Developing an Internship at Your Agency

1
Developing an Internship at Your Agency

• WSU Social Work Department
• Cathy Jo Faruque, Ph.D., LICSW, DAPA
• Field Director

2
What Types of Internships Are Available

• We have approximately
• 200 students per year
• that complete an internship
• in the Social Work major.
• Field Experience is a internship
• for students who are interested
• in majoring in Social Work.
• Every student interested in
• Social Work as a major must take
• one 3 credit field experience in their
• sophomore or junior year as a
• pre-requisite to entering the major.
• The field experience is for 120 hours
• approximately 8 hours a week for 15 weeks.

3
Available Internships, Continued

• Summer placements are
• for 10 weeks (June-August)
• approximately 12 hours per
• week.
• Students may opt to take
• an additional 120 hour field
• experience course as an elective.
• This internship is to provide
• students with an exposure to
• social services. The students have
• not completed skills courses as of
• yet and as such, should not practice
• social work.
• Refer to the Field Experience manual
• for in-depth information on this process.

4
Available Internships, Continued

• Practicum is a senior
• level internship for 480
• hours. This is a full time,
• block placement the
• student works 32 hours
• a week for 15 weeks.
• Practicum is a requirement
• to graduate with a degree in
• Social Work. The student must
• be prepared to engage in
• entry-level generalist social work practice.

5
Available Internships, Continued

• Students must have all
• university coursework
• completed to the satisfaction
• of the university and social work
• department prior to entering the
• Practicum internship.
• Students in practicum must be
• provided with weekly supervision
• from a BSW or MSW.
• Students complete a Seminar
• course in conjunction with Practicum
• and are expected to engage in research
• while in the Practicum setting.
• Refer to the Practicum Manual for
• in-depth information on this process.

6
Letting Students Know About Your Agency and
Internship Opportunities

• Contact the Field Director,
• Cathy Jo Faruque _at_
• cfaruque_at_winona.edu or
• 507-457-5374.
• Please be prepared to provide
• the following information
• Name, address, phone, email
• of agency. Name of contact person
• and his/her credentials. Brief
• description of agency and a brief
• description of the students responsibilities.
• Students interested in Field Experience
• must meet with the Field Director the
• semester prior to entering the internship.
• Students interested in Practicum must
• take a 4 credit course entitled Practicum
• Preparation, prior to entering the internship.

7
How Students Select an Internship Site

• Students interested in Field
• Experience are given information
• on the agencies where this type
• of internship may be available.
• Students are able to meet with
• agencies and secure internships
• of this nature with minimal direction
• or supervision from the Field Director.
• Students interested in Practicum are
• given information on agencies where
• an internship of this type may be available.
• The students in Practicum Preparation
• must chose at least three agencies to
• explore and learn about prior to
• attempting to secure a placement.

8
Seeking an Internship, Continued

• Students interested in Field
• Experience must secure a
• signed placement memo
• (refer to the Field Experience
• Manual) and submit this to the
• Field Director along with an
• application.
• The decision to accept or decline
• a student for Field Experience rests
• solely on the discretion of the Agency
• Field Instructor.
• Based on course space, students are
• granted the opportunity to enroll in Field
• Experience. Space is limited and some
• students may have to wait for another
• semester prior to taking the course.

9
Seeking an Internship, Continued

• Students interested in
• Practicum must meet with
• the Field Director and/or
• Practicum Preparation Professor
• to discuss possible placement sites.
• Students are granted permission
• by the Field Director to contact
• agencies to pursue an interview.
• The interview doesnt guarantee
• the student will have a placement
• at that agency, only the opportunity
• to compete for an internship. The
• decision to accept or not accept a
• student as an intern rest solely in the
• hands of the Agency Field Supervisor.

10
Seeking an Internship, Continued

• If accepted for a Practicum,
• the student would then secure
• a signed placement memo
• in effect an agreement between
• student, agency field supervisor,
• and the social work department that
• the student will complete the
• internship during a stated period
• of time at the agency.
• Students in Practicum Preparation are
• required to meet with the agency field
• supervisor at least 10 to 15 hours the
• semester prior to entering practicum as
• an orientation and preparation for the
  placement.

11
Community Service

• We work with over 100
• social service agencies
• in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• We place approximately
• 125 students in Field
• Experience every academic
• year (Fall, Spring, Summer).
• We place approximately 75
• students in Practicum every
• academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer).

12
Community Service Continued

• Our students provide
• some 50,000 hours of
• service to social service
• agencies through these
• internship opportunities.
• These hours of service
• equal 24 full time staff hours
• to the agencies who open their
• doors to our social work students!