Social Work Internships

Welcome to the Internship Section of the Social Work Web site. The information here will help prepare and guide you in the completion of your internship.

Internships are an integral part of social work education and are known as the “signature pedagogy” because it is where theory becomes practice. BSW students compete one, yearlong internship in their senior year. MSW students complete two internships; one, yearlong placement and one semester long or “block” placement. This is a great opportunity for students to get experience in a social work practice setting before graduation. The internship helps students determine where you’d like to work after graduation, and provides them with invaluable networking opportunities. Social work interns have worked in many settings, including nonprofit, local and governmental agencies that focus on vocational rehabilitation, children and youth services, criminal justice, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, and community advocacy. Some students have also interned internationally working with DHH populations abroad.

All students participating in the field practicum during the year are required to become members of the National Association of Social Workers and must purchase professional liability insurance through the NASW Insurance Company during the time that you will be practicing.

How to Join the NASW

National Web Site Application

(Recommendation: select “DC Metro Washington Chapter” chapter and “Student Membership” Cost is $57)

How to Sign Up for Social Work Professional Liability Insurance

Insurance Application

(Recommendation: register for $1,000,000-$3,000,000 coverage on the student form: cost is $15. You NASW membership number will be needed for this application.)

Internship Sites

Students during their senior year as a BSW and their foundation year as an MSW are placed in the DC Metro Area (DC, VA, MD). For the Advanced MSW year the students have the opportunity to live in a town they’ve never been to, a state they’ve always wanted to visit, or countries that they have wanted to explore. Some of the internship placements have turned into careers post-graduation.

Programs that have collaborated with us in the past are listed below.

BSW and MSW Foundation:

• Alexandria City Public Schools, VA
• Arlington County Public Schools, VA
• Arundel Lodge, Edgewater, MD
• Baltimore County Public Schools
• Bread for the City, Washington, DC
• Campfire Programs, Patuxent Area, MD
• Child & Family Service Agency, Washington, DC
• Court Services and Offenders Supervision Agency (CSOSA), Washington, DC
• Deaf Abused Women’s Network (DAWN), Washington, DC
• Deaf REACH, Inc., Washington, DC
• District of Columbia Department on Disability Services (DDS)
• District of Columbia Public Defender Service Office of Rehabilitation and Development
• District of Columbia Public Schools
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• Frederick Department of Social Services Child Protective Services, Frederick Maryland
• Independence Now, Silver Spring, MD
• Iona Senior Services
• Latin American Youth Center, Washington DC
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
• Montgomery County Public Schools, Infants and Toddlers Program, Silver Spring, MD
• Montgomery County Public Schools, Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start Programs, Rockville, MD
• N Street Village, Washington, DC
• Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Inc.
• The Children’s Guild, Chillum, Maryland
• The DC Center for the LGBT Community
• Wanda Alston Foundation, Washington DC

MSW Concentration Year:

• Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind
• Allies In Caring, NJ
• American School for the Deaf, CT
• Buea School for the Deaf (BSD), Cameroon, Central Africa
• Center for Hearing and Communication, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
• Deaf Access, Tempe AZ
• Delaware School for the Deaf
• Gallaudet University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
• Gallaudet Office of Diversity & Inclusion
• Hinsdale South High School Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Illinois
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
• Lexington School for the Deaf, NY
• Marie Katzenbach /New Jersey School for the Deaf
• New Mexico School for the Deaf
• PAH Mental Health Services for Deaf Children and Youth, Ontario, Canada
• Recovery Network for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing Loss, Camden, NJ
• Rhode Island School for the Deaf
• Richmond City Public Schools, VA
• Sinai Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Chicago, IL
• South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind
• Springfield Hospital Center, Sykesville, Maryland
• Saint Joseph’s School for the Deaf, NY
• The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy
• The Learning Center for the Deaf, MA
• The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
• The Regional Day School for the Deaf, Lubbock, TX
• Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind

Internships in School, Community and Government Settings

Social Work students benefit from diverse school, community and local government based internship settings in the Washington, DC, southern Maryland and northern Virginia (DMV) area. These year-long placements host BSW and/ or MSW students for 450-500 hours of guided field experience with individuals, families, groups and communities. Advanced semester long “block” placements can be local, national or, in a few cases, international.

Completing the field practicum for the Department of Social Work positions students for career success through a strong network of internship sites. These opportunities allow students to develop and implement the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) competencies and related practice behaviors.

Graduates have found excellent employment opportunities throughout the United States after graduation.