SOCIAL WORK
Field Placement Agencies
Welcome
What you will find in this
presentation:
Local and Regional
Social Work Field
Placement Options
Agency contacts
Helpful Web Sites
Student Testimonials
Areas of Social Work Concentration
• Child Welfare
• Aging
• Mental Health
• Medical
• Substance Abuse
• School
• Military and VA Hospitals
• International
• Government/Policy Practice
• Research
• Other
Child Welfare
Social work professionals continue to
have a key role in all areas of child
welfare including direct practice,
supervision, administration, training,
and policy and program development.
Currently in this area of practice there
are varying state initiatives aimed at
providing financial support and
additional training to both BSW and
MSW students who are interested in a
career in child welfare.
Currently in the state of Pennsylvania,
the United States Administration for
Children and Families, the
Pennsylvania Department of Public
Welfare and fourteen undergraduate
and graduate social work degree
programs accredited by the Council on
Social Work Education (CSWE) offer
the Child Welfare Education for
Baccalaureates (CWEB) and the Child
Welfare Education for Leadership
(CWEL). The goal of these programs
is to provide extensive training and
employment opportunities for students
while strengthening public child
welfare services in the state of
Pennsylvania. For more information,
visit the link below:
Child Welfare Education for
Baccalaureates (CWEB)
Local and Regional Child Welfare Placements
• Past Placements
• Montour County Children and Youth
• Northumberland County Children and Youth
• Lycoming County Children and Youth
• Snyder County Children and Youth
• Union County Children and Youth
• Mifflin County Children and Youth
• Pike County Children and Youth
• You can also use the following link to find child welfare agencies and other
Pennsylvania agencies supported by the Department of Public Welfare. Just
place the zip code of the area in which you would like to do your internship
placement.
• Department of Public Welfare Agency Link
Past placement involving work with youth
Additional Placements working with Youth
• Diversified Treatment Alternatives: working with at risk
adolescent males. Lewisburg, PA 570-523-3457
• Clearvision Residential Treatment Services: working with
at risk adolescent females. Montgomery, PA 570-5472810
• North Central Secure Treatment Unit: Provides secure
treatment programs for adjudicated delinquent males and
females. 570-271-4710
• Geisinger Medical Center Outpatient Clinics: Provides
behavioral health support to youth. Contact is Shelly
Hosterman (Speak with Dr. Erdley)
Aging
The growing population of
adults over the next decade
is expected to create an
extraordinary demand for
aging programs, initiatives,
services and policies in this
field of practice. The
Administration on Aging
reports that by 2030, there
will be over 72 million older
adults residing in the United
States. Social workers in this
area of practice are often
employed in community area
on aging centers, community
mental health centers, health
care settings, and residential
living facilities. Social
workers who work in this
area of practice engage in
initiatives at both direct and
indirect levels of practice to
provide supportive services
and interventions to older
adults and their caregivers to
address personal, social and
environmental challenges to
aging.
Local and Regional Aging Placements
• All Area Agency on Aging Programs in and out of the state
• Adult Day Care Centers
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• The PA Department of Aging
Past Placements with Aging Adults
PA DEPARTMENT OF AGING
***Use this link to find Pennsylvania Area
Agency on Aging Programs, Senior Centers
and other Disability resources.
Mental Health
Social workers who work
in mental health can
provide services in a
variety of settings
including hospitals,
residential living facilities,
schools, rehabilitation
programs, employee
assistance programs,
community mental health
programs, military and
veteran services and in
private practice. According
to the NASW, clinically
trained social workers are
the lead mental health
providers in the country,
making up 60% of the
work force. Social
worker’s training and
focus on problem-solving,
systems, empowerment
and person in
environment enables them
to assist individuals with
alleviating major daily life
stresses.
Ideas for Mental Health Placements
• Danville State Hospital, Danville PA: 570-271-4568
• Columbia Montour Snyder Union Counties of Central PA
Service System: Various opportunities to work with a
range of mental health services including also intellectual
disability, and drug and alcohol.
Drug and
Alcohol
Substance abuse social
workers are employed
throughout the community
in social service agencies,
hospitals, rehabilitation
centers and various
community based
programs that are aimed
at serving populations
who suffer from alcohol or
drug abuse. Although
according to the NASW,
most substance abuse
social workers have a
master’s degree (MSW) in
social work, bachelor’s
level (BSW) social
workers are able to find
entry-level positions and
can obtain credentials to
become a certified
addictions counselor
(CAC).
Ideas of Drug and Alcohol Placements
• Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania
• Clearbrook Treatment Centers: Located in Wilkes-Barre,
PA. Offers adult and adolescent treatment centers. 800582-6241
• Treatment Center Directory
Additional Areas of Practice
Corrections
• Social workers in this area of practice can work in prison settings in mental health, D&A, and in re-entry programs. Many
social workers also work with ex-offenders once they have been released from prison to ensure that they continue to find
adequate housing and work with programs to remain out of prison and to have continued quality of life.
Domestic Violence
• Social workers in this area of practice often work in shelters and with YWCA programs to help women remain safe.
Social Workers who specialize in this area of practice are responsible for recognizing the signs of physical and mental
abuse and must determine the needs of the victim, including their immediate safety.
Homelessness
• Social Workers who work in this area of practice often provide case management services to adults who are in need of
tools and resources to obtain housing and often times mental health services. Social Workers who work in this area of
practice often help get residents government benefits and other services that will help them find sustainable employment
and housing.
Social workers have a long-standing history of working in careers that influence social policy. In this
area of practice social workers find themselves working as lobbyist, policy and program analyst and
community organizers. Social work policy practitioners often work with other policy professionals to
engage in the development, implementation, reformation or assessment of social policies in an effort
to ensure social justice. Social worker’s focus on person-in-environment and skills in advocacy and
communication provide them with a unique skill set that is needed to be effective in the area of
policy practice.
Military Social Work
•Social workers work in all branches of the military to help families and military personnel prepare for a
cope with the aftermath of war and have been working with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)
since 1926. Areas of practice for military professionals often include working in Veteran’s Hospitals,
on military bases and in various mental health settings. Social workers have the training and skills that
help soldiers and their families reconnect with each other and society after they return from war. They
often work side by side with other professions including chaplains to provide preventative and clinical
services particularly for individuals who may be prone to domestic violence, child abuse and neglect.
To learn more about Military Social Work and the recent “Joining Forces to Support Veterans and
Military Families” launched last year by Dr. Jill Biden and theNASW
Medical Social Work and Hospice
•A medical social worker can work in various health care settings including hospitals, outpatient clinics,
nursing homes and hospice centers. Their job is to assess the needs of patients and families during
hospitalization and to address resources to help patients and families cope with medical conditions.
Many medical social workers provide case management and discharge planning services however
there are social workers in outpatient clinics who provide long-term mental and behavioral health
services to patients and families.
International Social Work
•The International Federation of Social Workers is a global group that works for social justice, human
rights and social development through the promotion of social work. Social Workers who work in this
area of practice work in the US and globally to ensure that social systems are addressed to promote
social justice. They are often educators, social development practitioners who work at the direct and
policy levels to overcome social injustices.
Previous internships in all areas of practice
• YWCA of Williamsport, PA
• Geisinger Medical Center Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Geisinger Medical Center Case Management Services
• Columbia County Victim Witness Unit, Bloomsburg PA
• Muncy Women’s Prison
• Serento Gardens (D&A and Mental Health) Hazleton, PA
• Tobyhanna Army Depot: Military personnel and families; Tobyhanna, PA
• Center for Community Research, Bloomsburg University PA: research
• Veteran’s Affairs, Bloomsburg University PA
• Allenwood Federal Prison Human Resources
• THIS (The Harrisburg Internship Semester): This is a macro level internship
and a great opportunity for students who are interested in policy. You are
selected for this after applying.
• Collaborating for Youth, Gettysburg PA: A macro level placement
• The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education: HIV case management
Also….
• Please use the Bloomsburg University Internship Site to
find out whether or not agencies you are interested in
have an Affiliation Agreement. This site will also give you
more ideas about where you can complete your senior
internship as well as numerous other resources.
• Bloomsburg University Professional U
Student Testimonials
• YWCA
• Bloomsburg Health Care Center
WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I
ENJOYED MY TIME AT SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING.
NOT ONLY DID THE STAFF MEMBERS AND
RESIDENTS MAKE ME FEEL WELCOMED, BUT
THEY MADE ME FEEL AS THOUGH THE SUNRISE
COMMUNITY WAS
MY SECOND HOME.
I FEEL THANKFUL TO HAVE MET THE PEOPLE I
DID, AND TO LEARN MORE OF THE
MANAGEMENT ASPECT TO SOCIAL WORK.
EVERYDAY WAS A NEW LEARNING
EXPERIENCE, IN WHICH I WILL USE
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF MY CAREER, AND
FOR THAT I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR. AFTER A
COUPLE MONTHS OF BEING AT SUNRISE SENIOR
LIVING, I CAN SEE WHY THE STAFF MEMBERS
ARE SO DEDICATED TO THEIR WORK AND TO
THE RESIDENTS.
-BRIELLE STEFANELLI
What to do next…
• Identify an area of interest
• Search around and see what you can find locally and
regionally
• Set up a meeting with the BU Field Coordinator and have
3 top options ready to present along with a completed
pre-internship form completed. You can find this on the
social work website.
• Do not procrastinate
• Know that this does not have to be your “dream job”. You
are looking to learn and to have an excellent experience.