MACRO Therapeutic Foster Care Internship

Training Year

The social work internship training year is an eight-month commitment beginning the first full week of September and proceeding through the middle of April or May. Interns will engage in training activities 24 hours per week. Training activities will include provision of clinical services to children, adolescents and their families, responding to clinical emergencies, case management, group facilitation and attending clinical supervision and meetings.

Participation in Core Courses, Seminars, Clinical Labs, the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) presentations and various other training related activities as designated by the Training Director are required.

Internship Goals

1. To provide interns with the opportunity to experience how larger systems such as child welfare, children's behavioral health, developmental disabilities and medicine’s impact services and treatment of children and families.
2. To provide knowledge and skills in treating of families and children impacted by the trauma, who have developmental disorders and complex medical conditions.

Learning Goals

MACRO interns will learn the interrelationship between systems issues and treatment as well how to intervene at the system, community, family, and individual child levels. Interns will have numerous opportunities to be exposed to as well as participate in various national, statewide policy and program initiatives as well as take on the role as a clinical social worker.

Supervision

The intern will be supervised by the TFC director related to systems and program issues while receiving task clinical supervision from a TFC LCSW-C clinical social worker. They will receive a minimum of two hours of supervision per week as well as additional time respective to tasks assigned.

Practice Levels

National Level

The intern will be exposed to various public policy issues effecting youth in foster care and the children’s mental health system. This will include participation on the Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA) Public Policy Committee. This focus will include implementation of the Family First Prevention and Safety Act (FFPSA) as well as other national level issues impacting child welfare, such as behavioral health, poverty and housing.

State Level

The intern will be involved with the Maryland Association of Resources for Family and Youth’s (MARFY) Executive and Public Policy Committee as well as FFTA’s Maryland Chapter/MARFY Treatment Foster Care Coalition. This will include exposure to Maryland’s Legislative process. This involvement will provide an opportunity for involvement in statewide advocacy and program evaluation and outcome activities.

Programmatic Level

The intern will work with the Therapeutic Family Care Director in assist in complying with the Joint Accreditation Compliance, development of policies and procedures, and the used of outcome data in program quality improvement, and the implementation of evidenced-based and best practices.

Clinical Level

In addition to the numerous Kennedy Krieger, Department of Family and Community Interventions, and TFC seminars and training, interns will be involved in regular case TFC consultations. These may include medical and clinical consultations, as well as program critical case reviews. In these consultations Therapeutic Family Center interns have the opportunity to be exposed to assessment and crisis intervention skills, gain knowledge of various diagnoses, identify risk behaviors and otherwise be exposed to case specific clinical interventions.

Interns will be assigned at least one treatment parent/child and be oriented and trained as outlined in Kennedy Krieger/DCFI/TFC intern orientation/training schedule. The intern will be supervised by TFC clinical social work staff at the LCSW-C level. The intern will participate along with UMSSW clinical track social workers meeting all requirements. During the course of the training year, interns will have the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills working with systems and families who are serving children who have endured various traumas and/or developmental disorders and medical conditions.

Additional Values and Responsibilities

Research

Interns will be exposed to current literature and research in children’s mental health, trauma, and children with complex medical conditions, developmental disorders, child welfare and related topics. They will have opportunities to be involved with research related activities, publications, and presentations. This includes literature searches and data collection.

Anti-Racism

It is expected that supervisor and supervisee will adhere to an anti-racist, non- oppressive and equity frame within the supervisory relationship as well as in the assessment, diagnoses and treatment of each client and their family. It is understood the following topics may be discussed in supervision regarding clinical work and in the supervisory relationship: age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, gender identity, religion, neurodiversity and sexual orientation.

Diversity

It is expected that supervisors and supervisees will respect diversity within the supervisory relationship as well as in the assessment, diagnoses and treatment of each child. Diversity issues to consider include age, ethnicity, culture, gender, gender identity, religion, and sexual orientation, and ability. This includes neurodiversity.

Lend Grant Requirements

When you accepted this internship, you agreed to participate in the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND), for which you will receive a certificate and a monthly stipend. The LEND Grant provides for a more intensive and well-rounded learning experience in the healthcare field for children with disabilities. You will be provided a checklist of requirements that need to be completed throughout the internship year. Failure to complete grant requirements by the end of the year will result in the holding of your final evaluation and/or a failing mark on the evaluation.

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