MSW Student Guide
Section 3.02.03: Substance Use Screening Policy
Many field sites require drug screenings as a prerequisite for acceptance in a field placement.
In most cases, it will be clear on the field site's webpage that substance/drug screening (or criminal background checks, or certain immunizations, etc.) are a requirement of the placement. Upon interviewing for placement and conditional acceptance, students may be asked to participate in a substance/drug screening, which if they pass, leads to an official offer of field placement.
Should a student refuse to participate in a substance/drug screening, the field site has the opportunity to decline to host the student for field placement.
If the student fails the substance/drug screen, the student needs to contact their field faculty and the director of field education. The director of field education will consult with the MSW program director and the Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management, and a student success meeting will be scheduled. One potential outcome of the student success meeting is that the student will be referred for a professional-level substance use assessment and recommendations will be provided by the professional assessment. The student success meeting will determine when the student will be referred to another field placement. The length of this process may necessitate adding an additional term.
Failure to secure a field placement or be dismissed from an accepted field placement due to a positive substance / drug screen will require referral to the associate dean for educational programs who determines whether a referral to the Academic Concerns Committee is warranted. Outcomes of meetings at this level will be decided on a case-by-case basis and can result in a number of outcomes up to and including dismissal from the program
In most cases, it will be clear on the field site's webpage that substance/drug screening (or criminal background checks, or certain immunizations, etc.) are a requirement of the placement. Upon interviewing for placement and conditional acceptance, students may be asked to participate in a substance/drug screening, which if they pass, leads to an official offer of field placement.
Should a student refuse to participate in a substance/drug screening, the field site has the opportunity to decline to host the student for field placement.
If the student fails the substance/drug screen, the student needs to contact their field faculty and the director of field education. The director of field education will consult with the MSW program director and the Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management, and a student success meeting will be scheduled. One potential outcome of the student success meeting is that the student will be referred for a professional-level substance use assessment and recommendations will be provided by the professional assessment. The student success meeting will determine when the student will be referred to another field placement. The length of this process may necessitate adding an additional term.
Failure to secure a field placement or be dismissed from an accepted field placement due to a positive substance / drug screen will require referral to the associate dean for educational programs who determines whether a referral to the Academic Concerns Committee is warranted. Outcomes of meetings at this level will be decided on a case-by-case basis and can result in a number of outcomes up to and including dismissal from the program