Social work training at Student Health and Counseling is rooted in the history and values of the social work profession. Our training program emphasizes our professional ethics especially around these core values: integrity, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, human relationships, competence and service.
Prerequisites
Student Health and Counseling offers a 9-month practicum training program for students in the second year of a master’s program in social work. This internship begins in mid-August and ends in mid-May, which is longer than a traditional 2nd year MSW placement. Interns also follow all of Penn’s breaks, rather than your academic program’s break schedule. This internship is appropriate for students who have completed one year of their master’s program with supervised clinical social work. In addition, we expect all students to have completed some basic course work in human behavior or psychotherapy theory. While it would be advantageous if the previous practice experience was with an adolescent, early adult or college age population, this is not a requirement. What is most important is that potential student interns demonstrate interest in working with a diverse university student population and exhibit an openness and willingness to learn within our setting.
Activities and Responsibilities
The social work internship program includes the following:
- Service Activities: Individual Therapy (all sessions are video-recorded); Group Therapy; Intake Assessment; and Membership on administrative committees (e.g., eating concerns, STTOP, etc.)
- Training Activities: Individual Supervision with Primary Supervisor (1.5 hours per week); Individual Supervision of Group Therapy (.5 hour per week); Case Group (1.5 hours per week); and Multidisciplinary Team Meeting (1 hour per week)
- Administrative/Professional Development Activities: Committee Membership; Professional Development Presentations; Outreach and Prevention Training; and Record Keeping
Application Process
Social work students who are interested in field placement within Student Health and Counseling for their second year of their MSS/ MSW program are encouraged to apply. Applicants who have already completed a clinically oriented first year internship are favored. To be considered for internship at this placement, interested candidates must complete and electronically submit the following:
- A Social Work Internship Application Form (PDF)
- An updated curriculum vita
- Two letters of reference (emailed directly from your referents)
- A cover letter expressing your interest in this placement
The basic criteria for selection will be based on the fit within the objectives of the training program and the indicated potential of the candidate to contribute to and benefit from the internship experience. To minimize the impact of potential dual roles, current or previous Student Health and Counseling therapy clients are not eligible to apply for the internship training program.
All questions and application materials should be sent electronically to Laura Kay Collins, LSW, at collaura@upenn.edu. The application deadline is January 6, 2023. Those invited for an interview will be contacted by January 9, 2023, for scheduling. Interviews will be scheduled for January 17-19, 2023.