Field Directors

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

That is amazing Bonnie - I have been noticing this trend too and have proposed a few models to our chair (to hopefully bring up for approval with our dean) as it relates to either release time, stipend/professional development money, or credit pay for supervision - no luck on moving this forward yet. Would you be willing to share with me how your program is structured? How much do faculty receive for a stipend? How many students do they supervise, etc.? Any help is appreciated.

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

That is amazing Bonnie - I have been noticing this trend too and have proposed a few models to our chair (to hopefully bring up for approval with our dean) as it relates to either release time, stipend/professional development money, or credit pay for supervision - no luck on moving this forward yet. Would you be willing to share with me how your program is structured? How much do faculty receive for a stipend? How many students do they supervise, etc.? Any help is appreciated.

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

Hi Bonnie,

This is a great question. We have come across this in some instances as well. However, what I have learned and experienced is that external field instruction is extremely challenging and has tended to not work well for our students/agencies. The challenges have come around a lack of consistent and ongoing communication and assessment between the field instructor and task supervisor, the field instructor not having a clear understanding of the culture of the agency, etc.

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!

Hello,

We have noticed since COVID many of our community partners are having trouble hiring and/or keeping social workers on staff, thus leading to a shortage of options for our student field placements. We recently developed a program where we pay faculty (full-time or adjunct) a small stipend to provide SW supervision to students placed in agencies without social workers.  The agency provides a task instructor, and we provide a field instructor.  It is working well: we have more options for field placements, we know that students are getting the social work supervision necessary, and agencies can accept students they otherwise would not be able to take.  

Hello all,

Do any of you use a model in which your academic department/college hires adjunct, part-time, or full-time social workers to provide supervision for students in settings that do not have a social worker to supervise them?  If so, is this tandem supervision, full supervision, or both?  We have a school district with zero social workers and would like to hire someone as a department employee with matching funds from the district to provide supervision to our students.  Our university's legal team is expressing some concern about increased liability for the university.  I've heard of departments making this kind of arrangement.  If you have something like this, would you be willing to share what it looks like and possibly any contracts, affiliation agreements, or MOUs?

Thank you so much!