Discussion: The Role of the Intern
Discussion: The Role of the Intern
Where do you fit in? What should you do? These questions may seem simplistic, but they are at the root of understanding your role as an intern. That role differs from that of a licensed professional—and it differs from your role as a student, a parent, or a community member. And yet, your role can’t help but be informed by these.
Your role as a social work student intern is defined by the expectations of the agency and social work educational requirements. Social workers have many roles when they work with clients, all of which are part of being a social work practitioner. To assist clients, social workers may take on the role of a broker, advocate, educator, case manager, mediator, networker, and researcher. To help interns find their place to develop the skills necessary to someday become a licensed social worker, supervisors assign tasks that ensure you engage in social work roles. In this Discussion, you examine your practice strengths, your knowledge of social work, and the anticipated tasks at your agency to understand your role as a social work intern.
To Prepare
Read the assigned chapter from the course text.
Complete the Self-Assessment of Practice Strengths on page 8 and 9 of the text. (You will not upload this assessment.)
Consider what you have learned about social work practice to this point in your program.
Go to the Foundation Year Tasks page on the Field Experience site, which is linked from the Learning Resources, and review the types of tasks a foundation year student can do.
By Day 3
Post a response that addresses the following:
Introduce yourself.
Name your agency, type of work they do, the clients they serve, and what you hope to do there as a social work intern.
Describe how your role as an intern aligns with the tasks associated with generalist social work practice. Be specific.
Review the task and roles for MSW Foundation Year on this website, referenced in the Learning Resources.
Summarize any insights you have—including strengths, areas of improvement, and how you plan to address these areas—from completing the self-assessment on page 8 and 9 of your text.
Support your post with examples from the course text to demonstrate that you have completed the required readings, understand the material, and are able to apply the concepts. As the course progresses, you will be expected to cite using APA. To develop APA skills, utilize resources from the Writing Center: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa.
Required Readings
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Pearson.
Chapter 1, “The Purpose and Expectations for Practicum” (pp. 1–11)
Walden University Field Experience. (2020). School of Social Work: Field experience in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/sosw
Walden University Field Experience. (2020e). School of Social Work: Locating an agency: MSW foundation year tasks. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/c.php?g=81877&p=665045
Note: Review the task and roles for MSW Foundation Year on this website.
Walden University Field Experience. (2020d). School of Social Work: Field policies. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/c.php?g=81877&p=4671085
Note: To download the Field Manual, select Field Education Manual from the menu, and then download the file.
Answer preview to discussion: The Role of the Intern
APA
613 words
