Program Information Fieldwork will be a critical component of the OUSD School Social Work Initiative. Students will have opportunities to develop relationships with students, families, school staff, and the community at-large. The scope of work may include working directly with children, collaborating with teachers, developing systems of support that impact school structures, and connecting the school with local resources to promote academic success as well as healthy social and emotional development.
Field Placement is intended to educate social workers for new roles in school districts. Through placement in this rural northern California county school district setting, students will develop the competencies necessary to work on many levels within a school, developing effective after-school youth development programs, fostering effective family-school-community partnerships, and developing school communities that promote the physical and mental health, emotional and social development, and educational development of youth.
The student intern will:
Familiarize yourself with School Social Workers duties and operations
Assist with researching resources for families and students
Assist with initial intakes and social histories on new students
Assist and observe team meetings with teachers and administration
Assist with fundraising
Assist with IEP meetings
Build rapport with the students and develop a group program to assist them with certain identified skills
Case management with individual students and families
Attend monthly collaborative meetings
Assist in obtaining items needed by identified families
Assist families in negotiating the application process of obtaining Medicaid, Social Security, and the Medicaid Waiver
Learn about the special needs, treatment options, behavior approaches for students with developmental delays, mental health issues and autism
Observe and participate with other interns for exposure to students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders
Tour facilities to learn more about resources in the community
Ability to deal with extreme behaviors and crisis
Assist with phone calls to parents regarding some students
Conduct home visits for students
Help develop partners in the community
Advocate for students education, safety, and well-being
Participate in the Coordination of Services (COS) at school sites
Participate in the PLC (Professional Learning Communities) to develop a comprehensive understanding of the identified site needs to students and staff
Participate in additional onsite training to support students and staff
*This placement has the potential to offer a research component around community building and social emotional learning at a macro level.
The student intern should:
Demonstrate experience with community organizing
Demonstrate commitment to social justice, equity, and results
Demonstrate experience staffing coalitions and/or community groups
Experience working with underserved and diverse communities
Strengths-based interventions
Community and school based prevention services
Experience with modern communications tools including social media and video
Bilingual (English/Spanish) highly desired