Field Instruction

Field instruction provides students with experiential opportunities that lead to competent practice by integrating classroom knowledge and social work practice in fieldwork settings. Qualified staff members closely supervise the field experience. A field faculty member in the Office of Field Instruction (OFI) serves as the field liaison to the site to ensure that the student’s responsibilities and the supervision received are appropriate to the student’s program of study, learning goals, and career goals.

In addition to assisting in skill development that is transferable from one setting to another, the School is committed to providing a field experience in which the student can develop professional identity. Students complete a total of 912 field hours (684 for advanced standing students), spread over three or four terms.

Students who have a criminal conviction need to be aware that this may affect acceptance to field placement at particular sites and/or future ability to become licensed in some states. Many fieldwork sites require criminal background checks and letters of reference. Some require particular immunizations.

Fieldwork is intended to complement MSW curricular objectives and is closely integrated with classroom courses. Thus, students are expected to have fieldwork assignments that coincide with appropriate courses in the content areas of methods, human behavior and social environment, research and evaluation, and social welfare policy and services. Field assignments are determined primarily by the student’s practice method and practice area concentrations. Students electing a minor practice method are expected to spend 25% (171 hours) of advanced fieldwork hours developing knowledge and skills in that method.

Field experience provides for the acquisition of knowledge and skills in social work roles and in-depth knowledge in one of the five practice area concentrations. The goals for competency training in the field experience include the following:

Technical proficiency in a practice area and practice method
Application and testing of theory and knowledge in social work settings
Incorporation of knowledge and skills necessary for understanding and utilizing social work ethics, values, and goals in day-to-day practice
Refinement of professional awareness, judgment, and decision-making abilities
Understanding the interdependence of the range of social work roles and skills, from interpersonal to macro levels, and within various settings and fields of service
Engagement in practice with diverse groups

The selection of fieldwork sites is largely dependent on the site’s ability to accommodate the broad demands of a multi-faceted curriculum, the range of target populations and settings which it can offer, and its commitment to the training of graduate social work students. Students are placed only in sites approved by the School. Whenever possible, within the set of approved sites, student preferences for geography are taken into consideration. All placements are made by and require the approval of the Office of Field Instruction. Students are not to contact fieldwork sites or arrange field placements independently. Field placements initiated without the knowledge of the Office of Field Instruction will not be approved.

Students who are interested in exploring employment-based field placements need to review Section 6.10 of the Field Instruction Manual, "Employment-Based Field Placement," and submit a proposal by the established deadline. It is important to recognize that the field placement experience must be separated from the work experience, and thus the field assignments, tasks, responsibilities, and supervision cannot be the same.

Most field instruction sites are located within 50 miles of Ann Arbor in southeastern Michigan or northwestern Ohio (Ann Arbor, metropolitan Detroit, Flint, Jackson, Lansing, Ypsilanti, or Toledo, OH). Occasionally students request placements in other communities across the state of Michigan, which the School accommodates when possible. Block placements are also an option and can involve field experiences in different states or internationally. Guidelines for these placements can be found on the OFI website.

Students are responsible for arranging travel to and from their field placement. Many field placements require that students have a car in order to conduct field instruction assignments. Therefore, students are encouraged to obtain a car for field placement travel purposes. Unfortunately, not having a car severely limits field placement options.

In addition, students need to recognize that the vast majority of field placement options are available only during the work day and/or during the work week (Monday-Friday). Requests for night and/or weekend placements typically cannot be met. Field placement terms usually need to be consecutive. Students must be in the field at least 16 hours/week for each term in which they are in enrolled in field instruction.

Students who work full-time are strongly encouraged to do either of the following:

Reduce their work hours to no more than 20 hours/week while they are enrolled in classes and log only 16 hours/week in their field placement
Enroll in the extended degree or fifth-term option curriculum schedules, which allow students to complete the MSW program in more than the standard four terms

Current field placement sites can be found on the OFI website. Examples of typical sites include the following:

Adult and juvenile correctional facilities
Advocacy organizations
Child welfare agencies
City councils
Community mental health centers
County social service agencies
Forensic centers
Hospice programs
Community-based health clinics
Individual and family service agencies
Juvenile courts
Medical centers
Programs/services for the elderly
Psychiatric medical centers
Public schools
Research and demonstration projects
Residential treatment centers
State government agencies
State and local legislators’ offices
Substance abuse programs
Veterans Affairs medical centers

Foundation Field Seminar (SW 531)

Foundation Field Seminar (SW 531) is a one credit required course that is offered concurrently with Foundation Field Instruction (SW 515) in the first term of a student’s field placement. It meets biweekly for two hours for a total of 7 sessions over the course of the term and provides a forum to begin socialization to the social work profession.

The purpose of the foundation field seminar is as follows:

Present a mechanism for the integration of foundation course content
Expose students to a wide range of practice situations
Engage students in participating in the ongoing assessment and evaluation of their fieldwork performance
Facilitate discussion of fieldwork related issues in a supportive environment
Provide opportunities for troubleshooting pragmatic and procedural aspects of field instruction (e.g., field related paperwork, including the placement verification form, educational agreement/evaluation, and student self-assessment)
Recognize and assess the impact of multiculturalism and diversity in the fieldwork setting
Create a forum for the development of the “professional self” and skills necessary to participate in professional consultation
Apply the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics to professional practice

The foundation field seminar focuses on the students’ field experiences and provides a forum to discuss their placement with their peers and their field educator/liaison. There are also opportunities to discuss the integration of their field experience with other foundation courses.

Prerequisite: Only those students admitted to the School of Social of Social Work in good standing to the 16-month, 20-month, or extended degree program are eligible to be enrolled in the foundation field seminar.

Advanced Field Seminar (SW 631)

Advanced Field Seminar (SW 631) is a one credit elective course that is offered concurrently with Advanced Field Instruction (SW 691) for students with advanced standing, second year 20-month students, or students who are exempt from foundation field and would like the benefit of an advanced field seminar. Students must be in a field placement when enrolling for this seminar. The seminar will meet biweekly for two hours for a total of seven sessions over the course of the term.

The objectives of the advanced field seminar are to provide students an environment in which they will learn how to do the following:

Function as a "peer consultant" within a small seminar format by participating in readings, discussion, feedback, and by supporting each other regarding advanced field experiences
Strengthen problem solving, negotiation, collaboration, and consultation skills related to advanced field experiences
Integrate coursework with practice skills and begin to develop artifacts for a professional portfolio
Continue to evaluate individual attitudes toward diversity, including those along the diversity dimensions (ability, age, culture, economic class, ethnicity, family structure, gender, gender identity and expression, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation as appropriate)
Explore social work values and process field related ethical dilemmas
Continue to identify strengths and areas for growth as part of a continual process of personal and professional development
Begin the transition towards becoming an independent social work practitioner

Prerequisite: Only students who are enrolled in Advanced Field Instruction (SW 691) may elect to take this seminar.

For more information regarding field instruction see the Field Instruction Manual on the OFI website.