Practicum Companion for Social Work, The: Integrating Class and Field Work, 4th edition

Published by Pearson (February 14, 2017) © 2018

  • Julie M. Birkenmaier Saint Louis University
  • Marla Berg-Weger
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For courses in social work field experience or practicum.

The Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Field Work is the ideal companion for the field/practicum experience. Filled with practical applications, in-depth case scenarios, and thought-provoking examples, this comprehensive text integrates theory with practice and guides students through their placement. Using a strengths-based perspective, it reinforces the link between classroom learning, practice behaviours, and competencies. Readers will learn about practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organisations within the concepts of planned change, encompassing engagement, assessment, intervention, evaluation, termination, and follow-up.


Case scenarios and practice applications are woven throughout each chapter to help students apply their knowledge, skills, and values. Enhanced values and ethics material, detailed learning plans, and additional cultural competence, safety, and humility content help prepare readers for contemporary practice.
  • Before You Head into the Field: A Prepracticum Guide
  • 1. Getting Started on Your Social Work Practice Career
  • 2. Socialization into the Social Work Profession
  • 3. Safety in Social Work Settings
  • 4. Making the Most of Your Practicum Supervision
  • 5. Organizational Context
  • 6. Social Work Practice in the Field: Working with Individuals and Families
  • 7. Social Work Practice in the Field: Working with Groups
  • 8. Social Work Practice in the Field: Working with Organizations, Communities, and Policy
  • 9. Social Work Practice and the Law
  • 10. Termination: The Beginning of an End (or the End of a Beginning?)

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