Pre-placement process

Pre-placement process h2 Left Accordion In what types of settings can I complete my field hours? h3 There are many options for both traditional and non-traditional field placements outside of agencies that have historically employed social workers (e.g., child welfare, clinical settings and non-profit agencies). Students interested in non-traditional settings should discuss these opportunities with the Field Education office. Top Can I do my field placement at my current job? h3 Not in your current position, but maybe with your current employer. Field placements completed at a student’s place of employment must be approved in advance, and the duties, hours and supervisor must be different than the everyday employment duties. The field experience must provide the student with specific social work practice opportunities that are aligned with social work competencies as outline in the Field Learning Plan. Top Can I choose any “concentration” for my field placement? h3 No. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Social Work focus is on Generalist & Advanced Generalist Practice. Generalist practitioners creatively and effectively employ a range of prevention and intervention strategies to enhance social functioning at all system levels. While some placements may be more heavily concentrated on micro, mezzo, or macro work, you will be provided with and expected to engage in practice opportunities that allow you to practice and master all nine required social work competencies. Top Will the Field Education Office ensure I secure a field placement? h3 No. There are no guarantees that you will secure and retain a field placement. The Field Education Office will facilitate the process to identify agencies for you to interview with, but it is ultimately your responsibility to perform well in the interview and be accepted for an internship. Top Are there paid internships available? h3 Not usually. Internship stipends for field students are extremely rare. Few agencies have the budget to provide stipends, but when available, they are permissible. The Field Education Office must be notified if a stipend is offered, and the arrangement must be formally agreed upon by the agency, student, and University via the Organization Agreement. The School of Social Work is not currently offering any stipend opportunities. Top Will my financial aid or VA benefits be impacted if I do not secure a field placement? h3 Possibly. Students receiving financial aid or VA benefits who are unable to secure a field placement should be vigilant of the University drop dates at the beginning of the semester, as in some cases, students must drop or withdraw from the course if they are unable to locate a placement. Top What should I do if I have a criminal conviction or other issue in my background that I think might affect my placement? h3 You may choose to disclose this in your Field Application and discuss the matter with the Field Education Office during the pre-placement process so that a plan may be made for where you are sent to interview. Once placed, you should be prepared to complete all required training and be satisfactorily screened for any pre-placement background or health checks required by your field agency. In many cases, background checks are accompanied by sworn disclosure statements that require disclosure of charges and convictions. If you are impacted by such an issue in your placement, the Field Education Office may be able to offer some support and assistance, but ultimately you must be able to secure a placement. If you are unable to secure a placement for this reason, or incur a new charge or conviction after you are placed, you may be subject to the Remediation Policy. Top How should I prepare for field if I am a student with a disability? h3 Students with disabilities should contact the Disability Resource Center well in advance of the start of the field placement and once confirmed with the Center, are advised to work with the Field Education Office to identify and discuss needed accommodations to ensure they are in place prior to starting placement. Please note that accommodations cannot be made retroactively but students may request accommodations as soon as they learn of a disability (which may occur at any time during the field experience). Top When will my placement be confirmed? h3 Please refer to the placement process calendar in this course. We provide agencies with a required response date and will publish a date by which we expect to complete placement confirmations. Top What if my placement is confirmed, but then agency becomes unavailable to students before I start field? h3 In some unfortunate cases, students have been confirmed in a placement when the Field Education Office is notified by the agency that they are now unable to accept that student. In this case, the Field Education Office will assist you in locating a new placement but you should be aware that this is a possibility for any placement, and you should have a backup plan for alternatives if a placement cannot be located. Drop and withdrawal may be required, so it is helpful to have a plan in mind to address lost credits or the impact this might have on financial aid. Top false false