The Practicum Education Office has developed sample learning contract activities to help students and practicum educators generate ideas. These sample activities should not be copied and pasted; instead, they can be adapted to specific practicum sites or used in brainstorming. Please select a competency below to view the sample learning contract activities.
As of fall 2025, field education is now known as practicum education in the School of Social Work. However, you may still see references to “field education” in course titles, documents and other dated web content.
Competencies
Shadow or interview professionals from other disciplines within their agency to learn their roles and how they interface with social workers (i.e. psychiatrists, nurses, etc.). Reflect and discuss in supervision.
Review necessary agency policies and procedures related to the social work role. Understand confidentiality, documentation requirements and mission statements. Discuss in supervision.
Meet regularly with practicum educator and explore ethical challenges encountered during practicum. Discuss strategies for addressing these challenges.
Engage in self-reflection to acknowledge and manage triggers that might come up so that they do not impact student’s ability to remain objective and present with clients. Practice at least one self-care activity weekly. Discuss in supervision.
Develop a self-care plan to maintain healthy boundaries. Explore activities that promote student self-awareness, stress management and work-life balance.
Attend and be prepared for weekly supervision by developing an agenda that identifies questions related to agency policies, programs and/or services. In supervision, discuss professional boundaries, self-care, social work ethics, professional growth and self-reflection.
Identify any barriers to social, racial, economic and environmental justice for clients served by your agency. List and discuss ways to reduce or eliminate these barriers.
Reach out to social workers, within or outside of the practicum agency, who are involved with human rights advocacy. Conduct interviews to learn about their experiences and perspectives. Reflect and discuss in supervision.
Attend a local community group (i.e. block club or community advisory board) aimed at promoting social, racial, economic and/or environmental justice. Assess impact on community members and develop strategies to raise awareness of these issues. Share your experiences and data in supervision.
Identify a social justice issue and develop an advocacy plan, engage stakeholders and work toward even small positive change.
Research environmental justice issues in your community. Explore disparities related to such things as pollution, access to healthcare or impacts of climate change. In supervision, discuss ways to address the issue within the agency.
Discuss a current event that impacts how a specific service is delivered within the agency. Identify ways to advocate for the service or impacted population.
Reflect on their own lived experiences and identify biases and cultural norms that may impact client services, demonstrating self-awareness and cultural humility. Continually discuss with field educator in supervision.
Review the site’s policies and procedures to identify consistency with the principles of equity and inclusion, and identify any areas that need improvement. Propose amended policies to demonstrate anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Create a presentation or training demonstrating evidence-based practices relevant to the practicum setting. Submit the presentation to the practicum educator for review and/or present the materials for agency staff.
Interview a researcher in a field related to the practicum setting and prepare a report that highlights ways in which current research can be integrated into practicum setting. Student and practicum educator will review the report and discuss in supervision.
Utilize assessment tools with clients at practicum site, and/or research similar assessment tools to demonstrate effective client assessment. Discuss the pros and cons of the tools with practicum educator.
Conduct an organizational analysis to demonstrate how the practicum site measures client outcomes and conducts quality improvement. Write a reflection about how the practicum site measures and adapts to continually improve client outcomes.
Research and demonstrate knowledge of at least one local, state, and/or federal policy that impacts services to clients. Produce a report or summary and share with field educator.
Identify at least one outside organization that the practicum site regularly works with (via contracts, client referrals, etc.) and describe their policies and procedures regarding client services. Discuss in supervision.
Review the agency handbook and demonstrate an understanding of policies related to administration, and treatment provision.
Describe how client services are influenced by macro-level policies that impact the organization. Create a brief case study that illustrates this influence and share with practicum educator.
Attend an agency meeting/committee that discusses organizational policies and make at least one recommendation for policy improvement during supervision.
Review at least one agency policy and apply a trauma-informed human rights perspective to make suggestions for improvement.
Create materials to propose the implementation of policies that will advance at least one pillar of trauma-informed care.
Participate in interviews with at least three clients and demonstrate skills of active listening, empathy and genuineness. Receive feedback from practicum educator.
Participate in group meetings (staff or clients) and demonstrate skills of active listening, collaboration, power-sharing and receiving feedback. Receive feedback from field educator.
Interface with staff at outside organizations to facilitate partnerships, and/or sharing of resources and information. Write a brief reflection about the experience and share it with practicum educator.
Demonstrate cultural humility while interacting with people of all demographics (age, sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion, etc.). Discuss in supervision.
Develop materials for at least one initiative aimed at community outreach to address a problem that the agency provides services for.
Demonstrate the ability to independently build rapport with at least three clients. Discuss in supervision and reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
Demonstrate independence with the engagement skills of active listening, empathy, genuineness, establishing boundaries, and agreeing on a contract for work. Receive feedback on engagement skills from practicum educator.
Demonstrate the ability to independently interact with other staff members, both verbally and in writing, in a professional manner. This includes the ability to collaborate, give and receive suggestions, and problem-solve.
Participate in outreach to other organizations and/or community members to provide services and further the mission of the agency. Discuss the outreach strategies in supervision.
Obtain client’s consent and audio-record a bio-psycho-social assessment with a client, demonstrating the ability to engage client, establish rapport, and ask appropriate follow-up questions to obtain necessary information. Student will bring recording to supervision to process with Practicum Educator.
Complete five assessments using [insert tool used by Practicum agency], demonstrating engagement, rapport-building and respect for client self-determination. Student and practicum educator will discuss in supervision; field educator will provide feedback.
Apply trauma-informed human rights perspective and complete a community needs assessment, demonstrating ability to apply macro conceptual frameworks and knowledge of TI-HR perspectives. Student will submit needs assessment to practicum educator; practicum educator will provide feedback.
Observe two social workers conducting an intake assessment and take notes demonstrating ability to identify generalist skills (active listening, empathy, reflecting feelings, summarizing). Student and practicum educator will discuss observations (including similarities and differences) in supervision.
Complete family genogram and ecomap after observing (or conducting) biopsychosocial assessment. Family genogram and ecomap will be reviewed in supervision.
Review existing community needs assessment report, applying a trauma-informed human rights perspective. Discuss needs, opportunities, strengths, additional questions in supervision.
Develop and implement a culturally-inclusive "awareness" project for domestic violence awareness month.
Co-facilitate weekly group sessions with [insert population of focus]. Discuss in supervision.
Make referrals for assigned caseload of clients based on assessment of need, client readiness and knowledge of available and effective services in the community.
Observe weekly group session with [insert population of focus]. Process observations in supervision.
Provide ongoing case management for two clients per semester.
Develop case presentation based on assigned caseload and present to field educator during supervision. Identify potential evidence-based interventions.
Identify potential tools to collect data on the effectiveness of [insert intervention strategies used at agency]. Review results with the practicum educator during supervision.
Develop survey to evaluate the impact of [insert agency program]. Collect feedback from practicum educator and other agency staff on survey prior to implementation.
Conduct focus group with community members to better understand their perspective on [insert community program].
Collect and review documents on previous program evaluation efforts in the agency. Discuss the purpose of the evaluation, methods used, results and how results were utilized.
Identify client progress towards identified goals monthly. Discuss findings in supervision and make adjustments as necessary.
Contact clients monthly to monitor/discuss unmet needs. Consider ways to adjust the intervention to address those identified needs. Discuss in supervision.