Field Directors

Greetings!

I have a few questions regarding policies and procedures for you all. But first, it was great to meet some of you at CSWE APM.

My first question is regarding students who continually struggle in placements. What policies do you have regarding the number of placements a student can have in an MSW program if they continue to fail at a placement? What is your recourse? Especially when it seems hard to place someone who has struggled at multiple other agencies. However, they are doing well in school.

My second question is regarding use of personal vehicle's and employment/student practicum's. We ask that students do not utilize their own vehicle when they are only a student at a practicum. However, we state that they can follow employment expectations when it is an employment-based practicum. However, do you all mandate that it has to be an agency vehicle or are students who are also employees allowed to utilize personal vehicles if required by the job?

Thank you  in advance!

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Molly Molloy
Associate Faculty and Director of Field Placement
Carroll College
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Greetings Molly,

Regardless of employment based or a practicum agency placement, our MSW program has it specifically written in the safety policies that students may not visit client homes alone and can not transport clients.
If they regularly transport clients for their job, those are not times which they are in practicum and those clock hours /tasks/activities are not counted as practicum hours. 

I have not yet dealt with the extent of problems regarding failed placements, but I did take consult from other accredited programs and have written in our field manual that the university does not guarantee placements if student refuses an agency or has a failed agency placement.   We will favor the student and continue to try to work with them.  But, if there are behaviors causing failures--non fit, it may be time to face that this career may not be the right one for them. 

Hope this helps and others may chime in -- Cynthia Baker, EdD, MSW, LCSW

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Cynthia Baker
Faculty and Director of Field Education
Herzing University
Milwaukee
414-212-3107
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