The Field Team Roles and Responsibilities

The Field Team at NMSU consists of the Field Work Coordinator, the Assistant Field Coordinator, the students, the Faculty Field Liaisons/ Field Education Consultants, the agencies, and the agency field instructors. Communication between all parts of the team is vital for the field experience to be successful.

1. The Field Coordinator and the Assistant Field Coordinator

The Field Coordinator has administrative responsibility for the field program including recruitment and development of field agencies, matching students to field agencies, developing a training program for field instructors, developing and implementing an orientation to the field program for students, and chairing the Faculty Field Sub Committee and Field Advisory Board. The Assistant Field Coordinator meets with students, matches students to field agencies, and supports the Field Work Coordinator in administering the program.

2. The Students

The student's goal is to gain the knowledge, skills, and values required for professional social work practice. They are not volunteers but active consumers of and participants in an educational process.

For their part in field practicum, students are expected to:

• Be present at the agency according to the agreed upon schedule.
• Complete Learning Agreement with student.
• Notify the agency supervisor/field instructor when he/she will be late or absent from the agency, submit a plan to make up time lost.
• Follow the administrative policies, standards, and practices of the agency,
• Respect the confidential nature of agency files and client information.
• Conform to the standards and practices established by the department for the practicum course, including adherence to the NASW Code of Ethics.
• Demonstrate a readiness to learn and to become involved in all appropriate aspects of the field experience including:
• Participate in continual self-evaluation by defining and sharing specific strengths and learning needs with the field instructor and liaison.
• Prepare for supervision by use of journals and other tools provided by field instructor and/or field liaison.
• Participate in group conferences with the field liaison.
• Complete an evaluation of the faculty liaison, field agency, and field instructor.
• STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A PASSING GRADE IN THE FIELD TO STAY IN THE BSW PROGRAM.
3. Field Instructor/Field Supervisor

Field instructors represent the HEART OF THE FIELD PRACTICUM as they, in their dual role as practitioners and teachers, enable the student to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practice realities.

The term "Field Instructor" designates an individual who is an employee of an agency and who is assigned instructional responsibility for a student enrolled in a field course and placed in that agency or setting.

The Field Instructor guides the student to a personal understanding of the responsibilities, ethics, activities, challenges, and rewards of professional social work practice as well as providing opportunities for the students to apply the knowledge and skills related to the field work course objectives.

In order to be approved by the School of Social Work as an agency-based field instructor the professional must be LICENSED and have a Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work to supervise MSW or BSW students. A Bachelor's degree in social work is required to supervise a BSW student.

The Field Instructor/Field Supervisor's responsibilities include:

1. Developing specific practice opportunities that will enable the student to fulfill the goals of the practice course in which the student is enrolled. BSW students are expected to have opportunities to work with all levels of systems, including individuals, families, groups, and organizations.
2. Orienting the student to the purpose, policies and procedures of the agency. Orientation should include discussion of issues related to safety, sexual harassment, and grievance procedures.
3. Communicating to the student the agency's expectations for student performance.
4. Providing individual educational supervision/instructions to the each student at least once a week, for one hour, or small group supervision/instruction for a minimum of two hours a week, with individual sessions with students as needed.
5. Providing on-going performance feedback and participating in periodic meetings with the field liaison to review student progress and the effectiveness of the educational experience.
6. Communicating with the student and with the faculty liaison regarding any unusual opportunities, conditions, or concerns as soon as they become evident.
7. Facilitating a positive, cooperative working relationship between the agency and the university, including informing the department of any agency or organizational problems that would affect student learning.
8. Participation in field faculty seminars, continuing education offerings, and/or other support services available for faculty.

The field instructor utilizes a combination of teaching strategies that may include:

• Role modeling
• Case assignments
• Documentation assignments
• Reading materials
• Small group instruction

The Field Instructor or Field Supervisor completes a required training program and orientation as described in the Affiliation Agreement between the school and the agency. Certification processes are also designed to support the standards and expectations of the NMSU School of Social Work.

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Alternative Field Instruction (for agencies without a licensed social worker):
Occasionally, a student may be placed in a community agency that does not employ a licensed social worker who can provide the student's instruction. These agencies are not automatically excluded as field agencies if they offer services that can be rendered by a professional social worker. Frequently, social work students have demonstrated to agency staff and administrators that the knowledge, values, and skills inherent to social work can be an effective component of their agency.

• Field Supervisor: In these situations, an employee of the agency may take on the role of "Field Supervisor". This person is most often a human service professional who can direct the tasks necessary for student learning.
• Field Instructor: In these circumstances, the student will be assigned to a licensed professional social worker from outside the agency, who will take on the role of "field instructor" and provide a minimum of one hour per week of formal social work instruction.

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4. Faculty Field Liaisons - Field Education Consultants

The Faculty Field Liaison is a faculty member of the School of Social Work who represents the School and serves as the channel of communication between the agency field instructor and the student. Faculty members and field faculty serve as field liaisons to assist the students and field agencies in the development of a quality social work professional.

The faculty field liaison is responsible for:

1. Visiting the Agency and Field Instructor. A minimum of two (2) visits per semester is recommended. Visiting the agency assists in maintaining an ongoing relationship with the student and agency field instructor for the purposes of:
• Evaluating the student's progress at mid term and final.
• Assuring that the field placement provides the appropriate educational experience for the student consistent with School policy.
• Making available necessary curriculum materials to the agency field instructor.
• Resolving problem situations which may arise.
• Giving everyone an opportunity to meet, review the field Learning Agreement, discuss student progress, and answer any educational questions related to the student's development.
2. Learning Agreement: Assisting the student and agency field instructor in the development of a written learning agreement which specifies the student's learning goals, expectations, assignments and learning activities the student will engage in to meet the field work course objectives.
3. Group Seminar: Meeting students in a field seminar once a week during the semester and assisting students to meet requirements such as learning agreements, journals, and process recordings and to assist students in integrating classroom and field experience learning.
4. Grades and Evaluations:
• Providing student consistent feedback to written journals and process recordings
• Consulting with the agency field instructor to determine the student's evaluation and grade.
• Conferring with the student regarding field performance and evaluation.
• Coordinating the return of the semester progress statement and the final written evaluation by the scheduled deadlines.
• Assign grades
5. Resolving Field Situations (SEE RESOLVING PROBLEMS IN FIELD PLACEMENTS) Consulting with the student's faculty advisor when appropriate as to the student's progress and/or problems.
1. Mediate any issues that may arise between, or among, the student, agency, instructor, and or school.
2. Discuss with student and field instructor the student's level of performance in meeting educational objectives during midterms and finals.
3. Participating with the Director of Field Education, student, and field instructor in the development of a course of action when a change of field placement is determined necessary.
6. Educational Consultant: Serve as an Educational Consultant to student and field instructor regarding the curriculum and the integration of conceptual and experiential based learning.
7. Maintain all records related to the field placement
1. The learning agreement
2. Weekly time and activity reports
3. Journals and process recordings
4. Evaluations
5. Field Agencies

A "Field Agency" is a social service agency or program that enters into a formal Affiliation Agreement with New Mexico State University.

• This agreement stipulates the collaborative process between the School of Social Work Field Education Program and the agency.
• The agreement reviews the field education program goals and philosophy, and outlines the respective responsibilities of the Agency and the University.
• The agency must agree to retain responsibility for the service to its clients; neither University faculty nor students may be expected to replace agency staff in the conduct of Agency's activities.

The agency must:

1. Interview and select students applying for the practicum
2. Allow weekly supervision time for the student by a designated supervisor and/or instructor
3. Provide adequate workspace and materials for the student(s)
4. Provide New Mexico State University School Of Social Work with a current resume of the BSW and/or MSW field instructors/supervisor(s) and a copy of his or her social work license or certificate

The Agency must provide the student with their safety plan and insure their knowledge of any risk in the agency.

6. The School of Social Work

The School of Social Work:

1. Provides an orientation for students and field faculty
2. Publishes a field manual (including course syllabi) that includes requirements, objectives, procedures, and expectations of all parties involved in the practicum
3. Assigns faculty to assist in the field instruction of the students through individual and group conferences with students
4. Insures that the field coordinator and/or liaison instructor are accessible to meet periodically with the agency instructor to advise and review practicum experiences
5. Maintains a file on each field agency that includes resume, license/certificate, promotional material, and field faculty evaluations
6. Educates the students regarding professional ethics, in particularly the importance of maintaining confidentiality of clients and case records
7. Pre-screen students to be assigned to the agency to assure that they meet at least the minimum requirements as defined by the agency and the school of social work's program prerequisites
8. Provide training and recognition to the agency social work instructors

School Support to Field Instructors

• The Field Instructor Training Program - The Field Instructor Training Program has been designed to provide instruction leading to instructor certification in our Graduate and Undergraduate Programs and to contribute to the continuing professional education of field faculty.
• Certification Process for Field Instructors - Basic Training The School provides a workshop to address the basic training necessary to become familiar with the specific requirements and procedures of the Field Education Program. This basic training workshop must be attended in order to become certified. It is offered at least once a year at the Field Orientation Day in the fall.
• Advanced Training - Other advanced workshops and instructor gatherings are provided throughout the year to enhance instructors' supervisory skills and to offer ongoing mutual support to ensure the best quality of field education. At least one workshop or instructor gathering must be attended yearly in order to maintain certification.

Hours in the Field Course Descriptions

Each undergraduate and graduate course syllabi identifies goals and objectives operationalizing the goals (see the BSW and MSW home pages) of the undergraduate and graduate program.

BSW Students are required to be in their field placements for a total of 480 hours for the year, or 240 hours per semester

MSW students are required to be in their field placements 450 hours their first year in the field and 500 hours their second year in the field (225 hours and 250 per semester respectively).

Student Field Procedures

Application for Field Placement (see documents page)

In order to initiate the field placement process students need to submit a field placement application to the Field Office following acceptance into the program and prior to a planned change in field placements. A supplementary application is required if the student wishes to complete a practicum in an agency in which he/she is employed (see below for further information regarding Field in Place of Employment).

A new application for graduate students is required prior to entering the second year practicum courses (MSW 554, 555).