BSW Post Degree Applying for Placement

Orientation2012-2013

School of Social Work

• All BSW students must complete a minimum 700 hour placement at the placement site

• Placement will begin in September OR January

• If completing your placement over 8 months the time to complete all hours are very tight – PLAN HOURS ACCORDINGLY

• Read the BSW Practicum Manual – on our website at: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk/practicum/index.html

Requirements

Practicum Prerequisites• You must complete the following BEFORE you begin

placement in September OR JANUARY:

• SOWK 2030 – Critical Perspectives on Society• SOWK 2050 – Identity, Diversity, and Anti-Discriminatory Practice• SOWK 3041 - Communication• SOWK 3060 – Integrated SOWK Practice• SOWK 3070 – Foundations of SOWK Research• SOWK 3110 – Policy Frameworks

The following course can be completed BEFORE or CONCURRENTLY WITH PLACEMENT:

SOWK 4020 – Issues in the Study of the Welfare State

***GET A STUDY PLAN COMPLETED BY EMAILING YOUR NAME, STUDENT NUMBER AND PROGRAM TO SOWKADV@YORKU.CA***

Placement Process

• Post Degree students complete placement 2-5 days a week (MUST DO FULL DAYS)

• Minimum of 14 hours a week and must be negotiated with the placement site

• Evening/Weekend placements are possible but unlikely (issues of inadequate supervision)

• Post Degree students begin in September OR January • If you will be at placement 3 days/week, you will have to

put in extra hours/days in order to complete 700 hours by the end of April for graduation in June, otherwise you will graduate in October.

• If you will be at placement 4-5 days/week, you will get 700 hours by the end of April

• For students who are planning to do their practicum, please note that you will need to take 9 credits per term during the Fall/Winter term to be eligible for OSAP, as a result of new changes at the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the York OSAP Office.

• Students who take less than 9 credits per term, however, can apply for another Federal Government loan program for part-time students which is also administered by the OSAP Office.  For more information about this program, please go to:

• http://sfs.yorku.ca/aid/part_time/index.htm

• To be considered full-time for OSAP, you need a total of 18 credits (12 of which are from placement)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING OSAP

Placement Process• Collaboration between field office and student is

essential• You are encouraged to seek out placement

opportunities but must keep the coordinator informed about who you are contacting (Do not contact CAS)

• Do not contact CAS, CAMH, and others – ask the coordinator before contacting

• No hospitals or school boards for BSW• Research potential placement sites• Keep in constant contact with coordinator• You should be searching for a placement while the

coordinator searches – always inform the coordinator about what you’ve found

• All placements must be confirmed by the Field Office

BSW Practicum Road Map

• Site Search• Selection of top 4 placement choices• Application submitted for Fall :

Monday, February 27th, 2012• Spaces may be limited – submit your

application on time!• Interview with Placement site• Confirmation of Placement

Agency Search

• Online Database

• Internet Sites

• 211 Toronto

• Advising Appointment

Choosing Possible Placement Sites

• Interests• Skill development• Direct practice vs other…….?• Supervision• Non social work field instructors• Other demands• Work Placements

Work Placement Option

• Criteria to be met• Contact field education coordinator to discuss• Proposal to be submitted at least 3 months

before the start of placement• All proposals must be approved by Manager of

Field Education• Includes: proposal with different duties than

current job, information about supervisor (different from current job supervisor), and letter of support from agency that states # of full days at placement with different supervisor)

Resumes/Cover Letter

• Work and Volunteer History • Education• Introduce yourself• What are you looking for/What do you have to

offer • Resume Resources posted on website:

http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk/practicum/• Resume Writing Workshop – Friday, January

27, 2012 – 2:00PM – 4:00PM (This is tentative and will be confirmed – check website)

Interviews

• Professional• Ask questions• Be prepared to discuss what you can offer• Be clear about what you are looking for in a

placement (learning goals)• Know the agency and programs – do

RESEARCH on the agency• INTERVIEW WORKSHOP: Friday,

March 16, 2012 – 2:00PM – 4:00PM (This date is tentative and will be confirmed – check website)

Police Checks/Immunizations

• Police check should initiated in the spring (can take up to 3-4 months)

• You are responsible for initiating the police check

• Forms for Toronto are at the front desk of the social work office

• Inquire about other requirements for placement

Information about Securing Placements

• All placement agencies must be approved by the field office

• If you are offered a placement and you accept – this does not mean it is confirmed

• All agencies must fill out a Questionnaire which is used to determine if the placement meets our accreditation standards

• All agencies must sign an Affiliation Agreement with the University (legal contract)

• The Questionnaire and the Affiliation Agreement take the most time to negotiate and placements will only be approved once these two pieces are deemed acceptable by the field office.

Confirmation of Placement

• Confirmation package• Enrollment 4000/4001- you will be granted permission

once placement is confirmed. You are responsible for contacting the Field Office if you were not granted permission and enrolling in the course

• Failure to enroll in the practicum courses may result in you having to re-do your placement again

• Beginning Placement Orientation - date TBA (first week of school in September or January)

• Faculty Advisor • Integrative Seminar Dates (4 sessions @ 2 hours each)

Field Contacts

Vina Sandher – Manager of Field Education vsandher@yorku.cavsandher@yorku.ca416-736-2100 ext. 39488416-736-2100 ext. 39488

Zalina Mohamad – Assistant Field Education Coordinatorzalinam@yorku.cazalinam@yorku.ca416-736-2100 ext. 66320416-736-2100 ext. 66320

Esther Ng – Practicum Office Assistantestherng@yorku.caestherng@yorku.ca416-736-2100 ext. 20662

Registering on the Databasevia Website

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

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.Select “Students”

Registering on the Databasevia Website

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

• Click on “Register new account” for 1st time users (must have York U email account to register)

OR enter your student ID & password as well

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

• In order to do this you will need to enter your student number and create a password for future use.

Registering on the Database via Website - Agency Search

Once you login you will be directed to this screen. Click on “Agency Search” to research possible placement sites. This will bring you to the following page.

Registering on the Database via Website Agency Search

Here you will be able to go through and make selections and view information on possible Agency’s.

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

Using the Database to Search for Placement Sites

• Please do not contact agencies in the database until you have consulted with the field office.

• Please do not contact major Toronto Hospitals• Please do not contact any CAS (Children’s Aid Society)• Please feel free to contact new agencies on your own but

first inform the field office about who you are contacting

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

Complete Application. Please ensure that you have inputted your emergency contact and employer contact information. If any of your contact information is wrong it must be updated on the Registrar’s website: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/

Registering on the Database via Website – Placement Request

SUBMIT

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 cover letter and resume as one file. Save it as First Name LAST NAME 2012.doc as outlined online. You MUST submit your resume and cover letter at the time of your application. Click SUBMIT.

Search tips in database: ‘Learning Opportunities’

• Searching by location will generate fewer hits because of subjective regional language (i.e. GTA is can also be Mississauga)

• 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

• Use 211toronto.com first – then refer to the database

Registering on the Databasevia Website – Other Information

• Please ensure that you have all documentation completed, for example resume and cover letter (in one document), 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. Any changes to your application should be emailed to Zalina at zalinam@yorku.ca. Do not make changes on the application once submitted!

• Please save your cover letter and resume (in one document) as: First Name LAST NAME 2012.doc

• Please note that the “SUBMIT” button will disappear from the on-line database application once the deadline date has passed.

Field Office Contacts

• Vina Sandher – Manager of Field Education– vsandher@yorku.cavsandher@yorku.ca

• Zalina Mohamad – Field Education Office Assistant– zalinam@yorku.cazalinam@yorku.ca

• Esther Ng – Practicum Office Assistant– estherng@yorku.caestherng@yorku.ca