Process of Application for Southern Maryland Field Internship
Foundation (1^st Year MSW Students) Year

 

1)   Complete the field application: Microsoft Word document or Adobe pdf file

 

2)   Complete three (3) copies of (a) page 1 of the application, (b) your resume; and 1 copy of the other pages of the application. Keep a set of everything for your records.

 

3)    Please note the following requirements regarding field internship hours:

• Students complete 480 internship hours over the academic year
• Students must spend 12 - 16 hours/week in the field setting over 2 – 3 days/week, spending a minimum of 4 hours/day in field.

4)    If you are a MD DHR employee, please speak with your supervisor and agency director about which of the following will be internship option(s) for you in 2009-2010:

• Internship assignment in different program of county DSS where employed; student must complete Employment-Based Internship Proposal in addition to field application materials indicated in (2) above
• Internship assignment in different program of different county DSS
• Internship in non-DSS private agency
• Internship = employee's regular job with “enhanced supervision” by MSW-level experienced field instructor (someone other than work supervisor; special focus on selected cases
  • Student must write a proposal indicating how regular job will be adjusted to meet the following CSWE accreditation standard: To ensure the role of student as learner, student assignments and field education supervision are not the same as those of the student’s employment (AS 2.1.8).

5)    Whatever agency you are employed in, if you are requesting an internship assignment in a different program of your agency (employment-based internship), you must submit an Employment-Based Internship Proposal along with the field application materials indicated in (2) above.

 

6)    We are interested in developing new field agency affiliations. Assuming there is MSW-level supervision available, required paperwork can be found at: http://ncsss.cua.edu/degree_field/field/new.cfm.

 

7)    As soon as possible, please mail your field application materials to:

Office of Field Education

National Catholic School of Social Service

The Catholic University of America

Cardinal Station (Shahan Hall)

Washington, D.C. 20064

 

8)    The Office of Field Education staff will then refer you to an agency, based on the information provided with the application. We will be glad to meet with you, or to speak with you by phone, to discuss your particular interests and to answer your questions.

• A copy of the first page of your application, your resume and our referral letter will be faxed to the agency; a referral letter will then be emailed to you.
• When you receive your reerral letter, you are asked to call the agency contact person promptly to set up your field placement interview. 

9)    At your interview, you may meet your potential field instructor, or you may interview with the Internship Coordinator, who will assign field instructors to students at a later date.

 

10)   You may be offered an internship slot at the interview, or you may be told that decisions will be made at a later date. We ask that you promptly advise us of the outcome of the meeting, e.g. to let us know that you were offered a slot, or that you will be contacted in a week or a month, etc.

Loretta Vitale Saks, MSW, LCSW-C                     Ellen F. Thursby, PhD, LICSW
Director of Field Education                                 Associate Director of Field Education
saks@cua.edu                                                 thursby@cua.edu  

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