The purpose of the National Community Scholars Program (NCS) is to prepare professionals for enabling young people and adult allies to create community change. National Community Scholars will gain skills to organize groups for social action, plan programs at the local level, advocate for socially just policies, and develop community-based services. The program offers unique opportunities for students to collaborate with leading practitioners and potentially complete a Spring/Summer term field placement in one of the following areas:
o Mississippi Delta, an area rich with history and significant roles in the civil rights movement.
o Central Appalachia, with strong cultural and activist traditions in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.
o San Francisco Bay Area, a culturally diverse urban area with a dense concentration of community youth organizations.
Students must elect the 16-month curriculum track, complete an out-of-sequence petition, and complete a local/domestic placement during the Fall and Winter terms. Please see the web site for additional information:https: //ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/financial-aid/national-community-scholars-program
For additional information please refer to the SSW Student Guide, Volume 2, Chapter 14.06: National Community Scholarship Program.
Section 9.08
Peace Corps Master's International (MI)
The U-M SSW Peace Corps MI program (MI) will allow students interested in working with children and youth to incorporate 27 months of Peace Corps service into their MSW program. Students must be U.S. citizens due to Peace Corps requirements. Students interested in the MI program must first be accepted to the U-M SSW before applying to the Peace Corps. Applicants must be accepted both to the U-M SSW and the Peace Corps.
Students must select the children and youth in families and society practice area and must enroll in either the 12- month advanced standing or 20-month curriculum schedule. Students in the program will first complete one year of coursework on campus (including field placement). Afterward they will serve overseas in the Peace Corps for 27 months in a youth development assignment. Students will then return to campus to complete their last year or semester of coursework depending on their curriculum schedule. Generally, students cannot extend their Peace Corps assignment to a third year (any exception must be approved by the Associate Dean for Educational Programs).
Please refer to the Special Course Planning Worksheet for scheduling classes at http://ssw.umich. edu/studentGuide/2014/peaceCorps/WorkSheetSelect.html. For further information please visit http://ssw. umich.edu/peacecorps/ and http://ssw.umich.edu/peacecorps/schedule.html or contact ssw. [email protected].
Section 9.09
School (K-12) Social Work Field Placements
Requirements
Students interested in school (K-12) social work should consult with the School's assigned faculty advisor who provides information about the practice of social work in schools and the temporary approval requirements during their first term of the program to ensure that the requirements can be met. Information can also be found in theSSW Student Guide, Volume 2, Chapter 14.02: Social Work in the Public Schools or on this web page:
https://ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/financial-aid/specialization-and-certification-programs/social-work-in- school-settings
Because requirements vary from state to state and these are not all covered by the U-M MSW program, it is necessary to plan the academic program of each prospective school social worker individually and early in the MSW program. At that time, further information about requirements for temporary approval as a school social worker in the State of Michigan can be discussed. Prior to graduation (last term) students who have met the temporary approval requirements for the State of Michigan should request a letter stating they are eligible for a temporary approval from the School's assigned faculty advisor.
Based on public school requirements and schedules for students, advanced standing and continuing 2nd year 20- month students are eligible for placement in public school settings. Rarely does a school placement accept a foundation level student.
All MSW students interested in school-based field placements should be aware that they will be required to complete and pass a criminal background check. The fee for this service is the responsibility of the MSW student. L -1 Identify Solutions (http://www.L1id.com) is available to assist interns. Other options may be provided by the respective school district. Fees are determined independently. MSW students should also be prepared to provide three references during the placement process.
While the University's Winter term ends in April or May, public schools are usually in session until June. Most school settings will require that students remain in their assigned school field placement until June as a qualification for the placement. Students placed in a school setting cannot register for field instruction credits during the Spring/Summer term.
Students should be aware as well that many schools require a 3 day per week commitment for fieldwork. If the student chooses to accept the placement on condition of remaining in field beyond April, the following conditions apply:
o The schedule arrangement between the student and the field instructor must be approved by the field faculty in the first Fall term.
o The student completes and submits an out-of-sequence petition, which must be approved by the Director of Field Instruction (http://www.ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/ofi/out_of_sequence.pdf).
o The student will be assigned a "Y" grade at the end of the Winter term by the field faculty. The "Y" grade will be replaced by the appropriate fieldwork grade by the field faculty when the fieldwork hours for that term are completed .
o When the student is in placement during this extended period, the student is covered for malpractice throughout the extended period under the University of Michigan Insurance policy.
o Many school system breaks and holiday schedules do not match the University's schedule. All missed days must be made up in the term they were registered for.
Grading Policy
The majority of all school placements will require that MSW interns remain in field placement until the end of the K -12 school year. The grading policy for these placements is different that the normal policy due to the nature of the school academic year calendar and the commitment students are required to make when seeking a school placement.
Please note that the School of Social Work and the Office of Field Instruction grading policies must also be adhered to and explanations for these can be found in Volume 3, Chapter 11, Sections 8-9. The following policies relate to the timetable for those students placed in a K-12 school as this relates to the submission of the required evaluation materials.
The following applies to the MSW students who are planning on graduating in MAY:
1. MSW students planning on graduating in May will be issued a grade of "Y" (if they have been successful thus far in placement). MSW students will be required to turn in ALL evaluation materials by May 15th.
2. Once all the completed evaluation paperwork has been received and indicates that the student has been successful, the grade will be changed to an "S" grade with the understanding that the student will remain in field placement until the end of the public school year. Interns and field instructors are able to negotiate an ending date that is different from this date. If this transpires, the assigned field faculty must be notified in writing so that this can be entered into the field instruction database.
The following applies to students who are planning on graduating in AUGUST (typically Advanced Standing students):
1. Students planning on graduating in August will be issued a grade of "Y" (if they have been successful thus far in placement). Students will be required to turn in ALL evaluation materials by July 1st.
2. It is assumed that students will commit to remaining in field placement until the end of the public school year and that they will have completed all required hours prior to July 1st.
CHAPTER 10
FIELD
PLACEMENT
PROCEDURES
& POLICIES
Section 10.00
Field Placement Application Process
The responsibility for approving and selecting fieldwork sites and initiating placement arrangements rests with the Office of Field Instruction. The Director of Field Instruction assesses the suitability of field placements as student training sites and approves only those that meet the School's requirements. Only School-approved fieldwork sites can be utilized for field instruction.
The field placement experience offers students an opportunity to learn about social problems, social welfare, community organizations, diverse client groups, communities and social systems, community-based resources, social policy and evaluation, and issues that are interpersonal in nature while working with people across the diversity dimensions, in settings that provide services to children and youth in families and society, aging, people with health and mental health issues. Field placements typically occur in a fieldwork site setting under the direct supervision of an approved, credentialed, and licensed field instructor. Students are assigned to a field placement based on their practice method concentration and practice area. Students in field placement must be placed in the fieldwork site for a minimum of two consecutive terms.