Department of Social Work - Bachelor of Social Work Field Work

Department of Social Work - Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

Only those students who are candidates for the baccalaureate degree in social work may be admitted to the field work practicum. Each student must have full admission to the social work program, maintain a GPA of 2.50, complete the required support courses and the required social work courses before becoming eligible for the practicum. The social work courses completed must include those mentioned for admission to the program, as well as SCWK 3736, 3750, 3760, 5820; and one special populations course from the following: SCWK 3728, 3730, 3731 or 4860 (topics other than “Health Issues for Social Workers”). SCWK 3737, 3738, 5822 and 5823 may be taken concurrently with SCWK 4825 (Internship), 4826 (Integrated Field Work Seminar) and 4827 (Capstone Seminar). Student experiences are either in volunteer or paid positions in community agencies or services such as, club leadership, camp counseling, nursing homes, service organizations, health care programs, faith-based programs, mental health or mental retardation services, etc. Although not required for admission to field work, these experiences often contribute to a student’s readiness to maximize their field work experience.

The practicum is often the first opportunity that the BSW student has to apply the theories and concepts that he/she has learned in the required course work. Students are assigned to an agency field instructor who is either an MSW social worker with at least two years of post-MSW professional social work experience or a BSW social worker with at least five years of post-BSW professional social work experience. The field instructor designs, arranges and supervises assignments for the intern with specific learning goals for each student consistent with the agency services, the expected level of student readiness, and the expected level of preparedness the student will demonstrate at the end of the second semester. All of these experiences at the field sites are monitored by the YSU Social Work Internship Coordinator to insure that the highest social work standards are being met at each site.

Field sites exist in Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Portage and Summit counties in Ohio; in western Pennsylvania, field sites are available in Lawrence, Mercer and Beaver counties. The range of program services for field sites include: hospitals and medical settings; mental health programs; substance abuse programs; child protection agencies; specialized foster care; nursing homes; community-based programs for the elderly; schools; homeless outreach programs; hospice programs; adolescent services; rehabilitation service programs ; faith-based programs; juvenile justice programs; domestic violence services; educational and housing services for women; early intervention services for young children and their families; mental retardation/developmental disability services and community centers.

Each BSW student reviews areas of interest, learning needs at the field site (from basic to advanced), preferred locale, and available hours with the Internship Coordinator prior to a decision being made about a specific site. The intern then interviews at the site before a final decision is made as to the site and the field instructor’s suitability for the student’s learning needs. Evaluations of the intern’s performance are completed by the agency field instructor at the end of each semester and a grade for the six (6) semester hour course is assigned by the Internship Coordinator.

Interested individuals are welcome to contact the BSW Internship Coordinator to discuss any questions at any time throughout their academic progression at YSU. Call Mary Ann Ganofsky at (330) 941-3567 to make an appointment.