BSW Direct Entry Applying for Placement Orientation

2012-2013

School of Social Work

Requirements

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

• Placement will be from September to April – 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

Practicum Prerequisites

• You must complete the following BEFORE you begin placement in September:– (1) The Core Courses (listed below)– (2) 57 Credits OUTSIDE of Social Work (SOWK)

• The core courses are:SOWK 1010 – Critical Foundations of SOWKSOWK 2030 – Critical Perspectives on SocietySOWK 2050 – Identity, Diversity, and Anti-Discriminatory PracticeSOWK 3041 - CommunicationSOWK 3060 – Integrated SOWK PracticeSOWK 3070 – Foundations of SOWK ResearchSOWK 3110 – Policy Frameworks

The following course is to be completed 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

• Direct Entry students begin in September 2012

• Direct Entry students complete their placement 3 days per week (generally Mon/Wed/Fri) in the Fall and Winter terms (MUST DO FULL DAYS)

• You will have to put in extra hours/days to complete 700 hours by April if you plan on graduating in June. You have more time if you plan on graduating in October.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING OSAP

• 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)

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

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 “Practicum Events” on 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 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 2012)

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

Field Contacts

• Vina Sandher – Manager of Field Education

vsandher@yorku.cavsandher@yorku.ca

416-736-2100 ext. 39488416-736-2100 ext. 39488

• Zalina Mohamad – Assistant Field Education Coordinator

zalinam@yorku.cazalinam@yorku.ca

416-736-2100 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