Practicum Education

Practicum Application

All forms and the application for both the MSW or BSW Program are located our Practicum Education Management System called SONIA. To login to SONIA visit https://oaklandsw.sonialive.com

If you need assistance with your SONIA account, please call 248-370-2371

Supervision
Students are assigned to a BSW or MSW practicum instructor for supervision and instruction. They must meet with their practicum supervisor for one hour per week at minimum. Students are also assigned to a faculty practicum liaison who oversees the learning experience and assists the student and practicum instructor in designing appropriate learning activities and in integrating practice theory and practice skills.

Practicum Learning Plan
An individualized learning plan in the form of a Practicum Learning Agreement is developed in the beginning of the fall semester jointly between the student, the practicum instructor, and the practicum liaison. Its purpose is to identify the learning opportunities and practice experiences that will enable the student to address the goals of the course and to demonstrate the competencies upon which the student will be evaluated.

Practicum Seminar
Students participate in a field seminar led by the practicum liaison. The practicum seminar provides an opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge about community resources, about a variety of models for practicing social work, and to gain consultation on practice issues.

Important Resources and Contact Information
For more information contact Stephanie Brandimarte, Director of Practicum Education at (248) 370-2502 or [email protected].

The Practicum allows our students to expand their education beyond the classroom. Practicum instructors help BSW/MSW students apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in a real-world setting.

The Practicum Instructor is a Bachelor's or Master’s prepared social worker, with at least 2 years of post degree experience, employed by the agency who is responsible for overseeing the supervision of the student in the setting. In addition to providing direct supervision, the Practicum Instructor is responsible for assuring that the agency provides the student with necessary resources including space, telephones, computers, etc. for performing assignments.

Since the primary goal of practicum instruction is to help prepare entry level professionals for beginning generalist social work practice, rather than agency service, the primary role of the Agency Field Instructor is educational.

In some situations, students may be assigned to an experienced task supervisor who does not meet CSWE standards as a practicum instructor, but who helps coordinate the day to day activities of the student. In these cases, close communication is expected between the task supervisor and the practicum instructor of record, who is responsible for overall supervision and evaluation of the student.

The responsibilities of the Practicum Instructor are to:

• Submit the necessary paperwork required for approval as an agency/practicum Instructor;
• Attend the Practicum Instructor’s orientation meeting and become familiar with the Program’s curriculum and practicum education program;
• Interview and approve the student for placement at the agency;
• Orient student to the agency, its policies and procedures;
• Facilitate the integration of the student in to the agency;
• Assist in the development and implementation of the student’s Learning Plan;
• Design and implement learning experiences that meet the objectives of the program and the student’s professional goals;
• Provide regular and consistent practicum instruction supervision with the student (a minimum of one hour weekly);
• Consult formally with the Practicum Faculty liaison at scheduled agency visits and informally as the need arises;
• Inform the Practicum Faculty Liaison should any concerns about student performance in field arise;
• Regularly evaluate the student’s social work performance and provide ongoing feedback to the student; and
• Complete the evaluation forms at the end of each term, consulting with the Pacticum Faculty Liaison in recommending a final grade.

Email Stephanie Brandimarte at [email protected] for the following resources resources:

• BSW Scope of Practice
• EPAS Standards
• Sample Learning Plan Task and Activities

If you interested in requesting a BSW or MSW Intern, please fill out this form. Our Practicum Education Director will reach out with additional information and documentation.

REQUEST AN INTERN

Oakland University uses a web-based data management system called Sonia to track all students in their practicum placement. Through Sonia, the Practicum Education team and practicum agencies can communicate more easily with each other and students participating in practicum education.

How to use SONIA:

Before logging in, all field instructors and students will receive a distinctive"Username" and "Password" sent by the practicum team.

SONIA login

SONIA Tutorials:

Below is a series of tutorials that briefly overview Sonia. Each tutorial is tailored to your specific role within the university.

• Login video
• Student tutorial (login, accessing forms, completing forms, a rough timeline of when forms should be completed in an academic year)
• Field Instructor/Task Supervisor tutorial (login, accessing forms, completing forms, a rough timeline of when forms should be completed in an academic year)

Sonia is a web-based data management system that effectively stores and generates reports on information about field placement agencies, practicum instructors, and students. It also keeps track of student assignments throughout various semesters and maintains a historical record. One notable aspect of Sonia is its convenient access to online documents, including learning and safety plans and student evaluations, which can be completed and stored electronically. Additionally, Sonia offers the following features:

• Provides Oakland University with a paperless solution for tracking and archiving
• Facilitates communication with students, field instructors, and liaisons
• Provides the student access to their field placement information
• Provides practicum instructors access to student information
• Allows practicum instructors access to all required documents in a paperless system
• Increases communication between Oakland University and practicum agencies

If you encounter any issues while trying to log in, please contact the Practicum Education team [email protected] or [email protected].