If working in a high school, maybe have the opportunity to assist in implementing teen pregnancy program to address prevention and needs

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1 INTERNSHIP As an intern within the Cobb County School System you will work under the supervision of the credentialed district social worker performing various duties/opportunities such as: Become knowledgeable of the Georgia Compulsory School Attendance Law. Assist the school social worker in the enforcement of the Georgia Compulsory Attendance Law, by monitoring student (s) attendance and notifying the truancy court liaison when a juvenile court complaint needs to be filed. Observe and possibly co-facilitate group counseling that addresses attendance, academic, social and emotional needs. Be involved in the Truancy Intervention Panels at their local schools Make home visits along with the school social worker in order to facilitate family stability and encourage parent involvement Work alongside the school social worker in serving as a liaison between students, families, schools, and the community Become knowledgeable of community resources in order to assist in referring for. outside counseling such as Intensive Family Intervention, Wrap-Around and/or Core programs Become knowledgeable of the Department of Family and Children Services protocol in regards to the filing of possible child abuse/ neglect cases Have the opportunity to observe crisis prevention, intervention and response to local schools If working in a high school, become knowledgeable of the educational alternatives in order to provide high school students with drop out intervention If working in a high school, maybe have the opportunity to assist in implementing teen pregnancy program to address prevention and needs 1. Shadowing and Modeling. Here the intern will directly observe the supervisor perform pertinent professional activities. During this time, the student social worker will become familiar with the school system organization, the schools served, school districts policies, the school social worker duties and the Georgia Compulsory Attendance Law., The social work intern will have the opportunity to observe school social worker in facilitating groups/ individ~al counseling to students, interaction with families and school staff. 2. Observation and Assessment ofprofessional Skills. In this stage the supervisor closely observes the intern student performing a variety of school social work services which may include (but not limited to): contact with individual students, monitoring of attendance for individual student (s), involvement in truancy intervention panels, consultation with parents and teachers; and participation in RTI meetings. During this stage, the skills of the intern or practicum student are assessed and a specific plan to provide appropriate training experiences is mutually formulated and agreed upon. The plan will be formulated to meet the needs of the intern and the university requirements for the intern. Page 11

2 3. Guided Independent Practice. Here the intern independently performs specific tasks that the interns have been determined to be competent to perform through prior observation. The intern continues to follow steps 1 or 2 in areas that still require more skill building. Frequently, in this stage, the intern and supervisor work together to complete a case. 4. Increasing Independent Practice. As the intern gains more experience and skills, the amount of independent professional activities increases. At this stage, interns take more initiative and responsibility for professional activities. Independent decisions are made by the intern and discussed with the supervisor. 5. Professional Independence. It is not expected that each intern will reach this stage. Supervisors should help interns make long-term plans to attain this stage. TRAINING GOALS The goal of Cobb's School Social Work Internship Program is to train students to function as independent, ethical, and professional Social worker in a school environment which encourages the development of professional identity and fosters competence in the delivery of social work services. The general goal of the practicum program is to prepare students who are in the beginning stages of their graduate course work to experience field-based application of their university training. The general goal of the internship programs is to prepare students who are in the final stages of their graduate course work to function competently and responsibly as a professional social worker. Objectives are both to improve proficiency in providing clinical activities with children and adolescents, their parents and teachers, and to enhance the personal and professional qualities necessary to participate cooperatively in the public school domain while being responsive to the needs and skills of the student. The program allows interns develop a variety of new skills and to interact with clients from diverse backgrounds. Interns will refine competencies in social work assessment, intervention, and consultation... Although interns will hold the title of "school social work intern," they are regarded as professionals and are expected to work together closely as colleagues of the regular Social Work staff. Their growth as competent social worker is a major aim of the training program. INTERN AND PRACTICUM STUDENT'S ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS Interns will become increasingly autonomous over the course of the year and are responsible to their supervisors for performance of all duties. All interns will wear a Cobb County School District identification badge. They are expected to be present at all staff meetings held on a monthly basis, attend all other training sessions. ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERNSHIP AND PRAC1"ICUM Page 12

3 The internships begin and end based on the calendar of employment for the 190-day school social workers. This will be posted at when the final dates have been set by the Cobb County School District board. TRAINING ACTIVITIES Interns will receive the school social work handbook. Training will be held at the beginning of the school year in order to review such handbook. Consultation and Collaboration Interns and practicum students will be given field-based experiences with behavioral, mental health, collaborative, and/or other consulteltion models and methods. Interns will use these models and methods and apply them in the appropriate settings based on each particular situation. Interns will collaborate effectively with others in planning and decision-making processes at the individual, group,.and system levels. These skills will assist in an intern's consultation and collaboration with parents, the school, and outside personnel regarding mental health, behavioral, and/or educational concerns. These skills will also aid in designing and developing procedures for preventing disorders, promoting mental health and learning, and improving educational systems. This will include the development of collaborative relationships with clients and involvement of clients in assessment, intervention, and program evaluation procedures. Consultation experiences include a broad range of professional activities with students and staff in various settings. Consultation and collaboration are emphasized in numerous settings within the internship training. Interns may be required to consult with teachers, parents, administrators, outside community professionals, and other individuals. Interns will also work closely with the school counselor, teachers and administrators at each school. Interns will be members of the RTI (Response to Intervention) Committee. Student Diversity in Development and Learning Interns will have the opportunity to develop further understanding of individual differences, abilities, and disabilities as well as the potential influences of biological, social, cultural, ethnic, experiential, socioeconomic, gender-related, and linguistic factors in development and learning. Interns will be exposed to the sensitivity and skills needed to work with individuals of diverse characteristics and to implement strategies selected and/or adapted based on individual characteristics, strengths, and needs. SUPERVISION Supervision is an essential and valued feature of the internship and practicum experience. The intern will be assigned to one school social worker. Internship supervisors in Cobb County supervise no more than two interns at any given time. The Page 13

4 supervisor provides a minimum of one hour per week of individual supervision. Assigned supervisors work with university professors to understand university practicum or internship requirements. Also, interns will attend monthly group supervision along with the assigned area school social workers. Evaluation and feedback are an integral aspect of the internship training program. Interns will be formally evaluated twice during the training year by both their primary and rotation supervisor, taking place at the end of each semester. Interns will also participate in formal and informal evaluation of both the training program and their supervisory experience. Evaluations of each interns' progress will be reviewed by the primary supervisor, the intern, and other professionals who have worked closely with the intern (i.e., the intern's university supervisor). The supervisor may use the Professional Developmental Plan (PDP) tol identify and make plans to remediate areas that the intern needs additional training. INTERN'S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Intern shall work between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the actual hours varying upon meeting times at each school. Holidays as defined by the Cobb County School District calendar for 190-day the school social worker are observed. During the first week of the internship, the Intern shall meet with his/her supervisor. The Intern shall maintain an accurate record of the time spent during the internship. The Intern shall turn in the original weekly summary form to the supervisor in order to required signature. The Intern shall comply with federal, state and local laws and Cobb County School District policies relating to confidentiality of student records and communications. The Intern shall discljss any questions he or she has regarding confidentiality with his/her supervisor. Thellri~ern shall comply with all policies:of the Cobb County School District as set out in the Cobb County Board of Education Policy Manual. The Intern shall adhere to the Cobb County School District Employee Dress Code which requires: collared shirts, dress slacks, dress coordinates, suits, dresses, ties and sports coats. At the conclusion of the internship, the Intern shall return all unused supplies provided by the Cobb County School District and participate in any exit interviews required by the Cobb County School District. Page 14 DISTRICT OBLIGA"rlONS TO THE INTERN

5 ~! The Cobb County School District shall assign a primary supervisor to the Intern for the term of this Agreement who shall be selected based upon the career interest of the Intern and the interest of the supervisor and whose responsibility sl1all be the educational supervision and instruction of the Intern. The Cobb County School District shall provide a minimum of one hour per week of direct one-to-one supervision which shall include, but not be limited to, discussion of individual cases before, during, and after contact with students. The Cobb County School District shall provide the Intern with office space, and reasonable office supplies. The Cobb County School District shall provide access to computers, a printer, a facsimile machine, and secretarial services for work-related activities. The Intern's primary supervisor shall comply with the university's required evaluations... One evaluation shall be completed at the midterm and a final evaluation completed at the conclusion of the internship. The Cobb County School District shall provide a copy of all written evaluations to the Intern. DISPUTES DURING THE INTERNSHIP (a) (b) (c) The Intern or practicum student shall contact in person the individual with whom he or she has a dispute. If an adequate resolution is not achieved through personal contact, the Intern should contact the immediate supervisor's supervisors. If an adequate resolution is not achieved the Intern sl1all contact their faculty liaison in order to intervene. INTERN'S EVALUATION OF THE SUPERVISORS Twice during each rotation and twice during the school year, the intern will be asked to rate his or her supervisor. The evaluation will include: (a) the supervisor's availability for professional development, supervision, and training (b) the supervisor's expectations of the intern being clearly defined, (c) the supervisor following a developmental model of training (e.g., closely supervised experiences followed by less supervised experiences, as the intern gains competency), (d) the supervisor being helpful to the intern's professional development. and (e) providing skill the intern intends to use in the future. Page 15