Field Education

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The field education (practicum) experience is the heart of social work education. Undergraduate and graduate social work students engage in practicum placements in social welfare agencies and organizations located throughout the state, working alongside professional social workers learning the roles and activities while relying upon a range of theoretical concepts and models to develop breadth of learning and to establish a broad base for practice.

According to CSWE “field education is the signature pedagogy for social work. The intent of field education is to integrate the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. It is a basic precept of social work education that the two interrelated components of curriculum—classroom and field—are of equal importance within the curriculum, and each contributes to the development of the requisite competencies of professional practice. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated based on criteria by which students demonstrate the Social Work Competencies.”

Providing a Practicum at Your Agency

Download Practicum Manual (PDF)

Agency Field Instructor Training

Intern Placement Tracking (IPT) Login 

Contact Us

Sarah Featherly

Field Education Director

Tawnee Reetz

Field Education Program Coordinator

Margaret Duffy

Faculty Field Liaison/Lecturer

Melisa Majnarich

Faculty Field Liaison/Lecturer

Stacey Chay

Director of Spokane Part-time MSW Program

Lynn Lewis

Director of Everett Part-time MSW Program

Interested in Providing a Practicum at Your Agency?

Approved supervisors in an agency are responsible for supervising and monitoring student progress as part of their commitment to the training and development of future social workers.

Things to consider when becoming a practicum/field education learning site:

  1. The field instruction agency must have or be willing to enter into an Affiliation Agreement with EWU.
  2. We generally require the AFI will have at least two years of post-degree experience commensurate with level of supervisee (e.g. BSW, MSW) and can provide weekly supervision, complete a learning contract with the student and participate in an evaluation at the end of each quarter. You will not be disqualified if the AFI criteria cannot be met. CSWE approved alternative supervision can be discussed with the Director of Field Education
  3. These are generally one year placements for BASW students, or one-two year placements for MSW students requiring micro, mezzo macro social work learning opportunities
  4. Will require dedicated workspace, access to a phone, computer, etc.
  5. Will require the Agency Field Instructor (AFI) to complete an online training.

Placement must be compatible with the School’s Mission and meet CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, including the Social Work Competencies.