Developing a Comprehensive Orientation for MSW Internships

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Developing a Comprehensive Orientation for MSW
Internships
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Considerations for developing an orientation

• Primary Consideration
• Student Learning Needs
• Student at Employment
• Student with Human Service Experience
• Student Coming Directly from an Undergrad Degree
• Student with Internship and/or volunteer
  experience

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Using the Educational Resume

• Students Prepare a lengthy resume
• Cover letter identifying their learning interests
  and what they bring to the internship
• Assist Field Instructor identify students
  orientation needs.

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Agency

• Size of the Agency or Unique Features
• Small agency with 1 or 2 programs
• Large agencies with multiple programs
• Employee orientation
• Program orientation
• Social Workers in Host Settings
• Fluid vs. Formal Structure

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Student Anxiety

• Anxiety Begin with the Planning Process
• Anxiety for Student with minimal experience
• Expectations
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Anxiety for Students with experience
• Worker vs. Student

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The Schools Orientation to Practicum

• Responsible to both Student and Field Instructor
• Field Education Manual
• Rules, guidelines, policies and procedures
• Compass
• Web source for students during internship
• New Field Instructor Training
• Web based Trainingssuch as this
• Program on Field Education Day

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Orienting Student to Internship Process

• Incoming meeting with all student
• Discuss specialization
• Internship geographic and learning interests
• Field Education Day
• Morning informational meeting
• Informational Meetings about the Process
• Individual Planning Meetings

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Orienting Agencies

• Orientation begins during the initial contact
• Discuss program requirements
• Appropriate learning activities
• Supervision
• Overview of the Internship Program
• A confirmed agency receives a Confirmation Packet
• Curriculum syllabus
• Field instructor profile
• Learning plans
• Timeline
• Information regarding field instructor training

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Agency Orientation

• Multiple purposes
• Welcomes a student
• Reduce student anxiety
• Saves student from seeking out information
• Enhances the learning process
• Socialization to the Profession
• Information on the placement site
• Builds relationship

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Prior to Interns Arrival

• Inform staff of intern
• Educate staff
• Identify tasks and assignment
• Formal and informal supervision
• Physical space
• Orientation
• Training needs and materials
• Multiple programs

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Internship

• Physical space
• Community
• Staff
• Office procedures
• Phone usage
• Long distance calls
• Signing in and out
• Lunch breaks
• Parking
• Travel reimbursement
• Scheduling clients
• Office machines
• Insurance
• Personal phone calls
• Agency hours

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• Computer system
• Culture
• Parking
• Dress requirements
• Special security precautions

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Orienting the Student to the Agency

• Mission statement
• Annual report
• Brochures
• Website
• Organizational chart
• Job descriptions
• Agency terminology
• Policy and procedures manuals
• Reporting lines
• Funding sources
• Personnel Manual

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Orienting student to the Practicum

• Confidentiality
• Documentation
• Record keeping
• Role and expectations
• Supervision
• Relevant reading materials
• Community resources
• Observation
• Communication
• Teaching/learning styles
• Work hours

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