School of Social Work Field Education Department

An important feature of social work education is the development of professional skills through internships in community agencies. By working in field placement settings throughout South Florida with real people who have urgent needs, you will be able to translate the knowledge you gain in the classroom into actual skills.

The field placement process is tailored to meet each individual student’s learning needs. You will work closely with the highly qualified and experienced professional staff in the Field Education Department who will ensure you a placement that builds on your past experience, and targets your future career goals and current learning needs. Through the Field web site, you will be able to explore specific information on the many diverse and exciting community agencies which have been certified and partner with the School of Social Work. In addition, the Department has provided a list of current agencies according to counties, where you can explore agency placement possibilities when working with the Field Education staff to establish your field placement experiences.

The Field Education Staff welcomes your inquiries about the social work field experience.

Field Staff

Assistant Directors
	Mabel Rodriguez, LCSW MSW / BSW Assistant Director of Field Education (Miami Shores Campus)
	Sarah Ingram-Herring, LCSW MSW Assistant Director of Field Education (Palm Beach/Treasure Coast Campus)

Thank you for your interest in Field Education at Barry University School of Social Work. We look forward to working with you!

For more information, you can contact Gala Munnings, MSW, Director of Field Education at gmunnings@mail.barry.edu.

Field Education for MSW Students

Field Education is a vital part of the MSW curriculum and provides you the opportunity to develop skills that will enable you to become an advanced social work practitioner.

MSW 60- Credit Program

Whether you are a full-time or a part- time 60 -credit student, you will have the opportunity to complete your field education internship with two different and unique community agencies during the course of your program.

• Your first year placement requires that you complete 448 hours within your designated agency. This placement emphasizes a broad range of generalist skill development in working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.
• Your second year placement requires that you complete 480 hours within your designated agency (a different agency than your first placement.) This second internship will provide you the opportunity to utilize the strong skill base established in your first internship in developing advanced clinical social work practice skills. Once again you will have the opportunity to work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

MSW 32-Credit Advanced Standing Program

As an Advanced Standing student you will complete 480 hours of field education within a single community agency. This internship is designed for students who bring strong generalist practice skills which serve as the foundation for developing advanced clinical practice skills.

Own Agency Placements (OAP)

Students who have current employment of a minimum six months duration in a social service setting and who have a need to remain employed, may request that one of their field placements be conducted at their agency of employment. Students must advise the Field Education Department of this request when completing their Field Education application and certain criteria must be met prior to approval by the Department.

Support for Students

You will be supported in each of your field education internships by the experienced staff of our Field Education Department. In addition, you will be offered the support of a designated Field Educator and a Field Advisor. Your Field Educator is a qualified MSW within the community agency who will closely supervise and support the development of your clinical skills. Your Field Advisor is the designated person from the School of Social Work who will serve as a liaison between the School and your Field Educator within the community agency. The Field Advisor offers particular support to both you and your Field Educator regarding your academic and field education learning needs.

Further information about Field Education expectations and requirements, as well as additional resources available to students during their field education internships are provided within the Field Education Manual and Appendices (link).