Program Information This placement is for MSW foundation or concentration year students.
The Tehama County Regionalized ERMHS (Educationally Related Mental Health Services) program collaborates with school-based teams to provide services to students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It is the goal of this program to help students with social-emotional and behavioral challenges to recognize their own capacity for personal growth and positive educational outcomes. In our practice we emphasize evidence-based practice and data-based decision making. We also emphasize the importance of accommodating students in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and maintaining the dignity of students and families through all services and interventions that we provide. Research has indicated that outcomes for children and adolescents with social-emotional challenges can be greatly enhanced through interventions that (a) are sustained, flexible, positive, collaborative, culturally appropriate, and regularly evaluated; (b) are built on the strengths of the students and their families; and (c) address academic as well as social behavioral deficits (Bullock and Gable, 2006). We aim to provide services that meet these criteria while empowering the student to be the primary voice in his/her own treatment goals and services.
Student interns will have the opportunity to provide individual and group counseling services, receive training opportunities (ASIST, TF-CBT, etc.) and attend the NASW conference, skill development utilizing evidence-based mental health assessments in schools (BASC, RCMAS, BECKS, CDI, etc.), build knowledge around IEP process and in relation to ERMHS services, updating IEPs, and creating ERMHS assessment reports for IEP meetings, community-based support and activities, and receive consistent consultation/feedback/support from our team of LCSWs and LMFTs.
The student intern should be/have:
- good communication skills (consistent communication, bring up ethical/legal concerns as they arise, honest and open communication)
- collaborative with IEP teams, community agencies, families, etc.
- patience - IEP/SPED has a lot of policies and procedures and it will be gradual exposure to assessments, IEPs, etc.
- reliable - able to set appropriate boundaries, able to work independently at times
- Willing to learn - we will meet them where they are at and try to support them in building knowledge-based with treatment modalities, interventions, etc.