MSW/MFT Field Placement Internships
Welcome
LifeLong Medical Care provides high-quality health and psychosocial services for individuals with limited income and for those who face significant barriers to attaining better health, in a positive, caring environment.
September-May Internships (MSW and MFT students)
We offer a limited number of onsite integrated behavioral health field placement opportunities for 1st and 2nd year MSW and MFT students in the following areas:
Primary Care: Interns interested in Integrated Behavioral Health (BH) in Primary Care clinics can expect to shadow experienced LCSWs in their direct patient care, conduct Warm Hand Offs when requested by medical staff, complete screenings, assessments, and brief, focused interventions related to psychosocial issues with a small case load.
Supportive Housing: In this setting, students will work with a finite number of complex clients consistently across time to help them remain housed despite significant challenges including conducting groups and individual case management and therapeutic interventions.
East Bay Community Recovery Project (EBCRP): Students would participate at EBCRP sites in Oakland in a variety of one-on-one and group interventions related to substance use disorder intervention and dual diagnosis mental health consumers.
School Based Mental Health: Student roles will include individual plus group therapy, including crisis intervention, intakes with family members, collaboration with teachers and staff members, consultation with staff members about referrals, assisting with and/or observing professional development. There is room for creativity in this role and students can bring specific talents to reach the student body (i.e., teaching yoga, basketball, art therapy). Students are expected to meet with students on their caseloads 1 x per week or as needed during crisis.
About Our Program
Our MSW/MFT internship program is administered by LifeLong’s Behavioral Health Clinical Director, a very experienced LCSW who has run community based mental health programs, has worked in supportive housing, and has a strong dual-diagnosis mental health background.
The Behavioral Health Clinical Director will orient and onboard the MSW and MFT students, as well as provide weekly group supervision during which interns can receive training in various evidenced-based approaches and perform case consultation.
At each site, students will have a site supervisor from whom they receive instruction and support. Weekly didactic topics include working with patients with depression and anxiety, personality disorders, motivational interviewing, and CBT.
Internship Activities
- Conduct Warm Hand Offs in Exam Rooms (when not remote)
- Assess patient’s level of wellness including sleep, nutrition, stress management, exercise.
- Assess for Behavioral Health service needs
- Connect to internal and external Behavioral Health services
- Provide resource referral and case management to identified patients
- Conduct same-day brief interventions in Exam Rooms
- Screening, Brief Interventions and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) for ETOH, street drugs
- Coping skills for Anxiety, Stress Management
- PST/Behavioral Activation for Depression
- Psychoeducation for sleep, nutrition
- MI for chronic disease management such as Diabetes
- Screening for depression/anxiety
- Provide time limited Case Management/Resource Finding
- Students work with patients to connect them to community resources
- Students learn systems navigation in the community and advocate for pts
- Students learn how to engage with patients with complex issues
- Student use motivational strategies to help patients make healthier decisions
- Work with PCPs providing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Substance Use Disorder
- Support patients receiving MAT services
- Assist with community referrals
- Co-facilitate group with Recovery Support Counselor
- Provide individual smoking cessation counseling, identifying co-occurring concerns
- Provide scheduled individual services
- Conduct initial Intake Assessments
- Review assessments with LCSW Supervisor
- Collaborate in decisions re level of care need by patients
- Provide mental health counseling to a small caseload of patients
- Administer screenings for depression, anxiety, trauma exposure
- Assist with Group Care where possible
- Assist in arranging logistics for new groups
- Assist in facilitation of groups on varied topics
- Assist in screening of patients for groups to determine good fit
- Some current intern-supported group offerings include: CBT for depression/anxiety (in English and Spanish), seeking safety, perinatal depression support, drop-in community meetings, mindfulness, and stress management
Intern Qualifications
- Current enrollment in an accredited MSW or MFT program and eligible for field placement
- Previous experience in a social service setting
- For those interested in direct service, an interest in diagnosis and plans to take classes in treatment modalities
- Professional competency in Spanish is particularly desirable. Several of our clinics serve large numbers of monolingual Spanish speakers, and all serve a tremendously diverse population.
- Computer fluency required as all interns are required to use our Electronic Medical Record.
Intern Stipends
- LifeLong Medical Care is a Federally Qualified Health Center so our placements are eligible for the California MHSA/IBH stipend through CALSwec.
Application Information and Key Dates
Due to limited internship availability, interview slots are reserved for individuals interested in training at LifeLong Medical Care. We appreciate your consideration of this when you apply.
Instructions
Instructions:
To apply to a September-May internship, please email the following in a combined PDF to Melisa Cazares mcazares@lifelongmedical.org.
- Resume (please include languages spoken and level of proficiency)
- Letter of Interest: What is it about integrated behavioral health that makes you interested in doing your field placement at LifeLong Medical Care? Please include any specific areas of interest. (500 word maximum)
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- We will begin accepting and reviewing applications January 9, 2023.
- Interview invitations will be on a rolling basis. There are a limited number of interview slots, so we appreciate applicants who are seriously interested in a placement at LifeLong.
- Prior to inviting you to interview, we will conduct an introductory phone call to get to know you better.
- Internship offers will be made in March.
2nd Year Students
Instructions
- We will begin accepting and reviewing applications on May 15, 2023.
- Placement offers will be coordinated with you and your school between May and August.
1st Year Students
Rolling Internships with East Bay Community Recovery Project (MFT students only):
East Bay Community Recovery Project (EBCRP) offers internships for MFT students throughout the year based on availability. Students would participate at EBCRP sites in Oakland in a variety of one-on-one and group interventions related to substance abuse intervention and dual diagnosis mental health consumers. Students are required to intern at least 20 hours per week for 1 year.
For more information and to apply please contact Teresa Shepard at tshepard@lifelongmedical.org.
Onboarding Requirements for All Internships
Prior to starting a placement at LifeLong, students will work with LifeLong’s Human Resource department to submit the following required documents electronically:
- LifeLong Medical Care’s Volunteer/Trainee Application
- Proof of Required Health Information (MMR vaccine, Hep B vaccine or declination form, Covid vaccine including booster, Tdap vaccine, Flu vaccine or declination form, negative TB test within last 12 months)
- Background Check Authorization form