Exploring Your Practicum Options

*“Transformative education for exceptional Social Work practice”

This section of the manual provides some tips on how to set up your practicum, a checklist of activities that you need to complete, and a link to a series of short videos that have been developed. You can return to these resources as many times as required in order to ensure that you are doing everything you can to achieve a successful practicum experience.

Begin by identifying your learning goals

Establishing your learning goals is the first step in the practicum placement process. You need to understand what you are seeking before you start looking for potential agencies. To begin, think about what you want to learn in your practicum.

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Are there specific skills for practice that you would like to develop?
• Is there a knowledge base that you wish to expand?
• Are there professional skills that you are seeking to develop?
• Are you looking to work directly with a certain population, social issue, or community?
• Are there issues that you would choose to avoid?

What do you bring to this experience?

You come to this work with your own story and life experience. Consider the skills you bring with you as a practicum experience. In your Introduction to Social Work course and throughout your program you will learn how our personal lives affect our professional capacity. This is a good time for you to reflect upon the strengths and challenges that are a part of your personal experience.

Start by considering the following:

• What skills have you developed through work experience?
• What life skills do you have?
• What are your strengths?
• How do your life experiences contribute to your strengths as an emerging social worker?
• How might your life experiences challenge your practice as a social worker?
• What triggers you?

Personal circumstances

As you consider your options for practicum, it is important that you take time to think about your own situation. What are some of your personal circumstances that you need to plan for during the practicum term? You are often juggling competing demands for your time and energy. A good place to start is to consider the current demands on your time:

• Do you have caregiving responsibilities related to children or other family members?
• Are you working? If so, what is your schedule?
• Do you have a car or do you travel by transit?
• Are you experiencing any health concerns at this time?