Practicum education self-assessment
Prior to beginning the process for securing an internship placement, students will have an opportunity to complete a self-assessment. Students will explore fit for the profession, compliance with professional values and ethics, and general readiness to enter the internship placement. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions being asked but students should carefully and honestly consider responses to each questions and fully reflect on what that means for them as they move forward in the program.
Fit with profession
At various times throughout the application, admissions, and completion of the social work program, students should reflect on their compatibility with the social work profession; working with specific populations; and general professional development. The Self-Assessment includes questions that reflect on fit for the profession. Students should be thinking about reasons for choosing social work as a profession and what their educational needs are to ensure they are prepared for ethical and competent practice.
Values and ethics
It is important that all potential applicants and current students read, review, and, when they begin practicum, integrate the core values of social work into their practice. The values and ethics section of the self-assessment focuses on how students are situated in relation to the ideals to which all social workers aspire. These values and ethics go beyond only compliance with standards and conduct of the profession, which is important, and become guiding factors and professional obligations after graduation.
Readiness for practicum
The Readiness for Practicum section of the self-assessment requires students to focus on areas that might present difficulties and areas of strength. Students will reflect on skill performance: What task are they uncomfortable performing independently and how would they develop the needed confidence to develop the skill to perform that task? What are skills and competency from work or life experiences or course content that prepare them for practicum?
The hope is that students will begin to understand how personal experiences influence practice. Students will focus on interactions that may trigger strong responses or feelings of anxiety. Additionally, students will focus on personal needs to achieve their goals, such as work schedules, family preparation, and planning large events and activities during semesters when they are in internship placement.
Adapted from materials developed by Spring Arbor University School of Social Work; and the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey