The Agency

The Mohawk College Social Service Worker selection process is designed so that both the agency and the student take responsibility for creating the best match. Once an agreed upon selection has been made, the student is not permitted to negotiate any alternate placements unless approved by the Field Placement Co- ordinator. Students are expected to attend and remain with the agency, organization or institution agreed upon for the duration of the placement.

Your agency will be contacted by the Field Placement Specialist several months before practicum start to ask you if you are in a position to host SSW students, how many students you will be able to offer a placement to as well as a description of your agency and the practicum position. Please expect contact by email or phone.

Students are expected to call or email the contact person to set up an interview once their practicum has been assigned to them. It is their responsibility to come to the interview well prepared bringing a resume, references, and a goal sheet with them. Agencies are asked to interview the students as if they were applying for a job to ascertain their suitability to the practicum. Agencies personnel are encouraged to provide inquiry and feedback with the student regarding their learning goals and motivation for engaging in the work of the agency. The agency is always at liberty to not offer a practicum position to any of the students interviewed. The College may ask for feedback about any student who is not chosen so that the student can use this as a learning opportunity during future situations.

All students are asked to prepare themselves by reviewing and reflecting on their goals for learning and researching appropriate agencies. In first year, the student is asked to look at not only his/her interests but also areas requiring improvement in terms of professional development or experience. Thus, a student who is unsure about working with the elderly, for example, may well be matched to a placement at a geriatric facility. The focus of the first-year placement is to introduce students to demographics, trends, and issues in social service settings.

Second year students are placed in a separate practicum setting which is distinctly varied from that experienced in year one. It is encouraged that second-year students have insight into their areas of strength as well as challenges from first year to help direct their learning needs for second year. Second year students complete two terms in the same practicum setting to facilitate their learning as it relates to program development, case management, and organizational development.

Mohawk College provides Field Placement Specialists as the first point of contact to assist with the collaborative support and development of the practicum setting as it relates to meeting agency needs and student learning outcomes.