Visit CSH at Upcoming MSW Placement Fairs
Building upon a successful 2018 Pilot Year, CSH is seeking additional Master of Social Work (MSW) students for placement with homeless services and supportive housing providers in Los Angeles County. Stop by our booth at the following placement fairs this February:
- February 1: California State University – Northridge
- February 8: UCLA – Luskin School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare
- February 19: California State University Dominguez Hills
We look forward to meeting prospective interns and answering any questions you have!
Master of Social Work Homeless Services & Supportive Housing Provider Internship Placement Program
Overview
An overwhelming homeless crisis in Los Angeles County demands a multi-faceted system response to develop the social work capacity needed to address community needs. CSH is expanding the talent pool for service provision and supervisory positions by engaging 2nd Year Master of Social Work students with homeless services and supportive housing providers internships. Building upon a successful 2018 Pilot Year, we are seeking new MSW interns for placement.
“Brenda Ventura, an MSW student at Azusa Pacific, interned with Kingdom Causes Bellflower(KCB) this summer and will continue her internship into the school year. ‘My experience with KCB has been a rewarding learning experience,’ Ventura said. ‘I have had the opportunity to help in each department, including doing outreach navigation, case management, housing navigation, and assisting my supervisor with the implementation of policies and procedures.’”
Engagement
Universities, nonprofit homeless service providers, and local stakeholders have partnered with CSH to analyze current placement strategies and facilitate staff recruitment efforts in the Los Angeles County homeless sector. CSH engages MSW interns throughout the academic year to obtain feedback; offer networking opportunities with student interns from other universities and support your success.
Identification and Matching
CSH identified and will continue to support nonprofit homeless service providers as host sites for MSW interns for the 2018-19 academic year. CSH completed necessary university documentation with nonprofit providers to secure interns in the 2018-19 academic year, matching their organizational need with micro, mezzo, macro and generalist students in their MSW journey.
Training
CSH provides training for the matched homeless services agencies at the onset of internships to ensure ample oversight for the students to meet program requirements. Monthly training is provided to MSW students to ensure students are gaining the experience end learning opportunities needed for meaningful internships and possible employment opportunities. Training topics include:
- Evidence-Based Practices used in Homeless Services
- Landscape of Homeless Programs and Services
- Special Field Situations
- State Policy on Homelessness and Healthcare
- Professional Development
- Leadership and Career Development
Supervision
For hosts that have identified the need for supervisory assistance, CSH developed a pool of trained independent contractor field instructors to provide supervision to students in their specialization year. CSH supports the field instructors where needed.
Evaluation
CSH seeks feedback from the universities, nonprofit agencies, MSW interns, and field instructors to inform the effectiveness of training modules and student perceptions, experience, and the likelihood of working in the sector after graduation.
University Participants
Field faculty from the universities below were engaged and agreed to participate in this pilot program, convening monthly in early 2018 to share best practices and insights into the program’s progress in broadening their portfolios of nonprofit providers to place their students.
- Azusa Pacific University
- University of California – Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
- California State University – Dominguez Hills
- California State University – Long Beach
- California State University – Northridge
Nonprofit Host Organizations
Focused on agencies within the Los Angeles County in areas identified as highly underserved and under-capacitated, CSH engaged a variety of homeless services and supportive housing providers to host specialization year MSW interns (listed below).
- Catalyst San Gabriel Valley
- Catholic Charities – St. Margaret’s Center*
- Century Villages at Cabrillo*
- David & Margaret Youth and Family Services*
- Harbor Interfaith Services*
- Helpline Youth Counseling Services*
- Housing Works
- Inland Valley Hope Partners
- Kingdom Causes – Bellflower*
- Union Station Homeless Services*
- Upward Bound House
- Whittier First Day*
* hosted an MSW Intern in 2018