly different agencies (i.e., do not choose more than one location of the same agency as separate choices). If Agency does not exist, click on Other Agency and complete requested information.

Attach Resume and Cover letter in one document. You MUST submit your resume and cover letter at the time of your application. Click SUBMIT.

SUBMIT


• Do you take un-paid placement students?• Do you have a social worker with a social work degree

on site (MSW).• If not, do you have someone interested in taking a

student on at this time? If so, what is their educational background?

• How long have they been at the agency?• What are the learning opportunities at this agency?• May I have the potential field instructor’s contact

information (phone number and ext. and e-mail address)?

• Put this information on your application if you are interested in them and they’ve met these requirements up above. The Field Office can follow-up from there.

• Please bear in mind the placement may still not meet our other requirements or other factors may be involved

Questions You Can Ask Agencies We Don’t Have Connections With

• Ensure that all documentation is completed before submitting application.

• No editing privileges are permitted in database.• The application logs out after 20 minutes of inactivity• Include an alternative e-mail address if YorkU e-mail

account is not regularly used.• “SUBMIT” button on application database is no longer

visible once deadline date has passed.• Please e-mail the field office with any changes to the

application once its been submitted.• Remember: your first or second choice are focused

upon first• Please do not put hospitals, school boards and CAS as

third or fourth choices.

Registering on the Databasevia Website – Other Information

Trouble-Shooting and Help

Questions about the database?

Contact

Esther Ng – Practicum Office Assistant

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 416-736-2100, ext. 20662

QUESTIONS/CLOSING REMARKS

Thank you for coming!

Please feel free to contact us if you have

any questions or concerns

Questions/Closing Remarks

Documents

MSW Orientation to the Placement Process June 2012 School of Social Work