Field Placement
Apply your classroom learning to real-life work!
As part of any BSW program found in Canada, all students must successfully complete 700 hours of field placement. The purpose is for students to demonstrate their competence to connect theory, skills, and knowledge from classes to the field as well as display an understanding of the professional core values, standards, and ethics of social work practice. Students complete their field placement in the final year of the BSW program. If you are a college graduate or have work experience, you may be eligible for a reduction in your field practicum hours.
We offer a variety of field placement settings to students
The School of Social Work acknowledges the educational and practice benefits of supporting a variety of field placement settings for students that reflect the diversity of social work practice in northern, rural, and Indigenous contexts. Field practicum settings may include social service organizations, community coalitions and/or projects, community development organizations, and various citizen participation, social policy, and clinical practice settings. Examples include: mental health, addictions, child welfare, counselling, non-profit sector, housing, youth shelter, food bank, hospital social work, school boards, legal clinic, culture-based programs, organizations supporting children with exceptionalities, domestic violence, etc.
Benefits for college graduates and people working in the social services field
College graduates of Social Service Worker, Indigenous Social Service Worker, or Child and Youth Care programs or prospective students who have full-time work experience may be eligible for a reduction in their field placement hours.
Students are well supported and have high employability after graduation
Algoma University’s BSW program benefits from having a high demand for social work students within organizations across the Algoma region. Graduates are eligible to be registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) professional organization. The BSW program is accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE). The School of Social Work hosts information sessions for students planning to apply for their field placement and the Field Coordinator will support you through this process.
Police Record Checks are not an Algoma University requirement; however, most field practicum agencies will require a current Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) as part of their screening process. Vulnerable Sector checks are a specialized type of a background check primarily used for those who are applying for work or volunteer roles where they will work with vulnerable populations like children, youth, seniors, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues, etc. VSCs usually provide information such as criminal convictions, outstanding charges and warrants, discharges, findings of not criminally responsible, sexual offense convictions, any non-conviction information such as judicial orders and any other police records involving mental health apprehensions. Some field practicum agencies may require other types of police record checks. For detailed information on VSCs and the different types of police record checks you can visit the Government of Ontario website or your local police services website. There may be costs associated with the application process for a police record check and these costs will be the student’s responsibility. The results of the police record check, or any other agency requirements (e.g., proof of COVID-19 immunization status), must be provided from the student to the field practicum agency directly. A delay in obtaining results or a failure to pass the police record check may jeopardize entry into field practicum and compromise the ability to complete the BSW program. The John Howard Society has developed a self-guided e-learning module on Criminal Record Disclosure for seeking employment with a criminal record. Students are responsible for their transportation costs to and from practicum interviews, as well as during their field practicum.
