Practicum Planning
The MSW practicum helps provide students with the tools and experiential learning needed to apply social work knowledge and skills in various settings. To plan towards your practicum, the FSW utilizes the Field Placement Portal, which is an online tool that is used to gather students’ information, set-up placement opportunities, and match students for interviews. All students are required to complete a profile to commence the placement planning process, which is outlined in the timeline below. For deadlines related to practicum planning process, such as when the portal opens, closes, and placement interviews are announced, please visit the Important Dates webpage.
- Practicum Planning Process
- Registering for the Practicum Course
- Contacting Agencies
- Proposing Placements
- Fields of Study
- Types of Placements based on Field of Study
- Accessible Learning
- WSIB Forms
- Practicum Dates
Portal Opens:
• Students log into the portal to complete their profiles. Please refer to Appendix A for step-by-step instructions on how to
navigate the portal.
• Students also have the opportunity to request a new placement opportunity, or a workplace placement.
• Students interested in changing their streams, are advised to do so before the deadline and to ensure their new stream is
reflected on the Portal before completing their profiles.
Portal Closes:
• New placement opportunities will be added to the portal until one day before the portal closes. Students are encouraged
to revisit the 10 placements of interest at this time.
• Closing the portal allows the Practicum Office to commence the placement matching process.
• Profile changes will not be considered after the Portal closes.
• The Practicum Office will work towards matching all students for a placement interview.
• Proposals for new placements and workplace placements will not be considered after the deadline.
• Students who have requested and had their stream change approved will be considered for a placement in line with their
approved stream.
• Students who do not complete their profiles will be considered for a placement based on their MSW stream and program
requirements.
Portal Re-Opens:
• Students who have completed their profiles and registered for the practicum course, will be informed of the placement they
are assigned for an interview with through the Portal. These matches are final.
• Students contact the agencies, provide their resumes, and arrange for an interview.
• Agencies will confirm the outcome of the interview with the Practicum Office.
• The Practicum Office will inform students of the result of the interview in the 'Placement Record' section of the Portal.
• If an interview is not successful, students will be matched for a second interview with another agency.
All students must be registered in practicum. Students who are not registered for the required practicum course, will not be informed of their assigned placement until they register.
To learn more about an agency, please look into the placement information description on the portal, visit the agency’s website or contact fswprac@wlu.ca for clarification. Students should not contact an agency or arrange meetings with agency members to learn about the available opportunities, set up an interview or meeting with an agency, or arrange their own placements. Students may do a general search, propose a new placement in their profile, and provide leads to the practicum office who will review placements based on several accreditation standards and requirements for MSW level practicum. To ensure an equitable process, the practicum office will not approve any placements arranged outside of the aforementioned placement planning process.
Students cannot contact agencies to inquire about new or existing placement opportunities or arrange their own placements. Students interested in a particular placement are encouraged to fill out a Placement Proposal Form prior to the posted deadline.
Students who propose a new placement opportunity with an agency that the Faculty has not worked with in the past will be given priority for a placement interview, and will be placed with the agency on the portal. Students who propose a placement with an agency the practicum office has an established relationship with, will be considered along with other students interested in that particular placement.
Any proposed opportunity that becomes available will be uploaded on the portal. If a proposed placement is not posted on the portal when placements are announced, it means the proposed placement will not be available.
If your proposed placement is a possibility (that is, they are willing to interview a Laurier student), the student will be placed with the agency once they log into the portal.
The placement office considers all proposals seriously and will place students at an agency the student has proposed, if possible. Students are expected to submit proposals for agencies they are ready to be placed with.
The field of study, or stream, determines the placement opportunities that a student qualifies for. For example an IFG student will not be able to view the placement opportunities open to a CPPO student. In order to ensure your placement is in line with your field of study, students will have the opportunity to request a change to their field of study by the deadline noted in the Important Dates webpage on the Practicum website.
|
Field of Study |
Description |
Types of Placements |
|
IFG |
Focus on clinical practice in ongoing and short term counselling with individuals, families and groups. Applying a variety of theories, practice methods and models. Learning activities may include clinical assessment work, psychotherapy, intake, crisis intervention, and case managements. Placements may include observation or direct practice this is dependent on the practicum setting and the discretion of the practicum instructor. |
Counselling agencies, hospitals, mental health clinics, treatment facilities, child welfare, addictions agencies, nursing homes, and long term care facilities, women’s centres, agencies responding to diversity issues, correctional settings, school boards, and other specialized social service agencies |
|
IFG Integrated |
Emphasis on IFG with a view of facilitating social change via a planned combination and range of theories and social work interventions, practice methods, and models applicable to small and large systems. These placements may or may not include direct practice with individuals. Practice could include information gathering to assist in the development of programs, case management, or service coordination |
Child welfare agencies, community based programs in counselling centres, schools, hospitals, women’s centres, agencies responding to diversity issues, community mental health programs, as well as many organizations listed under IFG service agencies. |
|
CPPO |
Focus on CPPO applying a variety of theories, practice methods and models. Learning activities may include collaborative work in community organizational practice, developing proposals, program planning, implementation, evaluation and relevant research, as well as policy analysis and development where feasible |
Social planning councils, government ministries and services (all levels: political, health and legal), organizations, family service and child welfare agencies, research groups, funding bodies as well as many listed under CPPO integrated placements |
|
CPPO Integrated |
Emphasis on CPPO with a view of facilitating social change via a planned combination and range of theories and social work interventions, practice methods, and models applicable to small and large systems. |
Grassroots community agencies including some counselling centres, child welfare, specialized organizations responding to diversity issues, women’s organizations, community mental health projects, specialized programs through schools and hospitals. |
Students who require academic accommodations for disability-related reasons are encouraged to contact Accessible Learning. Taking into consideration the student’s consent, Accessible Learning may share the Accommodation Plan with the practicum office.
Workplace/Education Placement Agreement/Post-Secondary (WSIB) forms are completed by the student and practicum instructor(s) prior to the placement or as soon as the placement starts. A copy is submitted to the Practicum Office, and the student and the practicum instructor each keep a copy. The WSIB form must be returned to the Practicum Office via email (fswprac@wlu.ca), fax (519.888.9732), or hard copy (brown box across from elevator on 4th floor).
Please Note: Students cannot continue in placement if their WSIB form is not submitted by the deadline.
Please refer to the Important Dates webpage for this deadline. For instructions on completing the WSIB form, refer to
Appendix B.
All practicum start and end dates, as well as evaluation deadlines are outlined on the Placement dates by Student’s Program webpage. For information about missed practicum days, please refer to the “Absences, Illnesses, and Critical Events” section of this manual.
Reading Week
Please be advised that as per a policy decision at the Faculty of Social Work Divisional Council meeting on November 20, 1991, MSW students in practicum placement during winter term will be allowed to take Laurier’s reading week, or its equivalent, off placement. The following conditions or considerations apply:
• School board students take March break off instead of not in addition to.
• Agencies and students may negotiate 4 days off at other times throughout placement as it suits the needs of all concerned.
• Students may not take the 4 day period at the end of placement as the intention is to maintain the current length of the
placement period.
Please note:
• The Last day of Practicum for each cohort is outlined on the webpage Placement dates by Student’s Program.
• There is no break in students’ practicum between the Winter and Spring terms.
• Students cannot complete practicum until they have completed all the required hours and days and are expected to make-up
any missed practicum hours or days.
• Students cannot change their days in placement without a formal request and approval from the Practicum Office.
• Request for changes to the practicum schedule after the start of a placement will not be considered.
Meeting Deadlines - If you are unable to meet any of the mid-term or final evaluation deadlines, please advise the Practicum Office prior to the due date. Delayed submissions impact the grade entry for students and their ability to register for courses in a timely manner.
