The global COVID-19 emergency disrupted educational systems and created internship crises for universities and students. In response, one west coast social work program's practicum education department developed virtual, interactive labs that addressed the Grand Challenges (GCs), increased interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensured the…

Although the Council on Social Work Education has identified field education and macro practice as core domains in social work education, there has been limited research examining the implementation of macro practice elements in field education settings. As part of a larger research project examining field instructors' inclusion of macro and…

Field practicum is known as the "signature pedagogy" for social work. Though the Council of Social Work Education's accreditation standards guide the placement processes, research on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQIA+) students shows that this…

Meeting Social Work's Grand Challenge to end homelessness requires skills in collaborating across professions and the ability to actively engage marginalized people who may have physical, mental, and social challenges. We present our experience building an interprofessional community service and training Center in a neighborhood with high numbers…

With mounting evidence over the last 20 years regarding the prevalence and severity of trauma histories among social work clients, there has been a concerted effort across schools of social work to embed trauma-informed principles within course content and training. As students work to integrate classroom skills into field practicums, field…

Foundation-year MSW students in Canada often have their first practicum in community-based agencies. Orientation can be challenging, as many students aim for hospital placements. Site visits are widely used for practicum orientation in Canada; however, drawbacks include intensive resources and difficulty standardizing the experience. As a site…

The 2015 "Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards" (EPAS) recognizes simulation as a means for students to gain skills, technical proficiency, and field practicum hours. Research on its use in social work education has been largely cross-sectional. The purpose of this 9-month qualitative study was to explore the influence of three…

During COVID-19, sudden field placement cancellations impelled schools of social work to find immediate means to support students in the completion of practicums remotely, whilst accreditation standards had yet to be re-articulated and permitted adaptations were unclear. Early "panic-gogy" moved to strategic development of new field…

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) issued new requirements for social work educational programs in 2015, identifying a new set of competencies for students to be effective social work professionals. Social work programs are expected to measure students' competencies to demonstrate the effectiveness of their education. However, few…

Social work field placements are considered the signature pedagogy of the social work profession. Traditionally, students are placed in a single agency for the academic year. Given that antitrafficking intervention is fairly new to the social work profession, interns may not be able to get the most out of an experience in a single agency. Using…

Certain student populations including youth formerly in foster care, first-generation college students, those with mental illness and substance abuse issues, and racial and ethnic minority students, face persistent challenges to their pursuit of college education, contributing to low graduation rates compared to their peers. This article details…

Although field education is considered the signature pedagogy of social work education, there is a paucity of research examining how Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) and foundation year-Masters of Social Work (FY-MSW) students perceive strategies designed to prepare them for field placement. To enhance readiness for practicum, an interactive role…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools from elementary to post-secondary suddenly shifted to remote learning, placing a heavy burden on parents and caregivers. Likewise, social work practicum placements pivoted to remote learning, compounding existing difficulties securing practicum opportunities. This article describes a response to these…

Student technology uncertainty was investigated in an introductory e-Social Work (e-SW) practice course. e-SW practice includes technology-mediated advocacy, research, and services delivery. A convergent parallel mixed methods design included pre- and post-test e-SW self-efficacy surveys and student reflections. There were significant measurable…

The Field Instructor Supervision Scale (FISS) measures field instructor supervision behaviors and can be completed by undergraduate and graduate students in diverse practicum settings. The FISS was validated over 4 years with 684 undergraduate and graduate social work students. The final FISS included 18-items and had two subscales: task support…