Foundation MSW Internship Description
The Generalist/Foundation Year MSW interns go to their placement and are in field an average of 16 hours per week during spring and summer semesters for a minimum of 480 hours. Internship hours should reflect times that are optimal for both placement and student. Students attend a field seminar course concurrently with their internship.
The field experience for foundation year MSW interns should include:
- Psychosocial assessments, interviewing, problem solving, and supportive counseling with individuals, families and/or groups as well as completing the associated paperwork.
- Indirect client work
- Professional or educational meetings/workshops
- Evaluation (i.e. data collection, outcomes, development
- Case management (resource allocation and referral)
- Advocacy and planned social change work
ADVANCED STANDING STUDENT INTERNSHIPS
Though advanced standing students (holding a BSW degree) skip the first year of the MSW program, they enter the program in the summer before their second year and take "bridge" courses to get them ready for the advanced year. It should be noted that students who are accepted as advanced standing are those who demonstrate high academic and field achievement in their BSW work. Once the student has completed the summer courses, they may begin their concentration year internships.
See next section for description.
Concentration Year Internships
The Specialized/Concentration Year MSW interns are in field and go to their placement an average of 20 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters for a minimum of 600 hours. Schedules should reflect times that are optimal for both the intern and your agency. Students attend a field seminar course concurrently with their internship.
The Field Experience for the concentration year MSW students build on their foundation skills developed and practiced in their first internship (or BSW internship for the advanced standing student) and should include an emphasis on advanced clinical social work practice.
- Advanced clinical assessments of individuals, families, and groups
- On-going contact
- Specific use of intervention or psychotherapeutic models based on advanced theories
- Indirect client work
- Professional or educational meetings/workshops including presentations at such meetings
- Attendance and participation at community meetings, staff and board meetings
- Evaluation (i.e. data collection, outcomes development)
- Case Management (resource allocation and referral)
- Advocacy and planned social change work
Supervision at the placement must be provided by an MSW with at least three years post-degree professional experience. This person is the Field Instructor and is an extension of our social work faculty, responsible for instructing and role modeling. The Field Instructor must meet with the student for a minimum of one hour per week. Field Education staff provides orientation for the Field Instructors, providing them with information necessary to facilitate a successful internship.
The intern may be under the direct daily supervision of a person without a social work degree. This person is called the Task Supervisor. We would expect that the Task Supervisor hold a degree and several years’ experience in a human service position. Although the Field Instructor will take the lead role in coordinating the instruction of the intern, the Task Supervisor will provide day to day supervision and work closely with the student to achieve learning tasks and objectives to meet CSWE competencies.
The internship process is detailed and requires an application, an interview with the Director of Field Education, and an interview with the proposed Field Instructor as well as other agency personnel as required by the agency. Placements often have internship application deadlines and additional requirements such as an agency specific application, background check, HIPAA and electronic records (computer program) training, and orientation that must be completed prior to the first day of classes and official start of the internship.
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) requires a formal written contract (affiliation agreement) with the field practicum agency. This agreement details the responsibilities of the agency and university.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about our field education program.
Amber Ball
Director, MSW Field Education
Amber Ball
423-439-3005