Education and learning
The Department of Social Work has an extensive education program that facilitates interdisciplinary teaching and educational support around the psychosocial experiences of health, illness, and hospitalization for individuals and families. The Department provides interdisciplinary educational activities for social work graduate students, schools of social work, pediatricians, medical students, psychiatry residents, student nurses, chaplaincy students, dietetic interns, as well as to other hospital disciplines and staff. The Department of Social Work has a highly sought-after master of social work field education program accepting approximately fifteen students per year. Students are admitted from the University of Toronto, York University, Wilfrid Laurier University, McGill University, Carleton University and Yeshiva University in New York City. The extensiveness of teaching and educational activities within the Department of Social Work speaks to our commitment both to knowledge advancement and professional development for current and future generations of clinicians and researchers. Accordingly, we seek excellence in providing both graduate-level social work education as well as interdisciplinary training within the health sciences.
Educational Coordinator
Barbara Neilson, MSW, RSW
Academic and Clinical Specialist/Educational Coordinator/ Social Worker, Urology Program
Phone: 416-813-6791
e-mail: barbara.neilson@sickkids.ca
Field Practicum
The Department of Social Work accepts MSW students only. Students are placed in both clinical and research settings. All requests for field placements must be processed through respective universities. Direct requests will not be processed.
Expectations
Students are expected to work with children and families around psychosocial, emotional, financial, familial, and academic issues related to childhood illness. Students are expected to complete a learning contract in conjunction with their field instructor. All students will receive a minimum of 1-1/2 hours of direct supervision/instruction on a weekly basis from their respective field instructors. Students are expected to attend the series of seminars designed to complement their learning and to cover core areas related to practice Students must be prepared to work in a fast paced environment with emotionally charged cases. Social work in a hospital setting can be extremely demanding, draining, and time-consuming (beyond the standard placement hours). Students should be prepared to work clinically, within institutional structures, and with various government and community organizations. Students are expected to learn the medical aspects of their program and collaborate on multidisciplinary teams. Students must prepare to be flexible in dealing with unknown situations and sudden schedule changes. It is important that students build personal/professional boundaries and develop tools for personal self care. Students are expected to take advantage of the numerous learning and practice opportunities available throughout the hospital