MSW Field Education and Internships

Field Confirmation - Site Placement Process in ELC (formerly Tevera)

To finalize your placement, you must complete a Site Placement Process (which includes a Field Confirmation Form) in the GSSW field database, ELC (formerly Tevera). You can’t begin your internship or accrue hours until the Site Placement Process is complete and you’re registered for field. This applies to students in all four GSSW programs. 

Financial Support for Field Placements

Although unpaid placements are the norm nationwide, at GSSW we participate in a variety of opportunities for students to receive scholarships or in some cases stipends related to their field placement. In the 2024-2025 Academic Year approximately 18%  of students indicated receiving some form of compensation or employment within the site. Field education is a requirement of the MSW degree program and as such, it is first and foremost a learning opportunity that is evaluated similar to an academic course. Students should not expect payment within MSW field placements, however inquiring about financial options within GSSW's placement sites often yields some additional support for students who choose to prioritize this element of field experience. Focusing on the skills and areas of practice students want to pursue is GSSW's top priority in terms of providing students with high quality experiences to learn social work competencies. 

• Field Education in Place of Employment

  Students can complete their field requirements in their place of employment if appropriate graduate-level learning and supervision are provided. Students are encouraged to seek out paid employment as internship opportunities and work with the GSSW Field Office to determine if they can be approved as an internship site. Review the process. In 2021–22, 194 Denver Campus and MSW@Denver students took advantage of employment-based field placements.

• Work Study in Internship (Colorado residents only):

  If you have work study funds as part of your federal financial aid package, you may ask your internship agency if they are interested in hosting you as a work study student. Here is the information your agency will need. Agencies must be deemed eligible by the Office of Student Employment and meet federal criteria for eligible agencies.

• Paid Internship Acknowledgement & Risk Consent

  If a student receives any compensation for their field placement, there are required forms and acknowledgements that need to be completed prior to the start of the internship experience. 

  Paid Acknowledgement & Risk Consent

  The Paid Acknowledgement & Risk Consent form needs to be completed if a student is receiving compensation. The form is located in ELC (formerly Tevera) in the "optional" section of the site placement process (within the pre-application tasks). If you have not completed the form, and are being paid, please let your field liaison know so they can guide you on completing the form. 

  If a student receives any payment directly from the agency (whether paid hourly, salary, one-time stipend, or any other payment for the student’s work/services), the internship/practicum is considered a paid internship/practicum for purposes of workers’ compensation. Note: Reimbursement of actual expenses is NOT payment for the student’s work/services.

  • If the student is paid with work study or other federal, state, county funding funneled through DU or the agency, see below.
  • If the student is paid, the Agency should cover the student with the Agency’s workers’ compensation insurance.
  • If the Agency pays the student but classifies them as a non-employed (for example, independent contractor), then the student may not be covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
  • Students can choose to proceed in a paid internship/practicum without workers’ compensation coverage.

  If students agree to accept a stipend or some form of payment, they may be required to acknowledge the following:

  Employment Status and Compensation 

  1. The internship is a paid placement with compensation provided by the Agency. The University has no obligation to pay or supplement any compensation associated with the placement. 
  2. The student is not considered an employee of the University of Denver (“DU”) for purposes of this internship placement. 

  Worker’s Compensation Coverage

  The Placement Agency has not agreed to provide Worker’s Compensation coverage for the student during the internship. 

  1. DU’s Worker’s Compensation policy does not provide coverage for students during paid internship placements. 
  2. The student understands and assumes the risk associated with participating in the internship without Worker’s Compensation coverage. 

  Professional Liability Insurance

  1. The Placement Agency does not maintain professional liability insurance coverage applicable to the internship. 
  2. DU provides professional liability insurance for the student during the internship placement; however, this coverage applies solely to the student’s actions and does not extend to the Placement Agency or its employees. 
  3. The student accepts the risks associated with participating in an internship where the Placement Agency does not maintain professional liability insurance. 

  Risk Assumption and Waiver

  By signing the paid acknowledgement form, the student voluntarily agrees to: 

  1. Assume all risks associated with the internship, including but not limited to those arising from the lack of Worker’s Compensation coverage and/or the absence of professional liability insurance by the Placement Agency. 
  2. Release and hold harmless the University of Denver, its trustees, officers, employees, and agents from any claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or related to the student’s participation in the internship.
  3. Indemnify the University of Denver against any claims, losses, or damages resulting from actions taken by the student during the internship. 

   

  Workers' compensation procedures

  Injury Reporting & Workers' Compensation:

  All work-related injuries that occur while completing fieldwork should be reported.

  If you are working in an unpaid internship and experience a work-related injury, you may be covered by the University of Denver’s workers’ compensation insurance. Please follow the steps below.

  If you are injured while working in a paid internship, please follow your agency’s workers’ compensation procedures and report your injury to your field liaison and risk@du.edu. Paid internships are not eligible to be covered by DU’s workers’ compensation insurance; however, you do still need to report your injury to DU.

  If you are working or interning in OH, ND, WA, or WY, these four states require businesses to participate in a state-specific workers' compensation program. In these four states, the agency needs to provide workers’ compensation insurance if the student is an employee. 

  • If the Agency located in one of these four (4) states will not provide workers’ compensation for a paid intern, please contact ERM (risk@du.edu) to see if we can provide workers’ compensation coverage for the student.
  • The student can choose to proceed in the internship/practicum without workers’ compensation coverage. If you are in an unpaid internship in one of these four states, email risk@du.edu with:
    • Student name
    • DU ID#
    • DU email
    • start date of the internship
    • address of agency (zip code included)
    • some states require the number of hours worked each month, so tracking time on your timesheet is essential and will be reviewed quarterly by the ERM

  All injuries should be reported. Seeking medical treatment is optional, but if you want your medical treatment to be covered by workers’ compensation, you must go to an approved medical provider listed on the Workers’ Compensation Medical Providers list. If you delay in seeking treatment at an approved medical provider, it may be harder to determine if your injury is work-related.

  Steps to report an injury: All forms can be found on ERM’s Injuries & Workers’ Compensation website (University of Denver Risk Workers Compensation).

  1. For life-threatening or serious injuries, please seek immediate treatment. If on campus, call 911, and if possible, call Campus Safety at 303-871-3000.
  2. Review and sign a copy of the Workers’ Compensation Medical Providers list (student reviews & signs).
  3. Complete the Employee Report of Injury form (student fills out).
  4. Your supervisor needs to complete the Supervisor’s Report (placement supervisor fills out).
  5. Within 24 hours of the injury, all forms must be emailed (scan or photo) to ERM at risk@du.edu.
  6. If you seek medical treatment and want it to be covered by workers’ compensation benefits, you must seek treatment at a provider listed on the Workers’ Compensation Medical Providers list signed in step 2.

  DU students may not transport injured parties.

  For more information, please see DU’s Injuries & Workers’ Compensation website (University of Denver Risk Workers Compensation) or your state’s workers’ compensation website (Colorado’s is Colorado Government Division of Workers Compensation).

   

• Colorado Workforce Development Stipends

  GSSW is among a select group of universities nationwide and within Colorado to be awarded federal and state funding to provide stipends to assist students with the cost of learning. Learn more about GSSW stipends.

• Advocacy Efforts

  DU has been engaged with the Behavioral Health Administration Workgroup to provide more pathways for student stipends.

Students as Learners

At GSSW, MSW field education is a structured, hands-on learning experience that allows students the opportunity to learn and demonstrate social work competency under the guidance of a professional social worker. The competencies and learning requirements are like academic classes, except the learning is experiential instead of classroom based. Social work students engage in an apprenticeship model similar to other disciplines such as teaching and nursing. Students are acting in the role of a learner, not an independently practicing social worker. Internships are a required part of every social work graduate program. Please read the statement on internships by the Council on Social Work Education.

Reciprocal Service

In keeping with our profession’s mission and code of ethics, there is also a service component to the active learning in field internships. We honor both the service of the agency and supervisors who give their time outside of their paid duties to mentor, train and supervise student learners and the students who, while engaging in learning and skill development, also provide a service on behalf of the agency. This reciprocal service benefits clients and the community at large and bolsters social work through student development of ethical and competent practice.

Request for Internship in Same Agency for Both Years

Students interested in completing their Concentration year internship in the same agency as their Foundation year internship must submit this form and required attachments to the Associate Director of Field Education or designee. Submitting this form does not guarantee approval of the request. Two-year MSW students must typically complete their two field internships in two different agencies, in order to allow for diverse learning experiences. Occasionally, a student is interested in staying in the same agency for both field internships. Prior to submitting this proposal, the student must consider whether their learning needs for their Concentration year track and certificate, if applicable, can be met in this agency; discuss adequate MSW supervision for the second year, preferably with a different field instructor; and secure approval from the agency director. The Concentration year internship must provide the student with experiences that are distinctly different from those of the Foundation year internship.

• Form: Request for Internship in Same Agency for Both Years

Place of Employment Internship Process

If you intend to complete your internship hours at your place of employment (POE), the POE approval process is used to ensure that your learning needs/goals are able to be met within the job site and your learning is being prioritized. You must be able to demonstrate how your learning activities will fulfill the nine social work competencies and meet with a GSSW staff/faculty member for final approval prior to beginning the internship.

Place of Employment Options

• 

  Internship activities and job activities are separate.

  When possible, this is recommended, as you are able to have a completely different learning experience (i.e., interning in a different department within the agency, focusing on a different population within the agency, etc.) in addition to the experience you are getting within your job. This option requires building out a schedule of when you will complete your job hours vs. your internship hours.

• 

  Some internship activities are within the job, some are outside of the job.

  You can break up your hours, applying some parts of your job to the internship (they must meet the competencies) and spending time interning in a different department/with a different population in your agency. This option requires building out a schedule of when you will complete your job hours vs. your internship hours, breaking down how many hours will be within the job and how many hours will take place outside the job.

• 

  Internship activities all take place within the job.

  Students often work in jobs that are already social-work-type positions, and the competencies can be met within the current position. An important piece to consider in this option is ensuring that your role as a student learner is still prioritized.

Place of Employment Approval Process

Please review the process by program.

• Denver Campus MSW Program: POE Approval Process

  POE proposals must be submitted six weeks prior to your scheduled placement start date. Students who turn in proposals after that time may not start their internships on time.

  Start the steps as soon as possible, as the process can take several weeks. Communicate early and often with your supervisors and field advisor to make sure the process is on track. You will not begin accruing internship hours until all steps below have been completed.

  • Step 1: Download the Place of Employment Internship Packet
    • Field Internship in Place of Employment Form Packet: Foundation Year (All Programs)
    • Field Internship in Place of Employment Form Packet: Concentration Year (All Programs)
  • Step 2: Work with your employment supervisor and field supervisor(s) to fill out the POE packet, including listing learning activities for each of the competencies and providing signatures
  • Step 3: You send the packet to the GSSW field office (field@du.edu)
  • Step 4: Schedule and attend an approval meeting with GSSW staff/faculty
  • Step 5: Complete follow-up items from meeting (if applicable)
  • Step 6: Receive approval from GSSW staff/faculty
  • Step 7: Fill out your field confirmation form on the internship database
• Online MSW Program — MSW@Denver: Place of Employment Internship Guide

  POE proposals need to be submitted six weeks prior to your scheduled placement start date. Students who turn in proposals after that time may not start their internships on time.

  Start the steps as soon as possible, as the process can take several weeks. Communicate early and often with your supervisors and field advisor to make sure the process is on track. You will not begin accruing internship hours until all steps below have been completed and you have received final approval.

  • Step 1: Fill out a referral form and receive POE packet from placement specialist
  • Step 2: Work with your employment supervisor and field supervisor(s) to fill out POE packet, including listing learning activities for each of the competencies and providing signatures
  • Step 3: Student sends packet to placement specialist
  • Step 4: Schedule and attend approval meeting (you will received an email with scheduling instructions)
  • Step 5: Attend approval meeting with staff/faculty
  • Step 6: Complete follow-up items from meeting (if applicable)
  • Step 7: Receive approval from staff/faculty
  • Step 8: Receive official confirmation from placement specialist and confirm your start date

Place of Employment Frequently Asked Questions

• Who should be in involved in filling out the POE packet?

  Fill out the packet with your supervisors (job and internship) if possible. This will reduce the time it takes going back and forth to get the information and signatures you need. You also will need a signature from an agency/program director.

• What if I am not sure about how my learning activities connect to the competencies?

  The practice behaviors listed with each competency help to connect more specific learning tasks. Do your best to list the activities that you feel fit that competency. Part of the approval meeting will be reviewing these if you need further guidance. Please come to your approval meeting prepared with questions so the staff or faculty member will be able to help you.

• What if I am doing my POE internship at the same agency where I did my Foundation-year internship?

  You will need to demonstrate how your Foundation and Concentration internships will differ from one another, ensuring that you have new and more advanced learning activities during your second year. There is a section in the packet where you will indicate that you are doing a duplicate (same agency) internship, and you will receive additional prompts.

• If I am doing my internship hours within my job and have provided my job description, do I still need to list learning activities in the competencies?

  Yes. CSWE requires that all students completing POE internships provide specific information on how their learning activities align with the competencies. Break your job description down into the competencies.

• What if I'm not sure who should sign as the agency director?

  The purpose of this signature is that there is someone in the agency besides you and your job/internship supervisors that are aware of and approve the internship. This person can be an agency CEO, a specific program director, clinical supervisor, division head, etc. If you are unsure, please ask your Placement Specialist for guidance.