The Clinical Social Work Practicum & Training Program at ASCF is a clinical practicum position that provides advanced specialty training in trauma assessment, consultation, intervention, and systems collaboration with child welfare-involved children and families. The Clinical Practicum Intern serves as a member of ASCF’s Multidisciplinary Treatment Team, providing clinical services to children residing on ASCF’s campus and in community foster care placements. Interns receive live, individual, and group supervision for trauma assessment and clinical intervention activities and additionally participate in biweekly didactic trainings. Interns primarily conduct services at the ASCF pediatric mental health treatment center on the ASCF campus in Sarasota, Florida, but may provide consultation and training to various agencies and offices in the Sarasota community. The intern’s specific training experiences and schedule includes core experiences outlined below but will be tailored to each intern’s unique clinical interests, needs, and goals.
The Clinical Social Work Practicum is designed to fulfill field placement requirements that align with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the intern’s affiliated university or college. Interns completing this position will be well-prepared for a career providing broad clinical services to underserved populations with a past/current history of trauma and adversity. They will also graduate the internship with an advanced knowledge of the child welfare system and systems navigation and advocacy.
Clinical Social Work Practicum & Training Program
Philosophy Practicum Activities & Schedule Learning Activities ApplicationTraining Philosophy
ASCF’s Clinical Social Work Practicum provides advanced, specialty training in trauma and child welfare. The internship is designed to transition the student from their Clinical Internship to independent practice as a Master level clinician. Upon beginning internship, the intern and ASCF training staff develop clear goals and training experiences geared toward each intern’s unique training needs and professional aspirations. The intern follows a developmental training model that meets fellows where they are at upon beginning internship and then progressively increases expectations and expands upon existing skills.
Practicum Activities & Schedule
ASCF Clinical Social Work Practicum interns participate in BSW, MSW Generalist, or MSW Specialization field placement tracks and engage in clinical, learning, and professional development experiences. Core activities include trauma assessment, consultation, evidence-based trauma-focused intervention, multidisciplinary team meetings/case conferences, individual and group supervision, and didactic training. The exact schedule and structure of activities is flexible to accommodate unique intern’s goals, interests, and growth areas.
The primary site for training is ASCF’s Pediatric Mental Health Treatment and Research Center located on its campus in Sarasota, Florida. There are opportunities to travel to various agencies and community partners for training and consultation activities.
The Clinical Social Work Intern provides clinical services and supports to children and families with child welfare involvement within Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit, which covers Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. All clients referred to ASCF have current or prior child welfare involvement. ASCF’s client population is diverse and ranges in age from 0 – 18 years of age. Interns gain experience with diverse developmental (e.g., neurodiversity, infants/early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, etc.) and ethnic (e.g., urban, rural, immigrant, Hispanic, Latinx, etc.) populations. The intern provides services to children residing on ASCF’s campus and to community families on an outpatient basis. Virtually all children seen at ASCF have a history of complex trauma and adversity.
Learning Activities
The following learning activities are offered for all interns throughout the course of the practicum and may differ depending on the field placement track and hours intern is available:
- Individual Supervision – Intern receive one-hour of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face individual supervision per week by a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in childhood trauma.
- Live Supervision – Interns are provided with live supervision conducted through a two-way mirror and bug-in-the-ear technology for clinical activities in which they have limited prior experience and as requested by the intern and/or intern’s supervisor.
- Clinical Group Supervision – ASCF’s clinical mental health team (of which interns are a part of) meets monthly for group supervision to discuss best practices in clinical practice, documentation, systems collaboration, and self-care.
- Trauma Assessment Group Supervision – Psychologists, mental health clinicians, clinical case managers, and interns meet monthly for trauma assessment group supervision. This includes didactic training on assessment measures/ approaches and presentation and review of assessment cases.
- Multidisciplinary Case Conferences – ASCF’s Multidisciplinary Team of providers meets for 2 hours weekly to present cases, collaborate regarding client care, review client progress, and plan for client intervention/support needs.
Optional learning activities include the following and may take up to an additional training hours of a intern’s time:
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Interns who elect to participate in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) training receive a combination of weekly live, individual, and group supervision following 16 hours of didactic training and 12 hours of consultation in the therapy model.
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic – Interns who elect to participate in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) training receive a combination of weekly live, individual, and group supervision following 40 hours of didactic training in the therapy model.
- Supervised Training Activities – Interns may additionally work toward co-facilitating community training initiatives for family members and professionals caring for children with child welfare involvement, including Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Workshop for Resource Parents (RPC; Grillo et al., 2010).
Application
Applicants should submit the following application materials to Chelsea Hernandez at chelseah@allstarchildren.org:
- Curriculum Vitae/resume
- Cover Letter describing background, interests, training goals, and fit for position
All Star especially welcomes applicants who share our commitment to trauma-informed practices. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in All Star’s Trauma-Informed Workgroups, which focus on promoting client voice and choice and fostering a culture of physical and psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Both in-person and virtual interviews will be provided based upon applicant preference. For any questions regarding the position, please contact Chelsea Hernandez at chelseah@allstarchildren.org or 941-217-6503.
