Field Advisors

To further strengthen and facilitate the process of learning in a field placement, Laurier's Faculty of Social Work assigns a field advisor for each instructor and student during the placement. The field advisor is an experienced social worker employed by the Faculty of Social Work. The field advisor provides a connection between campus and field for the student and placement setting. Each term the field advisor is assigned to a group of students placed at an agency.

Responsibilities

Field advisor overall responsibilities include:

• Assisting agencies and instructors to feel positively connected with the Faculty of Social Work.
• Establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of trust, supportiveness and openness with the field instructor and student.
• Ensuring early in the placement those field goals as required by the curriculum will be met.
• Ensuring that specific student educational needs and/or problems in learning are being dealt with.
• Acting as a contact person from the Faculty of Social Work for agencies, instructors, and students to address questions, procedures, and possible problems, should they occur, in a collaborative manner.
• Providing students with an individual resource person (if needed) and offering students a regular support group experience throughout the placement.
• Reviewing students’ written evaluation reports and, if required, addressing problems when identified (with instructor and student).
• Initiating and implementing field resolution procedures and placement dissolution procedures in situations where the field instructor has identified that the student is not meeting expectations, in collaboration with the Master of Social Work (MSW) field education coordinator.
• Assisting with and monitoring the placement as to whether it meets the student’s learning needs and expectations of the faculty.
• Providing relevant support for field instructors and other agency personnel.
• Conducting site meetings

Virtual Site Visits

The field advisor meets virtually with both the field instructor and the student at the beginning of the placement. Instructors and students also reach out to the advisor for consultation on any matter pertaining to a student’s performance in the placement. At least one site meeting is required for each placement setting. These meetings are held via zoom or phone conferencing.

Field Resolution Procedure

Field advisors initiate and implement field resolution procedure in situations where the field instructor has identified that the student is not meeting expectations. This procedure is also initiated to report any conflict that arises between a student and the field instructor, or when a student identifies learning issues or challenges within the placement. If issue is not resolved, the placement dissolution procedure may be initiated as per the recommendation of the agency, instructor, or field manager.