10 Tips for Securing a Great Field Site

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1. Carefully read the practicum information letter sent to you at the beginning of your BACO program and again 6 months before your practicum begin date which details the basic requirements for the practicum.
2. Carefully read the FAQ sheet. This will give you detailed practicum requirements.
3. Prepare your professional/educational resume. Many field site supervisors will want to look at your resume before considering you for a pre-practicum interview. Taking your resume in person to addictions facilities will show sites that you are greatly interested in working with them and that you are proactive in your educational experience. Many relationships and conversations can start if you go out and make connections on your own. This will greatly increase your chances of securing the site you desire.
4. Email Practicum Coordinator, BACOpracticum@indwes.edu, before you begin your search for a field site. It is likely that we have had a student come through the BACO program who lived in your area. IWU may possibly have a relationship with a great addictions focused facility in your area.
5. Word of mouth is vital. If you do not have personal connections to an addictions facility in your area, someone you know probably does. Start talking about your practicum with the people in your sphere of influence. They might have a close connection to a field site near to you.
6. Talk to your Doctors and/or a Pastor. Medical Professionals and Clergy often have a great deal of knowledge of addictions facilities in the area.
7. Google! Do a simple search for addictions facilities in your area. Larger rehab and detox facilities have informative websites. Look around their websites to see which sites interest you the most. Many sites give information on the credentialing of their staff. This will help you determine if IWU will approve a practicum at that site.
8. Yellow Pages. A good place to start is looking at the yellow pages. Once you have locates a few sites near you, look to see if they have a website, or ask the people around you about that site's reputation.
9. Often hospitals, drug courts, probation, the Salvation Army, and the Health Department have opportunities for practicum students. If you live in a smaller town where no large addictions/rehab facilities exist, these are great options to look into.
10. Remember, all you need to do at this point is send three educated options with contact information to BACOpracticum@indwes.edu. IWU staff will make initial contact with the sites you have listed. We will make sure the site is aware of the requirements for practicum at IWU. We will then connect you with the appropriate contact person at the site for further arrangements to be made. Any notes about which sites you prefer or which sites have positive track records are helpful, as we may not be familiar with the sites where you live.