Field Manual for 2013-2014 - University of Maryland School of ...

B. Advanced Field Practicum
The second placement is referred to as the Advanced Field Practicum. This placement supports the
concentration and specialization that the student chooses as the focus for his/her advanced study. The
concentrations and specializations are described in sections C and D (below). Students doing their Advanced
Field Practicum generally spend three full days a week (24 hours) at the field placement site. The student’s
preference for a particular placement site is considered when arranging the placement. Advanced Field
Practicum begins in the Fall and continues through the Spring semester. There is a course outline and a
student performance evaluation form for each of the two concentrations.
The only exception to the three days a week is the Extended Field Placement.
Extended Field Placement
A student applying for an Advanced Field Practicum may request an extended field placement which
requires him/her to be in a field placement two days a week from the beginning of the semester to the
end of July. The request is to be made to (and must be approved by) the Field Office. The learning
objectives for the extended placement remain the same. Once a student has begun a placement based
upon this model he/she will not be allowed to shift to the three-day a week model. Students who
choose this field placement model follow a different Field Education Calendar (Field Education
Calendars are found on the field web site). Grading, for example, is on a different timetable. The
extended student receives both the fall and spring semester grades later than the other field students
and will receive his/her diploma in July rather than May.
The availability of an extended placement is dependent upon agency resources. There are some
agencies that will not accept an advanced placement student who is requesting an extended placement
because the nature of their service delivery models and the needs of their client populations require
the student to be in placement three days of the week.
Course Requirements to Support the Advanced Field Practicum:
Advanced Practice builds on the foundation curriculum. Students must take two (2) consecutive
semesters of Advanced Practicum for a total of twelve (12) credits. In conjunction with Field Education,
students are required to take a Methods Option course each semester that they are in the field. The
Methods Option requirements are specific to the concentrations and specializations. Students should
consult the Student Handbook and meet with their academic advisors to be certain that they are
fulfilling the requirements of their concentration and specialization.
C. Concentrations
Advanced Practicum students are placed in settings that support their choice of primary concentration only.
The following concentrations are offered:
Clinical
The Clinical concentration prepares students to provide direct service to individuals, families, and small
groups in order to improve their quality of life and enhance their social functioning and to work with
organizations and/or aspects of the community that have a direct impact on their lives. Clinical social
workers are active in the promotion, restoration, maintenance and enhancement of the functioning of
their clients and client systems, and the prevention of distress and provision of resources.
Management and Community Organization (MACRO)
The Management and Community Organization concentration prepares students for a wide and diverse
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