Section 3.05.01: Employment-Based Field Placements Policy
CSWE Council on Accreditation Updates on Employment Based Field Education (October 2020)
Employment-based Field Placements: Deadline extended from May 31, 2021 to May 31, 2022. Although AS 2.2.11 requires that, for field placements in an organization in which the student is employed, student assignments and field education supervision may not be the same as those of the student’s employment, the Commission on Accreditation will continue to modify its interpretation of this standard through May 31, 2022. For field placements in an organization in which the student is employed, student field assignments and employment tasks may be the same and counted toward field hours as long as the tasks have clear linkages to the nine social work competencies and their concomitant behaviors as well as any competencies added by the program.
The relationship between education and employment is central to the evaluation of an employment-based field placement proposal. The achievement of learning and educational objectives is the central focus involved in the consideration of an employment-based field placement proposal. In addition, the Council on Social Work Education competencies must be included and the focus of the field education experience at all times. The employment-based field placement proposal must demonstrate that educational time will be protected and that the educational and learning objectives of the field placement will be accomplished within the perimeters of the Office of Field Education policies and requirements.
If a student wishes to request a field placement in a field site in which they will be simultaneously employed, please reach to the Office of Field Education at least three (3) months prior to the start of the field placement.