2.1 Chapter Overview
You have been a student in human services for a while now. You have probably grown comfortable in your role as “student.” What does it mean to transition to the role of “intern?” You may have lots of questions about your fieldwork—some that may be general in nature, and some that will be specific to your agency. In this chapter, we try to address some of the most common concerns and also offer some suggestions for handling your first weeks in the field.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
- Communicate the basic expectations of working in the field.
- Recognize the importance of understanding and complying with agency policies and procedures.
- Brainstorm methods to integrate into the field placement team.
Preview of Key Terms
- CROWN Act: An act to protect people against discrimination based on their hair texture or their hairstyle.
- Confidentiality: Spoken, written, and behavioral communication practices designed to provide and maintain an individual’s or group’s privacy. Includes licensing and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): A federal law enacted in 1996 to improve the portability of health care information, protect the privacy of individuals’ personal health information, and ensure that all health information and data is securely stored.
- Learning Agreement: A document created by the student, instructor, and work supervisor that outlines the goals and objectives for the student’s learning during the internship or field experience.
- SMART goals: Specific, written objectives that demonstrate and measure your learning in the field.
Chapter Overview Licenses and Attributions
“Chapter Overview” by Yvonne M. Smith LCSW licensed under CC BY 4.0.
“Confidentiality” definition is from “Glossary” in Succeeding at Your Internship: A Handbook Written for and with Students by Christopher J. Mruk and John C. Moor, Bowling Green State University Libraries. This work is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0.
(or internship/practicum) experiential learning contained within human services programs. For the purposes of this text, fieldwork, internship, and practicum will be used interchangeably.