Brandman University

The Social Work Program

Faculty Field Liaison Orientation

Thank you for joining us as Faculty Field Liaisons in the BASW program. Here is an
overview of the BASW Field Practicum Seminar courses. These courses are somewhat different
than teaching our other courses. Liaisons have a smaller class size (max 15) and there are fewer
written assignments. This allows course Liaisons time to interact with students and agency
supervisors.

Online Faculty Field Liaisons connect with students (individually or as a group) at least
twice in the 8-week session by phone, email or adobe connect and online once weekly for the class
course (on-going and regular feedback on DB and assignments is mandatory). These contacts are
documented by the faculty field liaison and include a discussion of the Field Learning Plan (FLP).
Blended Field Instructors meet with student face to face once bi-weekly in class, and have at least
one contact per month via phone, email or adobe connect in the 8-week session. The Social Work
Program uses a software program, Intern Placement Tracking (IPT) for students, agency
supervisors, and faculty field liaisons to submit and sign the FLP. It also allows for submission of
weekly practicum attendance sheets, signed by the agency supervisor. You will be given access to
this program in order to review and sign the FLP, due by Week 3 of the SOCU 493 course and in
order for you to check that the student is submitting weekly practicum attendance sheets that are
signed by the agency supervisor. We have a three-session sequence for field practicum seminar.

Liaisons are also the first contact for Agencies and should maintain contact with agency
supervisors a minimum of twice per session (usually the beginning and mid-term). Faculty field
liaisons are responsible for contacting Field Supervisors and introducing themselves to the agency
supervisor when taking on a seminar practicum course and they have had no contact with the
agency supervisor. Please ensure this occurs the first week of the academic session.

Faculty Field Liaisons are to provide consultation, problem solving and mentoring to
students and agency supervisors as needed. Any problems that would jeopardize the placement,
whether student or agency initiated, shall be referred to the Director of Field for resolution. It is
best practice to keep myself or the Asst. Director of Field – Justine Rangel, in the loop of any
problems you are addressing with a student through e-mail notification and updates. You can also
always contact me directly for consultation on an issue.

Practicum Courses Responsibilities:

SOWK 493-494: Students are starting their field practicum. Faculty Field Liaisons check in
with students (individually or as a group) by phone or adobe at least twice during the academic
session, provide on-going feedback to assignments weekly, assist with FLP development as
requested, give feedback to agency supervisors on FLP’s that are unclear or need enhancement,

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The Social Work Program

Faculty Field Liaison Orientation

review attendance logs in IPT, and contact the student's agency supervisor through a minimum of
twice each session (the initial and mid-session contact). The initial contact is to introduce the
Liaison to the Agency Supervisor, and notify the supervisor of any additional supervision being
provided to students enrolled in the class.

Liaisons are responsible for specifically alerting agency supervisors about additional
supervision when the supervision being provided is by a non-social worker within the agency. In
this case, the Faculty Field Liaison notifies the Agency Supervisor that they are providing additional
supervision for all Brandman students completing internship with this agency. This supervision is
in addition to the embedded seminar class. The Faculty Field Liaison notifies the agency
supervisor regarding the unique social work perspective their supervision provides to students.
This unique perspective includes but is not limited to the following:

Person in Environment, Ecological Perspective, Strengths Perspective, Process of Change,

comprehensive assessment (for example the use of a bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment
approach), intervention at multiple levels (micro, mezzo, macro), use of empowerment
strategies, adherence to and demonstration of the Core Values and Standards of the NASW
Code of Ethics, and application of CSWE ten competency areas, all within the student’s
agency specific practice environment.

The mid-session contact is to discuss the student's progress in field. Faculty Field Liaison’s
also assist with FLP development and make contact with each student's agency supervisor. This
contact serves as the field site visit and is documented by the Liaison in IPT. Students complete
approximately 133+ hours of their required 400 hour practicum in each course. (See attached
forms)

SOWK 495: This is the same role with the exception that the faculty field liaison review the
Final Field Evaluation completed by the agency supervisors prior to submitting the final grade. It
is recommended that the evaluation be submitted by week 7 (seven) of the academic session. The
agency supervisor evaluation is provided to Agency Supervisors by the Field Practicum Specialist,
completed and signed by the supervisor, student, and the Faculty Field Liaison.

Helpful Contacts:

For assistance with IPT, contact clinical contract coordinator, Gretchen Harper,
gharper@brandman.edu.

For questions related to field practicum or the seminar course issues contact the Director of
Field Education, Sibyl Beaulieu, MSW, LMSW at sbeaulie@brandman.edu, or 951.413.2914.

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The Social Work Program

Faculty Field Liaison Orientation

Grading for the practicum:

P- Students are making satisfactory progress in completing their hours and received a satisfactory
performance review in the site contact visit. Students can proceed to the next practicum course in
the sequence

NP- Student is making unsatisfactory progress in completing their hours (as scheduled) and/or
received an unsatisfactory performance review in the site contact/visit. The student does not
proceed to the next practicum course.

SP – Students who complete SOWK 495, but have outstanding are given an SP and enrolled in the
extension course SOWK 497. Students and their Faculty Field Liaison assigned to the extension
course negotiate a plan of completion for the missed hours. Once the student has completed the
plan satisfactorily, the instructor of SOWK 495 is notified and a request for a change of grade to P is
submitted.

For all other regularly enrolled and agency assigned students, there are the only two grades given
in the practicum course. (P or NP). SP does not apply to these students

F – Student has failed to complete academic requirements of the course, or has demonstrated a lack
of competency in the 10 competency areas and practices behaviors that precludes passage of the
course or both.

For additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly,

Sibyl Beaulieu, MSW, LMSW

Assistant Professor and Director of Field Education
Social Work Program
Brandman University – Riverside Campus
3550 Vine Street, Ste. 200
Riverside, CA 92501
951.413.2914
sbeaulie@brandman.edu

Brandman University Revised 04/28/17

School of Arts & Sciences