THE FIELD PLACEMENT
SURVIVAL GUIDE
What You Need to Know to Get the Most
From Your Social Work Practicum

Linda May Grobman, Editor

Available January 2002

Presenting the second title in the “Best of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®” Series... Field placement is one of the most exciting and exhilarating parts of a formal social work education. It is also one of the most challenging. It allows students to put into practice the concepts, theories, and skills they have learned in the classroom, and it gives them room to explore and grow as budding social work professionals. More than anything else, it requires students to look inside themselves and examine themselves as future social workers. This collection of articles from THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine addresses the multitude of issues that social work students in field placement face, including choosing a placement, getting prepared, using supervision effectively, working with clients, coping with challenges, and moving on to a successful social work career. About the Series This book is the second in the BEST OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® book series, which consists of collections of articles that have appeared in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, the magazine for social work students and recent graduates. These articles are chosen for their timeless value and their important contribution to the social work literature. Through these collections, our goal is to bring together articles in a similar content area, to expand on them, and to make them more widely available to students and professionals who may have missed them “the first time around.”

About the Editor

LINDA MAY GROBMAN, ACSW, LSW, received her MSW from the University of Georgia School of Social Work. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. She is editor of the book DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS and co-author of THE SOCIAL WORKER’S INTERNET HANDBOOK. Linda has been a social worker in mental health and medical settings, and she is a former staff member of two state chapters of the National Association of Social Workers.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

About the Editor/About the Contributors

Introduction

Preface: What Every Social Work Student Should Know About Field Placement—Dean Schneck

Part I—Choosing Your Placement

1: The Road to Practicum: I Want a Great One!—Denice Goodrich Liley
2: Choosing a Field Placement—Wisely!—Linda Hagerty
3: A Paid Practicum—Do I Want One? How Do I Find One?—Julie Birkenmaier
4: Can I Do My Practicum Where I Work?—Marla Berg-Weger & Pamela J. Huggins

Part II—Getting Ready

5: Listen Up!—Betsy C. Mistek
6: 10 Tips for a Successful Field Placement—Jan Ligon & Jim Ward
7: The Learning Agreement: A Roadmap for Your Journey—Jan Ligon & Jim Ward
8: 10 Tips for Maximizing Your Field Liaison Relationship—Jan Ligon & Jim Ward
9: Write On! Practical Suggestions for Preparing Social Work Records—Katherine M. Dunlap

Part III—Coping with Challenges

10: Concerns in the Field Placement—Joan Ferry DiGuilio
11: Be Careful, It’s a Jungle Out There: A Look at Risks in Field Placement—Gregory R. Versen
12: Vicarious Traumatization in Field Placements—Randee Huber
13: When the Change Agent Experiences Unplanned Change—Denice Goodrich Liley
14: My Practicum: Why Do I Hate It So?—Sondra J. Fogel

Part IV—Supervision and Evaluation

15: Preparing for Supervision—Charles E. Floyd
16: Observing Students in the Field—Ruth T. Weinzettle & Wendy K. Langley
17: Online Supervision for Social Workers—Gary S. Stofle & Shavone Hamilton
18: Evaluating Your Field Instructor—Charles E. Floyd

Part V—Off and Running

19: Good Habits for Practicum Students—Julie Birkenmaier & Marla Berg-Weger
20: Eliminating Bad Habits in the Social Work Interview—Don Collins & Heather Coleman
21: Termination and Your Field Placement—Joseph Walsh
22: Facing Ethical Dilemmas in the Field—Denise Anderson
23: Ethics: Issues for Interns—Katherine M. Dunlap & Kimberly Strom-Gottfried
24: Promoting Social Justice Within the Practicum—Julie Birkenmaier
25: Counting Blessings—Angela Allen

Part VI—Moving On

26: The Portfolio Approach for Generalist Social Work Students—Sarah Simon & Mona C.S. Schatz
27: Field Placement as a Building Block to Your Career—Susan T. Ross
28: 10 Tips for the Transition—From Field Placement to Employment—Althea Webb
29: Welcome to the Brave New World of Social Work—Erlene Grise-Owens

Afterword: Ode to a Practicum Student—Cheryl Waites

Index

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