Field Instructor Resources : School of Social Work : Texas State University

Social Work student interns are simultaneously enrolled in two Field Education Courses which consist of an integrative seminar and the agency field practicum. As a field instructor, we view you as our education collaborator and partner in preparing social work professionals. Here you will find forms and documents used by the School of Social Work for students interning in your agency. The Field Education Handbook provides instructors with field policies and procedures. Field Instructors should review the handbook prior to students beginning the field internship.

The Field Orientation Checklist is a helpful tool for students to share with their assigned agency representative. The checklist provides an opportunity for students to initiate a conversation with their new supervisor, establish rapport, and orient themselves to the agency’s organizational culture, policies, and practices. It is the student’s responsibility to bring a copy of the form with them on their first day of their internship. This is a time to discuss with the student your expectations of them while interning in your agency. An additional Student Safety in Field Education resource is available.

The Educational Learning Plan (ELP) is central to demonstrating social work competencies and readiness for practice. The ELP is developed by the student with the agency supervisor, specific to the organization in which the student interns, and the tool to evaluate students’ professional behaviors and competence. The ELP is an acceptable evaluation of the nine Social Work Competencies (2015 CSWE EPAS) outlined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for social work students interested in becoming professional practitioners. The ELP document will be used for a midterm evaluation and the final evaluation.

The Supervision Form is intended to document weekly field supervision meetings between student interns and field instructors. Social Work specific supervision, by a credentialed social worker, is a CSWE requirement and must be conducted one on one. On occasion, group supervision is acceptable, but may not be the only form of supervision. Students should prepare for their weekly supervision meeting by completing this supervision form and discussing elements of their ELP. It is the student's responsibility to submit a copy to their field faculty. The field faculty may request a copy of the supervision form. The form should be signed by all parties and dated. It is the student’s responsibility to submit a copy to their field faculty.

Student interns are required to document their field agency contact hours in the Student Intern Time Sheet. The time sheet is a required tracking tool to document work completed in the internship and contact hours completed each week. The time sheet is submitted to their field faculty every week. The form should be signed by all parties, dated, and turned in as requested by their field faculty. Student instructions on how to fill out a time sheet along with acceptable contact hour activities are found in the Time Sheet Instructions.

Field Instructors have many questions when embarking on supporting a student intern. A compilation of Frequently Asked Questions is available for field instructors to find answers for many field education questions. Should you have additional questions, feel free to email SWField@txstate.edu