Office of Field Education

Sample Learning Agreement Activities

 The list below includes suggestions for under which competencies to place the suggested activities. While
some activities might reflect multiple competencies, a student cannot list the same activity under multiple
competencies on the Learning Agreement.
 If a suggested activity below is already on the student’s Learning Agreement as a Required Activity (even
under a different competency), then the item cannot be used as an Additional Activity.

MSWII/
Sample Activities BSSW
ASAP
1. Demonstrate Ethical & Professional Behavior
Prepare a presentation to be used as a part of an agency social work training module.  
Review necessary and pertinent agency policies and procedures related to social work role.  
Complete agency-specific orientation activities.  
Review the agency’s policy manual, mission statement, funding streams, confidentiality,
 
and documentation requirements.
Interview a Board member about their role and compare to the agency’s documentation
 
regarding Board responsibilities.
Interview an administrator of the agency.  
Shadow and/or interview other disciplines at your agency (psychiatry, nutrition, case aide,
 
transportation aide, educator, administrator, etc.).
Spend time in different departments of the agency to gain an understanding of client
 
service.
Attend staff, team, or other professional meetings.  
Practice at least one self-care activity each week.  
Explore career options in social work.  
Bring an agenda to supervisory meetings.  
Write a group progress note based upon observations.  
Review [##] of case files completed by various social workers.  
Review the process by which someone becomes a client at the agency and explain the
 
process to the field instructor.
Read about/find ethical dilemmas in studies, or in meetings and daily activities.  
Identify and explain at least two different ethical decision models and

discuss/compare/contrast the models and their application(s).
Read agency policy on client confidentiality as well as maintain client confidentiality
 
throughout field experience.
Discuss each social work ethic core value and what its' application and presentation might

look like within this particular agency (in which the student is placed).
Gather information about how agency uses social media and social media policies.  
Develop a social media campaign/presence for agency or a specific event.  

Revised: May 2016 (2015 EPAS) 1

Sample Learning Agreement Activities
MSWII/
Sample Activities BSSW
ASAP
2. Engage diversity and difference in practice
Attend a diversity training. 
Attend an arts/cultural/community event outside of student’s own culture.  
Interview a social worker who works with a culture different from the student’s culture. 
Interview staff member of differing culture than student.  
Complete a reading (journal, book, news articles) relevant to client or neighborhood culture.  
Identify and discuss instances when culture and diversity influence the outcomes of

practice, policy, and program implementation in context with this current placement agency.
Identify and discuss at least one personal bias (student's) and value that might potentially
 
influence the student's work with any diverse group.
Interview a minority client about their experiences as a mental health consumer.  
Observe agency programs to recognize different populations served and to identify how this

observation helps engage diversity in practice.
Research ways in which different cultures may present and experience depression.  
Attend a community meeting or celebration in the agency’s neighborhood.  
Identify agency practices that promote diversity. 
Student located in an urban agency shadow a worker in a rural agency (or vice versa).  
3. Advance Human Rights & Social, Economic, & Environmental Justice
Select a social justice issue and research 3 articles. 
Interview/Meet with [##] social workers engaged in human rights work.  
Shadow a patient rights advocate and write a reflection in their weekly journal.  
Research a current issue or legislative action that requires advocacy, and organize a letter-

writing campaign among your staff, volunteers, etc.
Discuss a current event that impacts how a specific service is delivered at the agency and
 
identify methods of advocating for the service or impacted population.
Identify an outdated policy and advocate for change to better serve client population.  
Research social justice issues as they relate to _____ [issue] & interventions on the macro

level which address these issues.
4. Engage in Practice-informed Research & Research-informed Practice
Review research and books on a topic relevant to your work.  
Interview an agency representative to see how client outcomes are assessed and how
 
research is utilized at the agency.
Research self-soothing techniques to teach clients.  
Research poverty statistics, incidences of homelessness, incarceration and other items

related to agency work to better understand community and to state need for services.
Identify ways in which evidence-based practice is used in funding and grant writing. 
5. Engage in Policy Practice
Identify government bodies that regulate or fund the agency.  
Help prep, or interview, staff about the process for accreditation/re-accreditation. (CARF,
 
JCAHO, etc.)
Complete the agency’s HIPPA training.  
Review patient rights policy and write a reflection in weekly journal.  
Attend a court hearing or legal proceedings.  
Attend an Area Commission meeting or community meeting in the agency’s neighborhood.  
Attend a Board meeting.  
Attend meetings of “umbrella” organization or affiliating agency such as ADAMH or CSB.  

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Sample Learning Agreement Activities
MSWII/
Sample Activities BSSW
ASAP
5. Engage in Policy Practice (continued)
Attend a meeting of the Ohio Development Disabilities Council which occur on a quarterly
 
basis. See: [Link] for more info.
Attend a meeting of the Central Ohio Coalition for Sexual Health. See
 
[Link] for schedule.
Attend a press conference regarding legislative action on a topic affecting social workers or

populations traditionally served by social workers.
Shadow advocacy branch of agency to understand policy creation and the critical role of the

nonprofit community in shaping it.
(If agency bills insurance) Learn how the agency gets staff on insurance panels. (That is,

how does credentialing happen?) Assist with process, if possible.
Participate in a pre-audit process. (Ex., pre-insurance, or pre-Medicaid audit, etc.) 
Become familiar with the contents of the agency’s ADAMH service plan (for applicable

agencies) or the agency’s strategic plan, and how the plan was created.
6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities
Observe [##] of intake interviews.  
Gather the “story” of 1-2 clients that have used and/or benefited from the agency’s services.  
Take intake calls, calls for agency information, or constituent calls.  
Learn techniques to engage resistant clients.  
If student is at an “umbrella agency” or advocacy organization: Visit direct service “member”
 
agencies or affiliates to see its operation; meet with a client via that partner agency.
If student is at a State agency (ex. Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services): Visit a local
agency; meet and interview direct service workers; shadow client interactions; and/or  
participate in assessments.
Call parents to communicate student behaviors, performance (positive and negative), and
 
other program information.
Engage tenants through work on the tenant outreach hotline to gather information to
 
improve services.
7. Assess with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities
Attend at least one board meeting, training or data warehouse meeting to learn about board
 
governance.
Assess [##] clients using the 40 Developmental Assets.  
Read DSM-V on most frequently dealt with diagnoses.  
Sit with agency's RN or psychiatrist to observe a different perspective/evaluation of a client.  
Observe a psychological evaluation given by a psychiatrist within the agency. 
Discuss with supervisor typical family structures and stressors that clients have and how
 
those structures and stressors could affect clients.
Apply for benefits through the local Job & Family Services or Ohio Benefits Bank in order to
 
understand process that clients go through.
Shadow a worker at another agency that offers a similar service. Identify differences in
 
worker approach and agency culture.
Identify the major social service agencies and services in the target environment and
 
compare to services offered by internship agency.
Identify ways in which theories of organizational culture and the role of culture in shaping

organizational performance are applied in macro-level practice.

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Sample Learning Agreement Activities
MSWII/
Sample Activities BSSW
ASAP
8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities
Observe the field instructor or other staff members engaged in interaction with clients. 
Shadow and observe a social worker doing a home visit.  
Conduct at least 3 interactions with clients, groups, or committees in the presence of field

instructor.
Provide case management to a minimum of 3 clients. 
Observe [##] of __________ [type of] groups. 
Develop a new psychoeducational group and run the group at the agency. 
Demonstrate effective termination skills prior to last day of field placement.  
Complete two client discharge summaries by end of placement.  
Interview and shadow at least two social workers who perform __________ [type of
 
service].
Identify agencies that provide services for which agency clients are most commonly linked.  
Visit other agencies or relevant settings; understand referral processes for linking clients to
 
these agencies..
Teach a class or workshop for clients. (Example: ESL, citizenship, personal
 
finance/budgeting, resume preparation, interviewing skills)
Start a program for agency’s clients that the student has interest in. (Ex. A student initiated
 
a Girls on the Run program at her field placement agency.)
Work on writing a grant application with partner agencies. (Ex. CMAA, CDC grant)  
Create a flyer to market your agency and the internship to future students.  
Update the agency’s website.  
9. Evaluate with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, & Communities
Participate in the preparation of audits.  
Participate in a peer review.  
Actively participate in case reviews/team meetings.  
Observe at a different agency that uses similar interventions.  
Accompany agency professionals to various sites in order to view specific evaluations. 
Develop a survey/evaluation to use with a client group and administer with several clients. 
Create a method to evaluate the staff's perception of the usefulness of the [xxx] activity. 
Engage agency professionals in order to gain guidance and increase understanding of

methods and measures used to determine the value of program/intervention.
Document and evaluate patient progress on a discharge summary prepared for patients. 
Student will document patient progress on individual and group notes using an electronic

medical record.
Outline personal thoughts/ideas concerning improvement of service delivery of various

programs pertaining to_________________ [a type of service such as offender re-entry].
Identify & explain the appropriate method(s) for evaluation to be used in assigned field

placement projects and tasks.