Social Work Internship Program
USC Student Counseling Services offers a dynamic and multi-faceted training opportunity to social work students in a multi-disciplinary setting. Social Work interns gain experience in providing initial assessments, including DSM IV diagnoses, short-term and long-term individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, and community outreach. Opportunities for live supervision, (audio-taping, video-taping, one way mirror) are also available and utilized. Besides weekly seminars, individual and group supervision and staff meetings, all staff members participate in ongoing multicultural trainings throughout the year, including diversity case conferences.
Student Counseling Services is part of a large network of university community resources for under-graduate and graduate students. We are part of the University Park Health Center (UPHC) and work closely with Medical Services and Office for Wellness and Health Promotion. Other campus partnerships include: Academic Support, Disability Services and Programs, Center for Women and Men, LGBT Student Resource Center, Asian Pacific American Student Services, El Centro Chicano, Office of International Student Services, Office of Religious Life, and Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs. The clients served represent the diverse population of a metropolitan university campus with regard to age, culture, country and ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.
Training is a strong component of the intern experience at the Student Counseling Services. In addition to serving as a field placement to 2nd year social work interns in the mental health concentration, the counseling center is also an APA accredited training site for pre-doctoral psychology interns, and a training site for practicum students and post-doctoral psychology fellows. The field placement year begins with a week of orientation with Student Counseling Services in late August for social work students and practicum counselors. Senior staff members present seminars on clinical issues salient to working with a diverse population. A day of team building activities for all staff sets the tone for the year together.
The internship year runs from August 20th, 2012 through May 10th, 2013 with three weeks off over winter break and one week off during spring break.
Contact
Robin Ward, MSW, LCSW
Coordinator of Social Work Training
(213) 740-7711
rward@usc.edu