Summer 2021 - Spring 2022 Field Accommodations

Please note the following in regards to the field application

• There will no longer be an extension of the application date granted by the Field Office.
• All students need to complete a field application, in area students and out of area students alike.
• Out-of-area students must secure their own placement.
• All students must register for the appropriate field course.

Furthermore, please note the following changes effective January 1, 2021:

1. Students will no longer be allowed to rollover hours between semesters.
2. Students will no longer be allowed to end their placement early.

Field is a commitment and it is important that students adhere to such. Therefore, it is expected that students will attend their field placement for the full semester and will complete at least the minimum number of hours needed for the semester. Students that go over hours, may still document those hours as it may be essential for licensing in some states. However, the hours will not be taken off in the subsequent semester.

CSWE Recommendation - Reduction in Field Hours Accommodation: Under AS 2.2.5, field education programs provide a minimum of 400 hours of field education for baccalaureate programs and a minimum of 900 hours for master’s programs. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, students who have completed 85% of the required placement hours (i.e., 340 hours for baccalaureate programs and 765 hours for master’s programs) to a satisfactory level may, at program discretion, be evaluated as having met the field placement requirements. This option for reduced hours is for students whose field completion dates occur by May 31, 2022. Students whose field placement completion dates occur after May 31, 2022, will be expected to complete the full 400 or 900 hours in compliance with AS 2.2.5.

In response, UTA SSW will continue with the reduced required minimum of 204 hours for Split students and a minimum of 408 hours for Block students until May 31, 2022, or the start of the Summer 2022 semester, whichever occurs first. It is critical that you prepare for field and adjust your schedules as needed even with the reduction in hours. Field is not able to adjust to you, so it is important that you begin planning now. Also, there are still a very limited number of night and/or weekend placements so it will be important that you have some daytime availability. Even if you have a nights and/or weekend placement, you will still need daytime hours for weekly supervision.

CSWE Recommendation - Place of Employment Accommodation: It is already acceptable in the current COA interpretation of the standards for student learners to be able to have their place of employment serve as their field placement setting provided that programs can ensure that the employment-based setting provides opportunities for the student to engage as a learner and opportunities for the student to fulfill field education requirements. Programs must also ensure field education supervision of students either through a separate qualified supervisor or by the program assuming responsibility for reinforcing a social work perspective. In extenuating circumstances, students may have the same field instructor as employment supervisor with different supervision times.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, through May 31, 2022, field hours in a student’s place of employment may be counted toward required field hours. Temporarily, student field assignments and employment tasks may be the same and counted toward required field hours as long as the tasks have clear linkages to the nine social work competencies and their concomitant behaviors as well as any competencies added by the program.

The COA trusts that each program will do, professionally and ethically, what is best for them and their students as they develop these contingency/continuity plans.

We reiterate our support and respect for the autonomy and diligence of programs to provide accommodations and flexibility for their students in extenuating circumstances.

In response, to the employment-based field recommendation, UTA SSW has decided to adopt the recommendation.

Students have the ability to complete their field placement at their place of employment and count their employment hours as long as the following can be verified: 

1. The job aligns with the 9 CSWE Competencies 
2. The job aligns with the students’ level: BSW or MSW 
3. The job aligns with the students’ specialty-Advanced MSW students only-Aging, CAP, Children & Families, Health, or Mental Health & Substance Misuse 
4. There is a qualified Field Instructor available and willing to supervise the student. 
5. A Field Instructor must have a BSW or MSW degree. Individuals with a BSW degree can only supervise BSW students. Individuals with an MSW degree can supervise BSW and MSW students. 
6. A Field Instructor must have 2 years of social work experience post-graduation. This applies to both individuals with a BSW and an MSW degree. An individual must have 2 years of social work experience after being awarded their latest degree.  

Due to the end date of the place of employment accommodation being May 31, 2022, only BLOCK students and students continuing their placement from FALL 2021 will be allowed to be assigned to a place of employment field placement in the Spring 2022. If you are a split student starting field in the Spring 2022 and continuing into Summer 2022, you will not be allowed to complete a place of employment field placement under the accommodating rules.

All students that opt to complete their field placement with their place of employment must complete a COVID-19 Place of Employment (POE) Form and email the completed form to their Field Advisor for approval from the Field Office.