Welcome to our MSW Practicum Supervisor Resource Center
This page serves as a connecting point for our community practicum partners. On this page you will find MSW supervision resources, forms and documents you and your student will use throughout the learning experience, and answers to questions you might have. We sincerely appreciate and value the relationships we have with our community partners and supervisors; your care, time, and attention help our MSW students get to that next step in their career, and we are grateful for all that you do. If you have any questions after reviewing this page, please do not hesitate to reach out to the MSW Practicum Director, Keri Otte at kotte@uwsp.edu.
msw PraCtICUM EDUCATION SIteS
MSW Practicum Education sites (such as behavioral health clinics, county department of health and human services, hospitals, schools, and other organizations that employ social workers) are an integral part of our MSW program and each student’s educational experience. Approved sites are committed to providing an environment conducive to supportive and diverse learning for MSW students. Approved sites also have affiliation agreements with UW-Stevens Point.
If your agency is interested in establishing a partnership with UWSP’s MSW Program, please reach out to the MSW Practicum Director, Dr. Keri Otte.
PRACTICUM POLICIES AND PROCEdURES
For details on the policies and procedures associated with our practicum program, please see the MSW practicum manual.
SUPERVISION REQUIREMENT
Supervisors who meet the required criteria (MSW and two years post-MSW experience) are required to provide one hour of dedicated supervision to the student each week. If MSW supervision cannot be provided due to unexpected medical or personal absences, coverage for this hour should be provided. Supervisors are encouraged to reach out to the MSW Practicum Director if supervision cannot be provided by the agency temporarily.
For Employment-Based Practicum Placements, practicum supervision may be provided by the same person providing employment supervision as long as practicum supervision time is distinct from employment supervision time and the practicum supervisor has a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
SITE VISITS
Site visits are conducted either in-person or virtually at 3 points during the 9-month practicum experience. One visit occurs in the middle of the fall semester, one visit at the start of the spring semester, and one as the student is about to finish their placement. Site visits focus on reviewing student learning plans, discussing progress towards meeting the CSWE competencies, and problem-solving any concerns that may arise. Supervisors are encouraged to reach out to their liaison or practicum director to communicate as needed between site visits.
student safety
Attention to personal safety is a reality of social work practice. While it is impossible to remove all potential risks, it is possible and desirable for students in their practicum placements to exercise caution and take preventative measures to ensure their safety while delivering social services to clients.
Social work safety is a topic covered in the student orientation as well as in practicum seminar sessions. Students are provided with information about basic safety, as well as information on topics such as how to get out of dangerous situations, where to position themselves during home visits, de-escalation, and recognizing the signs of illicit drug use. Additionally, students asked to review the NASW Guidelines for Social Work Safety in the Workplace.
Practicum supervisors are encouraged to cover safety and security as part of a student’s orientation to the agency, and students are encouraged to additionally consult with their practicum supervisor, practicum liaison, and the MSW Practicum Director with questions or concerns they might have.
EVALUATION OF STUDENTS
During the foundation year, the evaluation focuses on student achievement of the foundation competencies. During the advanced year, the evaluation focuses on student achievement of the advanced competencies.
learning plan and evaluation form
Practicum supervisors evaluate students at the end of each semester of practicum experience, using the Learning Plan and Evaluation Form.
Supervisors will:
- Rate student level of competency associated with each CSWE competency
- Evaluate how learning activities achieved goals
- Include a recommended practicum grade
Practicum supervisors are asked to review completed evaluations with their students, and both parties acknowledge that this has taken place on the form.
MSW PRACTICUM FORMS
MSW Students and supervisors are expected to co-create a learning plan to guide the practicum experience. Learning plans are created at the start of each semester, referenced during regular supervision, and updated throughout each semester.
Foundation Learning Plan Advanced Learning PlanMSW Students are expected to keep track of their practicum hours to meet the required 400 total foundational hours or 500 total advanced hours.
Foundation Hours Log Advanced Hours LogADEI RESOURCES
Recommended Websites
NASW Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion
Racial Equity Tools – https://www.racialequitytools.org
Books
“An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States,” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
“My Grandmother’s Hands,” by Resmaa Menakem
“Social Justice in Clinical Practice: A Liberation Health Framework for Social Work,” edited by Dawn Belkin Martinez and Ann Fleck-Henderson
“Promoting Cultural Sensitivity in Supervision: A Manual for Practitioners,” by Kenneth V. Hardy and Toby Bobes
Articles
Bussey, S. R. (2023). Identifying Biases in the Practice of Social Work Supervisees: Findings from a Grounded Theory Exploratory Study. Clinical Social Work Journal, 51(4), 415–426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-023-00901-2
Godwin, L., Tennor, M., Howard, A., Beegle, C. S., Meringolo, C., & Shaia, W. (2026). An Antiracist/Antioppressive Framework for Social Work Supervision: The SHARP Framework Applied to Reflective Supervision. Social Work (New York), 71(2), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swag004
Graham, W. K., Pizzo, M., & Amin, S. (2026). Teaching Note—Practice Behaviors for the 2022 EPAS’ Practicum Education Using an ADEI Framework. Journal of Social Work Education, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2025.2607446
The New Social Worker – On Being Anti-Racist as a White Social Worker – SocialWorker.com
Recommended Podcasts
Decolonize Social Work – Decolonize Social Work / Decolonization, Explained for Social Work
Unlocking Us Podcast – How to Be an Antiracist | Podcast – Brené Brown
Doin’ the Work: Frontline Stories of Social Change – Constructing a White Nation: Social Work in the Americanization Movement – Yoosun Park, MSW, PhD | Doin’ The Work: Frontline Stories of Social Change
RESUME DROPBOX
If you wish to be considered as a practicum supervisor or are already working with the Practicum Director on a student placement, please submit your resume to our link to Qualtrics survey.
Feedback
In addition to sharing feedback on the UWSP MSW Practicum program and this website with MSW Practicum Director Dr. Keri Otte or MSW Program Director Dr. Amy Zlimen Ticho, feel free to utilize below link to Qualtrics survey.
Survey