f/t and 2-year year 1 msw applying for placement orientation may 17, 2011 may 17, 2011

F/T and 2-Year Year 1 MSW Applying For Placement F/T and 2-Year Year 1 MSW Applying For Placement OrientationOrientation

May 17, 2011May 17, 2011

Introductions

• Sheryl Abraham – Assistant Field Education Coordinator

– 416-736-2100, ext. 33354

– sabraham@yorku.ca

• Vina Sandher – Field Education Manager

– 416-736-2100 ext. 39488

– vsandher@yorku.ca

• Introduction to the School of Social Work • Placement Process• Student’s Obligations in the Placement Process• Factors for Agencies to Consider• Factors the Field Office Considers• MSW Practicum Road Map• Researching Agencies• Factors for Student’s to Consider• Work Placements• International Placements• Cover Letters and Resumes• Interviews• Pre-Placement Agency Requirements• Confirmation of Placement Process• Accommodations• Technical Support

MSW Applying For Placement Orientation

The School’s Mission Statement

• Critical Social Work Perspective• Anti-Oppressive Practice• Social Justice Issues

We encourage you to think about your placement in terms of the social justice issues you wish to address and the skills you will

need to develop to do so effectively.

Placement Process

• Collaboration between Field Office and Student is essential

• All placements must be confirmed by the Field Office

Field Office

Student Agency

Student’s Obligations in the PlacementProcess

• Students are not guaranteed a placement simply because they have completed the academic portion of their degree

• Students are expected to demonstrate readiness for practice in the process of securing a placement in addition to the fulfillment of the practicum hours

Student’s Obligations in the Placement Process

• Completing the on-line placement application

• Complete core courses

• Know what skills you want out the placement and be able to express this when meeting with the Field Office and with agencies

• Informing the Field Office of interviews before they happen

• Following up with agencies as required and as appropriate

• Being professional

Factors for Agencies to Consider

• Agency support in taking a student• Interest in taking students• Learning opportunities• Supervision• Physical Space• Timelines of placement

Factors the Field Office Considers

• Non-Profit Agency• Agency’s social work philosophy• Educational qualifications of Field

Instructors• Supervision• Learning opportunities• Practicum, not an Internship• Legal Requirements for the Agency

• The placement process can take some time because of the previous factors.

• We work on your first two choices.

• If you are feeling anxious, please feel free to e-mail me to set up an in-person or telephone meeting.

MSW Practicum Road Map

• Site search• Advising Appointment • Selection of top 4 placement choices• Application submitted latest by:

Monday September 12th, 2011• Interview with Placement site

– Tell the Field Office before it happens– Placement is still not guaranteed

• Field Office follows up with the Field Instructor• Confirmation of Placement Package if everything is okay• Beginning Placement Orientation (Dec. and Jan.)

Placement Timelines

• 450 Hours

• 3 Full Days/Week– Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

• Begins after January 4th 2012

• Ends May 2012

• Internet Sites:

211Toronto

http://www.211toronto.ca/splash.jsp • SW Database• Advising Appointment

Researching Agencies

Social Work Populations

• Elderly• Families• Women• Youth• Different Abilities• Substance Use Issues• Newcomers to Canada• LGBTQ• Aboriginal

Social Work Direct Practice Skills

• Case-management• Counseling• Assessment• Referrals - Knowledge of Community Resources• Documentation• Outreach• Advocacy

Social Work Practice Skills/Settings (cont’d.)

• Grant Writing• Program Development• Community Development• Policy• Research

Social Work Practice Day

September 2011

9-12 pm and/or 1:30-4:30pm

Please RSVP to attend

Geographic Regions

• Do you take un-paid placement students?• Do you have a social worker with a social work degree on site

(MSW).• If not, do you have someone interested in taking a student at this

time? If so, what is their educational background?• What are the learning opportunities at this agency?• May I have the potential field instructor’s contact information? (name,

phone number, ext., and e-mail address)

Note: (1) E-mail this information to the MSW Assistant Field EducationCoordinator if you are interested in this agency. The Field Office can follow-up from there.

(2) Please bear in mind the possible placement may still not meet our other requirements or other factors may be involved

Questions Student’s Can Ask Agencies the Field Office Does Not Have Connections With

Factors for Students to Consider

• Past work / volunteer experience• Education / Training• Social work issues / population• Skill development• Supervision• Learning style• Self-care practices

Work Placements

• Criteria to be met• Contact the Field Office to discuss• Proposal to be e-mailed to Assistant Field

Education Coordinator by:September 12th, 2011

(also submit on-line placement application at the same time)

• All proposals must be approved by Field Education Manager

International Placements

• Pros and Cons

• Factors to Consider

• Timelines

Cover Letter and Resume

• Work and Volunteer Experience

• Education

• Introduce yourself and what you have to offer

Cover Letter and Resume

• Save resume and cover letter under one document• Word 97-2003 .doc or .rtf format• Save it with first and last name as the title of the

documentEx. “Esther NG 2011”

• Try to keep resume to 2 pages• Spell check and have someone else read it over

Cover Letter/Resume Workshop

Friday June 24, 2011

1-3pm

Please RSVP on our website to attend

Interviews

• Professional Dress

• Discuss why you chose to explore this agency/setting

• Discuss what you can offer

• Be clear about your learning goals

• Be sure to ask what you will do on a daily basis, what programs you will be exposed to, and who you will be working with

• Ask how supervision will work

• Discuss timelines

Interview Workshop

Friday August 26, 2011

1-3pm

Please RSVP to attend

Pre-Placement Agency Requirements

• Vulnerable Sector Screening

• License/Access to a car

• Health Documentation:

– **10 year booster shot (MMR and DTP)

– **Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunizations

– Hep B immunizations

– 2-step TB test

– Mask Fit Test

– Flu shot

Confirmation of Placement Process

• Registration in Practicum Course:

– Full-Time Advanced Standing Students:Advanced Practicum Course 5350.6 (W Term)

– 2-Year, Year 1 Students: Practicum Course 5310.6 (W Term)– MUST register in the Fall although placement starts in the Winter term

• Confirmation Package from Field Office

• Beginning Placement Orientation

• Faculty Liaison (Faculty Advisor or PRS Director)

Accommodations

Please contact the

Counselling and Development Centre

(416) 736-5297

Room N110

Bennett Centre for Student Services

Technical Support

http://www.yorku.ca/computing/students/accounts/signupinstructions.html

YorkU Passport Instructions

Changing Your Personal Information

Open Internet BrowserOn Address Line Type: http://www.yorku.ca

Click on “Current Students Faculty & Staff”

Changing Your Personal Information

Click on “Current Students”

Changing Your Personal Information

Click on “My Student Records”

Changing Your Personal Information

Click on the information you need to change such as address and contact information, emergency contact information, etc.

Changing Your Personal Information

Log in to Passport York and make the necessary changes

Social Work Social Work Practicum/Field Practicum/Field

Placement Database Placement Database InstructionsInstructions

Open Internet BrowserOn Address Line Type: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk

Registering on the Databasevia Website

Click on “Database Sign In”

Registering on the Databasevia Website

You will be directed to the SOWK Online Application Page.

Registering on the Databasevia Website

Select “Students”

This will bring you to the SOWK Online Application –Students Page.

• Click on “Register new account” for 1st time users

•If you were a previous BSW student and are now an MSW student, you will have to register again as an MSW student only once.

OR enter your student ID & password (if you have already registered)NOTE: this is different than your Passport York Account Log-in

• Select MSW or BSW Student (if you have already registered)

•Click Submit

Registering on the Databasevia Website

Registering on the Database via Website - Agency Search

Once you log-in, you will be directed to your Student Profile screen. Click on “Agency Search” at the top right to research

possible placement sites.

Registering on the Database via Website - Agency Search

When your Agency Search is complete, continue by Clicking on Placement Request to begin the application process.

The Agency Search page allows you to search agencies by Name, Address, and City. Click on Placement Search to see all the agencies in the database

• There is no list of available agencies for each term• The database is a list of agencies we have used in

the past but may or may not be available, depends on many factors.

• Take a look at the posted links/websites to get an idea of what the place is about

• The search engine is very precise. Be sure to be exact in your spelling

• Check out:– http://www.211toronto.ca/splash.jsp– Other city’s social services search engines

• Research on the student’s part is key in the placement process

Registering on the Databasevia Website - Researching Tips

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

Be sure to fill out the appropriate program and the Term you are applying for. Provide the number of FULL days per week you will be in placement.

Provide emergency contact information and Employment Information. Other personal information will be automatically generated by the database. If any of the personal information is incorrect,

please be sure to update it on the main York system.

Type notes, 1-2 lines max.

or it will cut you off

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

Please ensure that you choose 4 distinctly different agencies (i.e., do not choose more than one location

of the same agency as

separate choices). If Agency does

not exist, click on Other Agency and

complete requested

information.

Attach Resume and Cover letter in one document. You MUST submit your resume and cover letter at the time of your application. Click SUBMIT.

SUBMIT

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

• We work on your first or second choice first• Please do not put hospitals, school boards and CAS as your third or

fourth choice, if you are interested in these settings, please put them as your first or second choice

• For example, your choices should look something like this:

1. Hospital (name one here)2. School Board (name one here)3. Community Agency (like the Office of the Provincial

Advocate for Children and Youth, etc.)4. Community Agency (like Women’s Habitat, etc.)

Your choices should not look like this:

1. Hospital (name one here) 1. School Board (name one here)2. Hospital (name one here) 2. School Board (name one here)3. School Board (name one here) 3. Hospital (name one here)4. CAS 4. Hospital (name on here)

Registering on the Databasevia Website – Placement Request

• Please do not contact agencies we have connections with, please check with us if you are unsure if we have a connection with an agency.

• Please do not contact Hospitals on your own (hospital’s preference).

• If you are contacting agencies we do not have connections with, please keep the Field Office informed.

• This generally makes it a smoother process for agencies and students

• All placements must be confirmed by the Field Office

Registering on the Database via Website – Reminders

• Please ensure that you have all documentation completed, for example resume and cover letter (.doc or .rtf format), before submitting your application. No editing privileges are permitted, therefore if you have omitted any details to your application, you will have to start over and complete it again.

• The application will log you out after 20 minutes of inactivity• Please write on the application an alternative e-mail address

if you do not use your YorkU e-mail account.• Please note that the “SUBMIT” button will disappear from the

on-line database application once the deadline date has passed.

• Please e-mail the Field Office any changes to the application after you have submitted it.

Registering on the Databasevia Website – Reminders

Database Trouble-Shooting and Help?

Any questions on the Database

Please contact

Esther Ng

Email: estherng@yorku.ca

Phone: 416-736-2100, ext. 20662

Questions / Closing Remarks

Thank you for coming

http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk/practicum/

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns