PRACTICUM OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING GOALS
1. To help students translate into practice in a particular setting the concepts and principles
taught in the classroom.
2. The learning opportunities are designed to enable a candidate for a Human Social Services
degree to develop and exhibit a professional level of work performance. Students are expected to
accomplish this through:
a. Indicating by their performance an internalized sense of professional identity that
causes them to (1) think, feel and act in accordance with the values and responsibilities of that
profession, (2) analyze and assess their own professional activities, and (3) accept a continuing
responsibility for their own professional development.
b. Approaching problem-solving tasks or helping interventions in a way that reflects a
spirit of inquiry, a capacity for conceptual thinking, a grasp of the structure of knowledge and
theory pertinent to a particular problem, an ability to transfer to a specific situation applicable
concepts and principles, and a readiness to seek new knowledge when needed to guide their
professional activities.
c. Using in a variety of problem-solving tasks involving individuals, groups and
communities, the technique essential to all professional practice, inquiry, analysis, assessment,
planning and action to implement change strategies.
d. Using in purposeful professional relationships a disciplined self-awareness and control
a genuine concern for people, and understanding of them, their capacities, their problems and the
social systems with which they interact.
e. Demonstrating in discussion and field practice, a personal and professional
commitment to participate responsibly in efforts to alleviate social problems, improve social
functioning, effect social change and contribute to the research and knowledge needed to achieve
these objectives.
Developing a Learning Contract
The learning contract is the learner's agreement with the Agency and college. It is the student's
responsibility to take the initiative in developing this contract, which is comprised of learning
and functional objectives. The learning contract is very similar to a job description and will be
used as the primary basis for evaluating the student's performance in the placement. The
practicum instructor is available to assist individual students and agency field supervisors in the
development of contract objectives.
Practicum Learning Agreement
Student’s Name____________________________________________________________
Cell Phone_______________________________ Email___________________________
Supervisor’s Name__________________________ Title____________________________
Phone___________________________________ Email___________________________
Agency __________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________________
Beginning Date_______________________ Ending Date______________________
Hours/Weeks on site___________________ Credit Hours______________________
Faculty Advisor’s Name___________________________________________________
Phone_______________________________ Email____________________________
Summarize the planned activities of the practicum for the practicum placement.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Sample Learning Tasks
Profession
Act as an advocate for clients in need of community resources
Provide case management services to clients served by the agency
Plan, organize and facilitate a support or educaitonal group
Participate in grant writing activities on behalf of the agency
Research model programs similar to those of the agency
Develop process for dealing with ethical issues
Organizational Context of Practice
Attend staff meetings
Attend staff in-service trainings
Plan and conduct in-service training for staff
Orient other students/volunteers to practicum agency
Assist in reviewing and updating agency policies and procedures
Interview administrators about agency effectiveness measures
Assist with fund raising projects
Community Context of Practice
Read/Create community needs assessment
Develop resource file/database of serves related to practicum agency
Refer clients to appropirate community agencies
Visit agencies with which the agency regularly works
Attend interagency coalition meetings
Research demographic data regarding community
Attend meetings of various community groups to understand a variety of options
Assessment
Read/Create individual and family assessments
Read assessments completed by other helping professionals
Make home visits
Perform intake interviews with clients
Plan and conduct needs assessments for agency programs
Conduct ongoing assessment acativities through interventions with clients
Review assessment tools used by other agencies and professionals
Include identification of strengths in all assessments
Planning and Intervention
Write treatment plans
Include clients in the development of treatement plans
Observe case presentions by other agency personnel
Identify theories underlying commonly used interventions utilized in agency
Develop curriculum for client group
Facilitate committee meetings
Facilitate therapeutic groups for clients
Revise treatment plans
Articulate reasons for selection of interventions
Termination and Evaluation
Manage client cases through the entire helping process from assessment to termination
Apply agency policies of termination to helping process
Terminate client interventions according to accepted practice guidelines (e.g.,
summarizing progress, empowerment, avoiding dependence, making appropriate
referrals)
Ulitilize measurement tools to evaluate client progress toward agree upon goals and
objects
Solicit feedback from supervisor regarding practice skills
Design and utilize methods for soliciting client feedback regarding services
Understanding Social Problems
Summarize agency purpose and mission
Research statistics regarding causes, incidence, severity and consequences of issues
addressed by agency
Attend meetings of organizations whose understanding of these problems provides a
different perspective or view point than held by agency
Make a presentation on a social problem addressed by the agency to a local service
organization or student group
Compare local, state, and national statistics regarding incidence and nature of problems
addressed by the agency
Policy
Read state and federal laws guiding services of practicum agency
Read state and federal laws pertaining to clients served by the agency
Assess social policies’s effects on clients served by the agency
Observe legislative functions
Prepare and give written and/or oral testimony at legislative hearings
Assist advocacy groups
Diversity
Befome informed about the history, culture, beliefs and values of the major cultural
groups served by the agency
Attend cultural events sponsored by groups served by the agency
Attend training in cross cultural skills
Seek assistnace from supervisor in identifying personal biases or misconceptions related
to groups served by the agency
Communicaiton Skills
Read case files and other agency documention
Write assessments of clients
Write treatment plans
Write reports for courts or funding sources
Write public service announcements, brocures, advertisements
Write agency policies and procedures
Develop active listening skills
Utilize basic helping skills with clients
Obtain training in non-verbal communication
Knowledge and Metacognitive Skills
Seek feedback from supervisor in identifying any personal issues which could impact
relationship with clients
Compare personal values with Human Service Code of Ethics and that of the agency
Utilize supervision to identify areas of professional strengths and skills
Attend conferences and workshops on topics needed for professinal growth
Journal
Learning Objectives
Instructions for student and site supervisor
Describe 4 learning objectives to guide the student’s experience.
Learning objectives are statements of what the student will LEARN as a result of their
experience and activities. The learning objectives should be followed by a brief description of
the activities to be performed to meet the learning objective. This format allows the student, the
site supervisor, and the practicum instructor to see how the activities relate to what the student
will learn as a result of performing the activity. When the learning objectives and activities have
been agreed upon between the site supervisor, student, and the practicum instructor, the student
should complete the following section:
Learning Objective: As a result of the specified activity, the student will be able to: (use verbs
to demonstrate skills and knowledge to be learned) such as: analyze, synthesize, utilize,
construct, develop, etc.)
Activities: Briefly describe the activities the student will do to achieve the learning objective.
There should be a clear association between the learning objective and the activities.
1. Learning
Objective__________________________________________________________
Activities______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Learning
Objective______________________________________________________________________
Activities______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Learning
Objective______________________________________________________________________
Activities______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Learning
Objective______________________________________________________________________
Activities______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Describe how the combined activities will produce a product or services that will benefit
the host agency:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Approval Signatures
_____________________ _______________________ _____________________
Student Site Supervisor Practicum Instructor
_____________________ _______________________ ______________________
Date Date Date