Field Directors

Hi all, 

When we were preparing for our reaccreditation a couple of years ago, I read in some of the CSWE information a small piece regarding sites that do not have social workers providing supervision.  I have worked hard to increase the number of BSW internships that have a social worker with 3 years of experience supervising them.  Understandable, I've gotten a little pushback from a couple of our sites that have social workers with experience in their agency/programs but insist on having a non-social worker provide field supervision. While I believe that these individuals are valuable experts and have a lot to offer, I am working towards having all of our BSW interns supervised by BSW/MSWs with three years of experience.  I believe CSWE strongly encourages/prefers/recommends that field supervisors hold either a BSW or MSW and 3 years of experience.  I just can't find this in writing.  I would greatly appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction. 

Thank you in advance. 

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Penny McQuinn
Field Director/Lecturer
SUNY Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh NY
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Penny, the 2015 EPAS standards state:

B2.2.9 The program describes how its field education program specifies the credentials and practice experience of its
field instructors necessary to design field learning opportunities for students to demonstrate program social work
competencies. Field instructors for baccalaureate students hold a baccalaureate or master's degree in social work
from a CSWE-accredited program and have 2 years post-social work degree practice experience in social work. For
cases in which a field instructor does not hold a CSWE-accredited social work degree or does not have the required
experience, the program assumes responsibility for reinforcing a social work perspective and describes how this is
accomplished.

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Julie Kates, MSW, LCSW
Associate Professor of Practice
Director of Field Education
School of Social Work
Portland State University
503.725.9891
jkates@pdx.edu

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
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Original Message:
Sent: Sep 21, 2023 00:28
From: Penny McQuinn
Subject: Field Supervisor Question

Hi all, 

When we were preparing for our reaccreditation a couple of years ago, I read in some of the CSWE information a small piece regarding sites that do not have social workers providing supervision.  I have worked hard to increase the number of BSW internships that have a social worker with 3 years of experience supervising them.  Understandable, I've gotten a little pushback from a couple of our sites that have social workers with experience in their agency/programs but insist on having a non-social worker provide field supervision. While I believe that these individuals are valuable experts and have a lot to offer, I am working towards having all of our BSW interns supervised by BSW/MSWs with three years of experience.  I believe CSWE strongly encourages/prefers/recommends that field supervisors hold either a BSW or MSW and 3 years of experience.  I just can't find this in writing.  I would greatly appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction. 

Thank you in advance. 

------------------------------
Penny McQuinn
Field Director/Lecturer
SUNY Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh NY
------------------------------