Planning for Students

Required Kent School Practicum Orientation Training for All Students:

We at Kent School want to ensure that your students are prepared to begin their work with clients. 

So we have created online self-paced orientation trainings for them.  There is an orientation/training for all levels of students- BSW, Generalist, and Specialized. *** Each of the orientation training includes material appropriate to their level in the program. 

These will be available to students several weeks before practicum starts.  They have until the end of the second week of practicum to complete these. These training modules are not to be completed during practicum time, but rather away from practicum. 

Students should start at the agency when the semester starts  but they CANNOT meet with clients until they have completed this online orientation training.  (If at the end of the 2 weeks, the students haven't completed the orientation,  we will pause the practicum until this is completed.)   While they are working on completing the online orientation training,  you can be orienting them to the agency, and they can be shadowing and learning. 

*** A BSW student will have a 16-hour online orientation training to complete by the end of the second week of practicum. 

A Generalist practicum student  (in the first 30 credit hours of the program)  will complete a 32-hour online orientation training by the end of the second week of practicum. 

A Specialized practicum student will complete 16-hour online orientation training  by the end of the second week of practicum. 

The Kent School Practicum Orientation Training for Students is hopefully a good way for us to help your student as they begin their practicum.  However, what we do is only the beginning. The orientation you give your student(s) to the agency is extremely important. 

Planning the first few weeks before students arrive will take pressure off you as you acclimate your new and potentially anxious mentees.  Consider compiling your orientation materials in a notebook or electronic file for your students to refer back to when needed. Note: There is a more comprehensive Orientation checklist in the Appendix Section of the Practicum Education Handbook. 

NOTE:  When there is a Task Supervisor, the Practicum Instructor and the Task Supervisor determine how to best do each of these. 

• Discuss student roles in the organization

• Provide the history and mission of the organization

• Review the organizational structure

• Arrange for introductions to administrators, colleagues and support staff

• Review office policies and protocols 

• Present expectations regarding work schedule, calling off and tardiness, dress code, social media use,  personal telephone and computer use, etc.  We have found firm structure and expectations are helpful for many students. 

• Discuss access to office supplies

• Discuss confidentiality and HIPAA requirements

• Clarify roles of  the Students,  Agency Task Supervisors (if applicable), the On or Off-Site Practicum Instructor, and  the Kent School Practicum Liaison

• Provide relevant reading materials about the practice setting

• Tour the organization

• Address safety protocols

• Identify for students how to manage concerns, conflicts in the agency and when you as an instructor need to be immediately notified.   Be sure they know how to notify you.