The Carleton University School of Social Work enjoys longstanding partnerships with a wide variety of direct intervention, social administration, policy and research organizations that accept Social Work students on a regular basis. Many of these organizations are listed below, yet new and changing placement opportunities can arise at any time. It is a dynamic and ever-changing environment.
Matching student learning goals, interests, skills and experiences to available placement settings from term-to-term is the primary goal of the placement process which is managed by the Practicum Coordinators, in close collaboration with the placement settings themselves and each individual student. The practicum program takes great pride in accomplishing the placement of over 250 students annually using a process that is both efficient and equitable. This process is fully outlined in the respective Practicum Manuals:
Section 4.0 Field Placement Process and Protocols.
Please note that Students are NOT to set up their placements directly with agencies of interest. All applications are to be sent out by the Practicum Coordinators who meet with all student applicants individually using sign-up sheets that are posted directly after the Field Orientation session each term. This process has been expressly requested by our placement partners in the community and failure to respect it will result in sanctions.
Students have the opportunity to communicate their placement interests and preferences to the Practicum Coordinators on the Practicum Application form.
Students can support and contribute to the process by being well-prepared to identify areas, populations and practice issues of interest, as well as specific agencies of interest when known. The well-prepared student who is able to identify multiple areas and settings of interest and remain open to potential new settings during the placement process is best equipped to interview for and secure a placement. Placement availability fluctuates in unpredictable ways from term to term.
To assist students in understanding the range of placement options that may be available, some resources are listed below:
The Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario (CNEO-NCEO)
The Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario (formerly the Community Information Centre of Ottawa: CICO Blue Book), is a non-profit, bilingual organization that connects people to community, social, health and government services. Their vision is to be the primary source of information for social and community services in Eastern Ontario. Not all of the agencies in their database have been approved as placement settings in the School of Social Work, but it is a helpful resource that can be used to explore multiple practice settings.