School of Social Work and Human Service (SSWHS) Field Education Coordinator

DUTIES

School of Social Work and Human Service (SSWHS) Field Education Coordinator (FEC)

For 50 years, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has taken pride in providing an excellent education to students with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives who are at various stages of their learning journey. TRU is a comprehensive, learner-centered, environmentally responsible institution that serves its regional, national, and international learners and their communities through high quality and flexible education, training, research, and scholarship. From traditional academics to trades, from certificates to graduate degrees, TRU offers students a choice from over 140 on-campus programs and 60 Open Learning programs. We serve more than 25,000 students on our campuses in Kamloops and Williams Lake and via distance or online courses and programs through Open Learning. Research, creation, and innovation thrive in TRU’s open, flexible learning environment.

The TRU School of Social Work and Human Service is seeking a full-time tenure-track instructional support faculty member to facilitate and deliver the field education components of the Bachelor of Social Work degree and the Human Service Diploma programs. The successful candidate will act as a liaison between the TRU School of Social Work and Human Service and surrounding government and social service agencies as well as Indigenous agencies and community partners. Strong candidates will have outstanding interpersonal skills, demonstrated leadership, and many years of practice and leadership experience in social work settings. In addition, we seek an individual who is well-connected to social service providers in and beyond the BC Interior. This unique position involves working closely with faculty mentors, students, agency social workers, and social service providers in the Interior region and across Canada.

This position will have leadership responsibilities associated with the redesign and delivery of field education in the School of Social Work and Human Serice’s campus-based Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Human Service Diploma (HUMS) programs as well as the HUMS Open Learning program. This appointment is as instructional support faculty, and teaching occurs through the intentional alignment of students’ learning needs with the services and learning opportunities provided by placement agencies, through the facilitation of student orientations, and through the coordination and delivery of training, education, and appreciation events for agency supervisors and community partners. The successful candidate will build on existing relationships with agency partners as well as redevelop the field education components of the current programs. The successful candidate will be required to attend all program and department meetings and to engage in other services to the School of Social Work and Human Service, TRU, and the broader community.

The SSWHS Field Education Coordinator (FEC) is responsible for the overall functioning of the field practicum experience in consultation with the Program Coordinators and Department Chair. Implicit with this substantial responsibility is the FEC’s appropriate accountability for and authority to carry out functions including, but not limited to the following:
1. Planning: To plan for, recruit, screen, and develop quality community social work and human service placement opportunities by liaising and developing relationships with social service providers.
2. Placement: To develop placement procedures and organize human service and social work placements that meet the specific and varied learning needs of Year 1—HUMS, Year 2—HUMS, Year 3—BSW, and Year 4—BSW. To ensure that all Year 3—BSW and Year 4—BSW placements are delivered in accordance with the CASWE-ACFTS Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards.
3. Education and Professional Development: To facilitate and lead field educational events for faculty liaisons, agency supervisors, and SSWHS students. This includes the coordination and delivery of student field orientation sessions that include faculty liaisons as well as the facilitation of an annual education, training, and appreciation event for agency supervisors and community partners. It also includes initial training and education for new agency supervisors as well as refresh training for ongoing agency supervisors in the policies and practices of SSWHS Field Education and the expectations and expected student learning opportunities within each agency placement. This may include connection of agency supervisors with the CASWE-ACFTS self-paced Field Education Course.
4. Problem Solving: To assist faculty liaisons, agency supervisors, and SSWHS students in resolving problems that may arise during the practicum placement experience. This includes facilitating a review of early placement terminations and documenting and storing the outcomes of such a review in accordance with SSWHS policies and procedures.
5. Evaluation: To regularly evaluate and report on progress and problems in the practicum education component of the program. This includes assessment of student learning contract templates, review of course descriptions and course learning outcomes, review of seminar delivery modalities, review of student assessment methods, the collection of student evaluations of the FEC and the field education experience, and evaluation of each agency placement.
6. Administrative Design: To develop and monitor the implementation of policies and procedures related to practicum education in the SSWHS. This may include recommending modifications to student learning contract templates, field education course descriptions and learning outcomes, evaluation methods, and seminar delivery modalities.
7. Collaboration: To liaise with the CASWE-ACFTS Field Education Committee and other provincial and national field education communities of practice or research groups. To collaborate with practicum coordinators at other colleges and universities to enhance practicum education.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A master’s degree from an accredited social work program is required.
• Experience coordinating and/or mentoring and/or supervising human service and/or social work students is required.
• Teaching experience, preferably within a post-secondary environment, is required.
• Experience with Open Learning course and program delivery is preferred.
• A minimum of five (5) years of full time practice experience as a social worker is required.
• Registration with the BC College of Social Worker (BCCSW) or eligibility and intent to register with BCCSW is required.
• Proven experience leading in social work settings is required.
• A proven record of collegial engagement and networking between social service and/or social work agencies is required.
• Proven experience working successfully with Indigenous learners or Indigenous communities is required.
• Proven experience in programs and practices that support diversity, inclusion, and intercultural understanding between local, regional, and global communities is required.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are required.
• Demonstrated experience in integrating Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods, in particular as related to practicum is required (TRC CA 62).
• Proven skills in building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect are required (TRC CA 63).
• Teaching excellence in diverse environments, including the development of culturally appropriate materials and/or curricula is required (TRC CA 10)