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  • 1.  Allowing students to use their jobs for practicum hours

    Posted Jul 17, 2024 15:21

    Hi there!

    What is everyone thinking about CSWE allowing students to use their jobs as practicum placements?

    It would make things easier for students who are balancing a lot, but I also have a lot of concerns about whether or not students who then graduate will be ready for the profession, being in competition with one another as college enrollment across the country drops (well X university does this, so I'm going there) and other concerns. 

    Please share your thoughts as we are getting some inquires as some regional programs are deciding to use this format. 

    Thanks!

    Courtney



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    Courtney McDermott
    Associate Director of Field Education
    University of Missouri-St. Louis
    St. Louis MO
    314-516-6387
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  • 2.  RE: Allowing students to use their jobs for practicum hours

    Posted Jul 18, 2024 10:54

    Hi Courtney, we have a policy and EBP application that requires the student/agency to outline how they are meeting learning criteria for the level of practice they are in to ensure that the EBP meets CSWE standards. https://csw.osu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Employment-Based-Placement-Option-2024.pdf Feel free to check out our EBP policy and reach out with any questions.

    Katie



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    Katie Klakos
    Director of Field Education
    Ohio State University, The
    Columbus OH
    614-247-6688
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  • 3.  RE: Allowing students to use their jobs for practicum hours

    Posted Jul 19, 2024 11:07

    Katie, 

    Thanks so much for your response!

    We also have this policy in place. What I'm asking about is the newer CSWE policy that allows for a student's employment to count as the practicum hour, so it is no longer separate. 

    We are getting inquiries, but I have a lot of concerns about allow this format. 

    Thanks. 

    Courtney



    ------------------------------
    Courtney McDermott
    Associate Director of Field Education
    University of Missouri-St. Louis
    St. Louis MO
    314-516-6387
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Allowing students to use their jobs for practicum hours

    Posted Jul 22, 2024 11:00

    Hi Katie,

    Here is my understanding:

    Placement at employment is allowed per CSWE. They used to require discrete learning contracts for placement from employment, but during COVID (and codified into policy afterwards), they allowed students to "double-dip" as long as the student's employment tasks meet the competencies, and any competencies that aren't met by the student's employment are met in some other way (a placement-specific project) for example. If the work supervisor and the placement supervisor are the same, they need separate supervision to differentiate the work vs. the learning.

    The biggest challenge (as you might imagine) is the privileging of the learning in placement. Virtually every student I've ever had who undertook placement at employment struggled with this (which I'm sure is why CSWE initially didn't allow the overlap).

    I'm happy to share our placement-at-employment application if that would be helpful for you; the scope of the work needs to be vetted and approved in advance and I ask students and organizations to do a fair bit of homework prior to the start of the academic year in order to approve this arrangement.

    I don't know if this is helpful; feel free to reach out directly if you'd like.

    Jean



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    Jean Sienkewicz (she/her/hers)
    Senior Lecturer, Practicum Education Coordinator
    University of Vermont
    Burlington VT
    +1 (802) 656-9657
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