FIELD SETTINGS
Overview
The field practicum is conducted in approved settings in and around the Greater Toronto Area. Two categories of settings are available: Teaching Centres and Field Practicum Settings.
A Teaching Centre of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is a Social Service Agency or Department, which identifies social work education as one of its objectives. The centre is prepared to enter into a long-term partnership with this school for the purpose of furthering the quality of social work education and practice and contributing to the development of knowledge in social work and social welfare. This commitment is demonstrated through the development of a field practicum program congruent with the curriculum of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. This program is reflective of the setting's service delivery and social work practice expertise. With the agreement of the Practicum Office, and the setting's social work director or head, an Educational Coordinator, a social worker in a senior or administrative position in the agency, is appointed to develop and administer a teaching program at the setting. This person is the liaison between the agency and the school. Teaching Centers with Educational Coordinators are invited to join the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work’s Academic Teaching Centre Committee.
Field Practicum Settings are social service agencies or departments, which provide specific practicum learning opportunities for students. These practicum settings may focus on a particular population, problem, methodology, or function. The field instructor(s) at these settings serve(s) as the liaison with the school and is/are responsible for teaching and evaluating the student matched with him/her.
Vulnerable Persons/Criminal Records Check
Expect that agencies that offer practica will require a Vulnerable Persons Criminal Record check prior to commencing the practicum. Failure to pass this check will jeopardize your entry to practicum. There is a cost and time factor associated with the Vulnerable Persons Criminal Record check. It can take several weeks, even months, to process. A delay in obtaining the results can impact the start and end date of your practicum.
In anticipation of this requirement for your practicum, it is strongly recommended that you begin this process early. You are required to complete the police check in the jurisdiction in which you are a resident. If you are a resident of Toronto, please call the Practicum Office to arrange a time for witnessing your signature on the application. If you are not a resident of Toronto, contact a police station in your jurisdiction to determine their requirements. (For information about a vulnerable population’s reference, including recent changes, click here: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr-cj/vulner/index-eng.htm). There may be a fee for having a police check.
Sharing of Information
The University of Toronto respects your privacy.
Personal information that you provide to the University is collected pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971. It may be used and disclosed as necessary for official university purposes and will be used to carry out university practices or policy, including the coordination of activities that are part of your classroom and field education. Your personal information is only shared within the university on a need-to-know basis to university officers, employees or instructors, including field instructors, who need the information in the performance of their duties and for the proper discharge of university functions.
Sharing information may be for the purposes of facilitating classroom or field education experiences for you while in the program, mobilizing appropriate resources to support your success in the program, or providing letters of reference in the future. The field practicum is an integral part of the program. As necessary to support and evaluate your progress in the program we may share information with agency representatives including a student’s field instructor, field liaison, or educational coordinator.
At all times it will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have any questions about the use or sharing of your personal information, please contact:
Sharon Bewell, Registrar
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
University of Toronto
246 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M5S 1V4 - Tel: 416-978-6364;
Email: sharon.bewell@utoronto.ca