SOCWK 482 - Social Work Practicum: Spring

6 credit(s)
The Social Work Practicum is an intensive field experience in a human services and/or community agency that is designed to prepare students to become entry-level generalist social work practitioners. Students spend the spring semester in the field under the guidance of a University appointed field instructor and the Practicum Director. This service/learning experience is supported by a weekly seminar class, which facilitates the integration of social work theory and practice. While in the field, students gain skills and experience in working with client systems at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels by using an eclectic knowledge base that is couched in systems, strengths, and problem-solving perspectives as well as the value base of the social work profession. It assists students in developing generalist social work practice skills and a better understanding of the interconnectedness of client challenges at the micro level and larger macro issues in the client’s social environment (i.e., person-in-environment perspective). Students are expected to spend 16 hours each week for the entire spring semester in a specified human services agency for a total of 220 hours. Students must attend a weekly practicum seminar. Students will be provided with the opportunity to analyze and share practicum experiences, increase knowledge of various practice problems and settings, and work on refining generalist social work skills. Topic coverage depends in part upon student identified interests and needs. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite(s): SOCWK 481.