To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.
Program Information The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) provides inmates access to mental health services via the MHSDS. MHSDS is designed to treat and help incarcerated individuals living with mental illness manage their symptoms with the goal of promoting optimal functioning. The MHSDS utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to treatment by incorporating various disciplines such as custody, medical, psychiatry, recreation therapy, and mental health in order to provide quality care.
The student practicum program typically consists of a cohort of about 4 MSW students with a staff of 3 practicum instructors that are licensed clinical social workers and work within the institution. Students placed at SAC can expect to gain experience facilitating evidence-based groups such as anger management, substance abuse, and pre-release planning. Students will also provide adjunctive individual supportive services to address adjustment, anxiety, anger, grief, and issues with problem solving. MSW practicum students also support the pre-release coordinator and the patient’s primary mental health clinician in pre-release planning efforts, which include conducting individual needs and functioning assessments, and resource allocation. Students are expected to be part of the treatment team that includes the primary clinician (LCSW or psychologist), Psychiatrist, custody, and medical staff. Students will be provided weekly individual clinical supervision, weekly group supervision with their MSW cohort, and participate in relevant didactic trainings with staff. The student can expect to gain experience in applying basic social work theories and principals, learn how to navigate ethical and legal issues in accordance with the National Association of Social Work standards, and apply clinical skills such as motivational interviewing, brief problem solving therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy.
Students will gain further insight about the specialized field of forensic social work defined as the intersection between the helping profession’s theories and practice, and the legal systems. Special challenges and insights that will be faced by students in our placement include ethical dilemmas specific to the prison system, utilizing critical thinking skills to analyze macro level challenges with current prison policies and trends, the role of mental health in rehabilitation efforts, and considerations in restorative justice.
CDCR looks for students who are willing to be flexible, are team players, and willing to support areas as directed. Every day is different, can be unpredictable at times, and fast paced. It is important for the student to be able to ask for help or support when needed.