Roger Suclupe, clinical associate professor and Bachelor of Social Work program director, recently launched Socially Engaged, a podcast exploring social work and the practitioners who shape the profession. Through in-depth interviews, Suclupe highlights professionals across multiple social work disciplines and career stages — defining what it means to be socially engaged. 

The podcast is an offshoot of Suclupe’s Instagram series by the same name, which he produced from 2021 to 2025. Created to recognize Social Work Month, the Instagram series featured 31 social workers over 31 days, sharing their diverse stories and perspectives. Inspired by these conversations, Suclupe reimagined the project as a podcast to host deeper discussions.

Stacey Anderson, School of Social Work adjunct faculty member and co-owner of the Anderson Counseling and Consulting Group, is Suclupe’s guest for the first episode, “Code of Care: Ethics That Shape Social Work.” Together, they examine the ethical foundation of the profession, reflecting on their experience in practice. 

By inviting guests to express their unique perspective, Suclupe aims to showcase social workers beyond their professional identity. “Social workers do so much work behind the scenes,” Suclupe said. “It’s inspiring to watch how their connection to social work impacts their everyday life, showing up in seemingly unrelated areas and passion projects.” 

Suclupe is no stranger to integrating social work and personal passions, drawing on more than 20 years of social work experience and seven years of podcasting to create Socially Engaged. The series seamlessly blends professional insight and personality, making the podcast accessible for curriculum support and casual listening. 

Suclupe hopes his new podcast will serve social workers and non-social workers alike. “Socially Engaged isn’t just for students or social workers,” Suclupe explains. “It’s for anyone interested in the profession.”

The first episode of the Socially Engaged podcast is available now on Apple and Spotify. 

The UNC Charlotte School of Social Work is located within a large metropolitan community. As a result, a wide variety of placement possibilities exist within the region. We are also in the process of growing our placement opportunities outside of the Charlotte region. Practicum agencies are selected that serve diverse groups and have the potential for adding to the students’ learning experience around practice in diverse settings. Practicum placements for social work students will be selected to support their development of social work values, skills and knowledge at the level of generalist and specialized practice.

The agency must be willing to provide positive learning opportunities for social work students and have someone who is willing and eligible to supervise the student. Each agency has an onboarding meeting with the Practicum Office, must sign an affiliation agreement with the UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human Services, and any new practicum instructor/task supervisor must attend Practicum Instructor/Task Supervisor training.

The Practicum Office is responsible for selecting practicum sites and discussing the requirements for an Affiliation Agreement. A student may not be placed in an agency unless there is a fully executed Affiliation Agreement between the agency and the College of Health and Human Services.

For additional information about the selection of Practicum Agencies, please see the Practicum Education Handbook.

Most students will be required to complete compliance requirements before beginning their practicum placement. Compliance requirements vary by practicum placement site and students should NOT begin completing these requirements until instructed to do so by the Practicum Office.

These requirements may include, but are not limited, to the following: Immunizations, Criminal Background Check, Drug Screening, TB testing, Bloodborne Pathogens Training, CPR/First Aid Certification, Fingerprinting, and/or any other requirements noted in the agency Affiliation Agreement.

It is the responsibility of the student to cover the cost of all compliance items required by the Affiliation Agreement. Time spent collecting Clinical Compliance does not count towards practicum orientation or hours.

For more information about compliance, please review our FAQs for Social Work Compliance and the compliance information in the Practicum Education Handbook.

Most likely. Most placements require at least some level of in-person involvement and students will be responsible for their own transportation. This could be through a personal car, public transportation, or other means. Occasionally, a student may be in a fully virtual practicum placement that does not require transportation. Fully virtual placements are limited and not guaranteed.

Graduates of the MSW Program may pursue state licensure or certification. Application for licensure or certification should be made with the state board where the applicant intends to practice social work.

Learn more about State licensure/certification.

The UNC Charlotte School of Social Work supports current UNC Charlotte social work students and BSW/MSW professionals in earning a North Carolina Department of Public Instruction School Social Work License.

Learn more about School Social Work Licensure.

The North Carolina Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC) includes specialized, in-depth training in child welfare knowledge, values, and best practices.

Learn more about the Child Welfare Education Collaborative.

UNC Charlotte has secured insurance and this is covered by student fees. This insurance only covers students in their SOWK Practicum coursework.

Students should remember that in addition to their coursework and any personal commitments (employment, family, etc.), practicum placement requires a commitment of 16 hours per week to their practicum placement agency. Additionally, students are enrolled in a 3 credit hour Practicum course along with any other coursework they are completing that semester.

Balancing a practicum placement with other responsibilities, such as classes, work, and family can be challenging. Prospective and current students are encouraged to plan ahead for how they will fit practicum placement into their schedule.

Because many social work agencies work traditional business hours, placements offering evening and/or weekend hours are extremely limited. Even when agencies are open in the evenings and/or on weekends, the staff who supervise interns typically work during the day. Additionally, there may be limitations to the type of placements that can be completed during evening and/or weekend hours. Placements with evening and/or weekend hours are not guaranteed. Students should anticipate that they will complete most or all practicum hours during traditional business hours.