Field Directors

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  • 1.  Travel Policy

    Posted Sep 09, 2024 22:14

    Good evening! I wanted to know if anyone has a travel policy. Do you let students count travel to their field placement as hours, especially if they are going to be traveling for 5 hours or more? If you do have a policy would you be willing to share it. 



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    Natalie Yates
    Co-Field Director
    336-285-2050
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  • 2.  RE: Travel Policy

    Posted Sep 10, 2024 07:54

    Trying to understand the details of the question.  I recall a student place in the states "childrens division" who accompanied another staff member and a youth to an out of town residential facility (5 hours travel, round trip) and yes absolutely those hours counted.  
    I frequently have taken students to conferences (CSWE, BPD, state NASW)  and (with the field instructors consent) those students received "hours"  for time spent in the conference and associated events. (Call is professional assimilation / development.) But we did not count time for travel.

    I suppose the real question is, what is the educational experience associated with the travel?



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    Gary Bachman
    Emeritus Professor
    Park University
    Overland Park KS
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  • 3.  RE: Travel Policy

    Posted Sep 10, 2024 22:12
    The student's placement is in the Greensboro, NC area but occasionally he will have to travel to Washington, DC  which is about a 5 hour drive. So, we were trying to figure out if the time that he uses to drive to DC, if those hours should count?  
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  • 4.  RE: Travel Policy

    Posted Sep 11, 2024 08:54

    Hi Natalie, we deal with things like this on a case by case basis. In the situation you are describing, if he is being required to travel as part of the internship to a different locations for something, I would likely allow that to count. I think this seems like a scenario where if you have to travel for work, time from your base office to the travel location would typically count as work time. That being said, if this is coming up frequently, I might encourage the student and field instructor to come up with some podcasts, or other audio activities that he may be able to listen to while traveling, so this could be reflected upon and therefore there is something more meaningful than the drive itself during those hours.

    Best,



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    Lindsey Rinehart
    Field Education Director
    West Virginia University
    Morgantown WV
    304-293-3501
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  • 5.  RE: Travel Policy

    Posted Sep 11, 2024 12:11

    Yes, with Field Instructor's consent. Our students travel to SWAD by bus and we allow them to count hours.



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    Alma R. Armendariz, MSW
    Practicum Coordinator/Interim MSW Program Coordinator/Clinical Instructor
    University of Texas at El Paso
    (915) 747-6595
    El Paso, TX 79968
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