Our Practicum program may use terminology you aren't familiar with. Many of these terms and definitions are the ones the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) uses. CSWE is our accrediting body.
Here are some terms you may hear as we discuss practicums.
Generalist- There are two ways that a student may have a Generalist Practicum.
They are a BSW student. All BSW practicums are Generalist Practicums where there is focus on basic skills and understanding.
If a student enters Kent School as a graduate student and comes without a BSW from an CSWE accredited institution, the student will be enrolled in the 60 hours Master's program. The first 30 hours is called the generalist year in terms of curriculum and practicums. In the generalist year ( the first 30 hours in the program) students are acquiring foundational skills and knowledge. They must have completed all of the "generalist" curriculum including a two-semester practicum before they can move forward with the next 30 hours of the degree.
Specialized: Once a student enters the last 30 hours of the master's program, they are in their specialized year of the curriculum (We often say "2nd year" of the program, but in reality, students often find it helpful to spread out their courses, and they can be at Kent several years before they get to the specialized curriculum and practicum.) In these last 30 credit hours students are acquiring more advanced skills and knowledge. Our whole program is based on preparing students for the broad range of careers in social work, so in this specialized year the student are developing advanced generalist skills and knowledge. While we do have concentrations students can choose, this is not required and the term "specialized" does not refer to concentrations.
Advanced Standing- Students who come to Kent with a BSW from a CSWE accredited institution are allowed to skip the first 30 hours of the degree (the Generalist curriculum and practicum) as they should have developed those skills in their BSW work. They will enter into the specialized curriculum when they begin Kent.
Dual degree students: Kent offers several dual degrees. These students are meeting the requirements for two different degrees at the same time. In some of the dual degrees, practicums have to be focused according to the dual degree. The dual degree that involves two different degrees from Kent School itself is the MSSW/MSCFT (Master of Science in Couple and Family Therapy)
Affiliation Agreement- You may hear the term "affiliation agreement". This is the formal legal document that has to be agreed on between UofL and the agencies where students are placed prior to the student being placed at the agency. In some cases, this prescribes certain steps that a student must agree to and do before they are allowed to be placed at the agency- Ex. criminal records checks, COVID vaccines, TB screening, etc. These agreements also clarify who is responsible for the payment for these.
Practicum Professional Standards Review Panel: This group will be convened when a student's performance, professional standards, or behaviors are deemed substandard, unethical, illegal, and/or/professionally unbecoming at any time and in violation of the NASW Code of Ethics and/or student code of conduct. The Panel will make recommendations to the Director of Practicum Education regarding the next steps for the student and practicum.
Roles:
As you work with students, you will be working with a team of professionals. Everyone has their own role. You can find more details about these in the Handbook, but here is a short overview:
Practicum Coordinators- These are full-time staff in the Practicum Education office who work with agencies and students to get students placed at practicum sites and onboarded. They also help problem-solve when issues arise or a student needs a review by the Practicum Professional Standards Review Panel.
Practicum Liaisons- Practicum Liaisons are the connectors between Kent School and you as a Practicum Instructor or Task Supervisor. These individuals are there to support and guide the student, the Practicum Instructor, and the Task Instructor (if applicable) . It is the desire that the practicum experience is a positive one for both the student and the agency and the Practicum Liaison is working to that end. The liaisons approve the competency development plan, facilitate the initial, midterm and final evaluation meetings, problem solve, help resolve any conflict or concerns, and monitor the student's practicum hours. If you or your student have questions, a good place to start looking is in the handbook. If you can't find the answer there, then the liaison assigned to your student is the person to ask.
Practicum Instructors- If you are the identified social worker to supervise the student, you are referred to as the Practicum Instructor. In this role, you will serve as a mentor, coach, instructor. and evaluator. You will guide the student's work at the agency, approve their learning goals, and evaluate their performance and growth at the midterm and final evaluations. You will be providing focused supervision minimally 1 hour a week. Practicum Instructors in the agency also approve the student's submitted hours. You will have to meet the CSWE standards. (Those are discussed later in this training.)
Agency Task Supervisors- There are some agencies where the Practicum Instructor will not be working with the student directly in the day-to-day work. The day-to-day guidance and support functions are then assigned to another individual and that is the Task Supervisor. A Task Supervisor does not have to have a social work degree or can have a social work degree without the 2-year experience that is required to be a Practicum Instructor. They are the regular guide and support onsite for the student. They often provide their own supervision of the student too. They will approve the hours submitted by the student when in the agency. If you are a Task Supervisor you are a valuable part of the team, and we value your input, and want you to be part of the evaluation meetings if possible, and certainly give us needed feedback on the student.
Off-site Supervisors- Some agencies don't have staff who are qualified to serve as Practicum Instructors in their agency. In these situations qualified individuals outside the agency provide the social work supervision while the Task Supervisor directs and supports students in the agency with the daily practicum. The Off-site Supervisor will approve the supervision hours submitted by the student.