Simmons College School of Social Work

1. What is the process for students to be assigned to a field placement?
2. How many hours of fieldwork will be required?
3. What if I am a Extended Program student?
4. What if I am from out of state?
5. How many interviews can I arrange?
6. Can I do my placement at my current place of employment?
7. Are there any paid field placements or stipends available?
8. Are there any evening or weekend placements?
9. If I have family or work obligations, can my fieldwork be adjusted to accommodate them?
10. If I am an Urban Leadership student, what kind of placement will I have?
11. If I have a B.S.W. will I have a different placement or placement schedule?
12. Do I need a car?
13. How far will I have to travel?
14. How is the second-year field placement different?

1. What is the process for students to be assigned to a field placement?
   
   Incoming full-time students will receive a letter and request to schedule a placement interview after the Admissions office receives a deposit. Students will meet with a member of the Field Department in small groups. The 'matching' process takes into consideration a student's interests, learning needs, prior experience, and the agencies' needs. The Field Education faculty makes the agency assignment. The student is then asked to arrange an interview at the agency.
2. How many hours of fieldwork will be required?
   
   Simmons students do a three day, 24 hour a week, internship in both the first and second year. The extra day in Field provides valuable additional training and makes Simmons interns highly desired by local social work agencies. The First Year field days are usually Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with classes the other two days.
3. What if I am a Extended Program student?
   
   Students in the Extended Program do their internships in the second and third years, of a three year program, or in the second and fourth years, of a four year program. We encourage extended program students to meet with a member of the Field Department prior to beginning the program for help in planning a class and placement schedule to fit individual needs. Though internships are during "business hours", students are concurrently enrolled in required classes that are offered days, evenings, and in summer.
4. What if I am from out of state?
   
   A Field Department faculty member can do a telephone interview with you to discuss placement possibilities. Some agencies will wait until early September to interview a student but this may impact choice of settings. With advanced planning, agency interviews can be coordinated with visits to Boston to arrange housing.
5. How many interviews can I arrange?
   
   The Field Department arranges one interview. If the initial placement plan doesn't work, a second agency will be located. We cannot allow students to interview at several agencies because of the large number of students needing placements.
6. Can I do my placement at my current place of employment?
   
   Students with prior social work experience may request to do the first year internship at their current agency if the agency can provide a new caseload, a new MSW supervisor who meets Simmons' qualifications, and a new learning experience. Students must submit a proposal describing the agency and current duties as well as a description of the proposed field assignment and new field instructor (applications are available in the Field Dept). The placement hours and duties must be clearly defined and the agency must be invested in the student's learning needs. Students should also have a clear plan to do the second internship in a different agency. Academic credit cannot be given for previous work experience unless a student has a Bachelor of Social Work degree.
7. Are there any paid field placements or stipends available?
   
   Social work agencies rarely provide stipends and there are no paid placements. Small stipends are sometimes offered for special skills, like a second language, or in a new program. The Veteran's Hospital provides a limited number of stipends for second year students.
8. Are there any evening or weekend placements?
   
   Some agencies offer flexible hours but it is rare. Students should plan on normal agency business hours for at least 16 of the 24 hours and during times the field instructor is available. An important part of learning is supervision and collaboration with staff and outside agencies that primarily occurs during the day.
9. If I have family or work obligations, can my fieldwork be adjusted to accommodate them?
   
   You may need to consider the extended program since 3 field days and 4 classes cover a 40 hour week. Some classes are offered in the evening and during the summer but the field placement must be during normal weekday business hours. The Field Department is available to advise you on class and field options. In our experience only flexible part-time jobs work out during the two internship years. We cannot guarantee you a field placement that allows you to maintain a full-time job.
10. If I am an Urban Leadership student, what kind of placement will I have?
    
    There are no limits on the type of agency or client population; however, an Urban Leadership student is expected to work in a large urban area. Most agencies are in Boston but if a student plans to practice in Brockton or Providence or Lowell, for example, we will locate agencies in that area. In addition we request that the agency provide the additional learning opportunities required of Urban Leader students.
11. If I have a B.S.W. will I have a different placement or placement schedule?
    
    If you are accepted into the advanced standing program at Simmons, you will have one placement, three days (24 hours) per week, from early September through early August. The Field Department will collaborate with you to plan the best learning experience, taking into consideration your learning and career goals as well as your prior experience. We will identify appropriate placement options for you and you will interview at an agency prior to the confirmation of your placement. As your field placement ends in early August, you must be prepared to be in placement during the summer months. In thinking about placement possibilities, you should be aware that for various reasons some agencies are not able to accommodate interns during the summer, e.g., public schools.
12. Do I need a car?
    
    Though Boston has a good public transportation system (the 'T') many agencies require outreach or home visits to neighborhoods not easily accessed without a car. We cannot guarantee the type of agency requested will be T accessible. Students without cars may have to compromise their interests to be accommodated locally or near their homes.
13. How far will I have to travel?
    
    Every effort will be made to plan a reasonable commute but students are expected to allow up to an hour of commuting time to the agency. We have excellent training sites in ME, NH, RI and Cape Cod for students living in those areas. Class schedules usually require being in Boston two days a week.
14. How is the second-year field placement different?
    
    First year internships provide foundation social work practice skills. Second year focuses on advanced clinical skills with an emphasis on conceptualizing the professional use of self in the treatment setting and increasingly autonomous practice. Some agencies will only accept 2nd year students due to insurance regulations, degree of client difficulty, or other requirements of the training program. Outpatient mental health, college counseling settings, and most teaching hospitals will only accept second year students.

For more information about the SSW Field Education Program, please email Director Associate Professor Suzanne Sankar, or call 617-521-3946.

Downloads

• Field Education Manual
• Year I Evaluation Form
• Year II Evaluation Form
• Year I Learning Plan
• Year II Learning Plan
• Clinical Practice Syllabus
• Advanced Clinical Practice Syllabus