Field Information

BCWEP Practicum Forms

 

BCWEP Practicum Instructors

Who can be a BCWEP Practicum Instructor?

Practicum Instruction is voluntary and requires the approval of the Local Office Manager with the knowledge of the Assistant Area Director, who facilitates the assignment of student interns.  Interested participants should be committed to participate fully in the educational and professional development of the student.  Interested staff members should:

  • Have an MSW or BSW degree
  • Have at least two years of post graduation professional social work experience
  • Currently hold a supervisory position or equivalent within DCP&P such as Supervisor, Case Practice Specialist or Casework Supervisor. Non-supervisory staff who have an MSW and are interested in being a mentor or task supervisor are encouraged to participate.
  • Have a desire to mentor students and help identify appropriate learning opportunities within the agency that can be utilized to enhance the student’s knowledge and practice skills
  • Be willing to work collaboratively with the Campus Academic Coordinator.

What do Practicum Instructors do?

Practicum Instructors play an essential role in the educational and professional development of students who are completing social work internships at DCP&P and are often the first step in introducing the social work student to the profession. Students are required to complete an internship of at least 400 hours (approximately 2 days a week).

Practicum instructors agree to provide regular (generally one hour a week) individual or group supervision to students. To broaden students’ experiences, practicum instructors may assign students to work with other DCP&P staff; but the responsibility for providing oversight of the students’ learning remains with the practicum instructor. Practicum instructors are also responsible for the following:

  • Clarifying mutual expectations about roles, responsibilities, work schedule, method of documenting hours worked, etc.
  • Providing the student with an orientation to the agency, including agency structure, authority, and linkages to community, institutions, and agencies.
  • Helping the student to become comfortable in the agency setting and to manage anxieties about performance
  • Developing, with the student’s input, a BCWEP Competency-Based Learning Plan
  • Providing the student with opportunities to participate in a variety of activities designed to produce effective social workers in child welfare
  • Conducting an ongoing assessment of the student’s learning
  • Giving the student progressively more responsible roles as the student develops confidence and competence—and assuring that the student does not attempt to practice outside of a student’s scope of practice
  • Completing an assessment of the student’s learning at the end of the internship for purposes of tracking outcomes of BCWEP
  • Completing a questionnaire or interview, giving feedback to BCWEP staff on the practicum instructor’s experience with BCWEP.