Thom Harrigan, ACSW

Assistant Professor, Field Education

Clinical experience: where the rubber hits the road

Thom Harrigan is unapologetic when he says field work is the centerpiece of a Simmons School of Social Work education. "There are many things about Simmons that make it special, but it's our emphasis on clinical experience that distinguishes us. It may sound cliché, but field work is where the rubber hits the road."

Harrigan worked for several years as an adjunct member of the faculty at Simmons before joining the school full time. "I had the opportunity to become familiar with the school, the faculty and students, the community, and the very unique environment we think of as 'Simmons.' Now as a faculty advisor in the field education department, I am able to bring my interest in education and my passion for good practice together in the work I do with students, in the relationships I have with colleagues, and through the contacts and connections I have with our training sites."

According to Harrigan, there are more than 300 field-placement sites throughout New England that are affiliated with Simmons; they range from schools and hospitals, to government agencies and private organizations. "We have strong and positive relationships with agencies and institutions that provide training. We talk to everyone and everyone talks to us, but we don't accept every agency that desires to partner with us. Our selection process is rigorous and comprehensive. The level of quality among our partner agencies is exceptional. When we say our students are better prepared than others, it's not just because our students are in the field more and longer, it's because where they are in the field provides them with extraordinary clinical experience."

Right from the start, SSW full-time students are placed in a three-day-a-week field internship, and part-time students are placed during their second year. This concentrated experience is simultaneous with study.

"Field placements give students the opportunity to integrate theory with practice. The primary goal and purpose of placement is for students to develop clinical skills. The bonus is that they are quickly integrated and considered professionals at their field site. This makes them highly employable."

Harrigan is quick to point out that every student at the SSW completes clinical work, even those enrolled in the school's Urban Leadership Program. "Effective leadership follows clinical experience."