subscribe to feed

Director's Welcome

“Field education is an integral component of social work education, anchored in the mission, goals and educational level of the program. It occurs in settings that reinforce students’ identification with the purposes, values and ethics of the profession; fosters the integration of empirical and practice-based knowledge; and promotes the development of professional competence.”—Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy, Handbook of Accreditation Standards and Procedures

As Director of Field Education, I am pleased to welcome you to the Social Work Department’s Web site. This section provides an overview of the program’s social work field education, as well as access to forms used by our faculty, students and field supervisors in the learning process. We are excited about the learning opportunities and experiences that we arrange for our students. While in the field, students are encouraged to apply the knowledge, values and skills they have learned and developed in the classroom to their direct practice work with individuals, families, groups and organizations in the community.

Social work field education is an essential and rewarding component of the social work curriculum and program. We employ a highly personalized process of matching students and agencies in our program. I meet with each student to discuss our learning objectives, the student’s interests and the options available for placement. Each student spends a minimum of 450 supervised hours in their placement during the spring semester of (typically) their senior year. Students complete their practicum experiences at schools, residential facilities, hospitals, youth agencies, protective service offices, domestic violence programs and other human service agencies in New Hampshire.

A trained supervisor (B.S.W. or M.S.W.) supervises each student on-site. In some cases, an off-site supervisor with social work training serves as the secondary supervisor. Social Work faculty liaisons are assigned to individual students; these faculty members serve as an essential link between the B.S.W. program and the field agency. Faculty liaisons provide support to both the student and the field instructor.

Please feel free to contact me for further information about the field education component of the program.

Scott Meyer, Ph.D., M.S.W.
(603) 535-2377
scottm@mail.plymouth.edu