What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Work Field Placements position at Defender Association of Philadelphia?
Are you looking for a unique and challenging opportunity to broaden your perspective of social work practice? Our social work internships offer hands on learning within our various practice units where social work plays an essential role in the representation of individuals in the criminal, juvenile, and child welfare systems. These units include, Adult Social Services, Mental Health, Homicide/Mitigation, Children and Youth Justice (CCYJ), and Child Advocacy (CAU). Interns work closely with experienced social service staff, interacting one on one with clients, assessing their needs, identifying services to assist them, and humanizing them in the eyes of the court. Additionally, the internship provides exposure to various other systems impacting a client’s life, such as mental health, substance use treatment, and education. Time commitments vary by units. These are unpaid internships for academic credit, but we can be a site for work study.
This internship may not be for everyone. Social work practice in a legal setting can be emotionally demanding due to exposure to trauma and cases that may conflict with your values. The social work component of providing high-quality legal representation means meeting clients where they are, whether in prisons, juvenile detention, state hospitals, placement facilities, home settings, or chaotic courtrooms. If you’re uncomfortable with these realities, you may struggle with our client centered model. In that case, this may not be the right placement for you.
If our mission to provide outstanding legal representation to the city’s most vulnerable interests you, please complete the application process. However, recognize that while we are always accepting applications, internships are based on semesters, and the need and capacity of the Defender. Additionally, given the robust nature of these internships, they are highly competitive.
Qualifications:
- Be actively enrolled in an MSW or BSW program at an accredited institution.
- Experience or interest in serving racially and socioeconomically oppressed clients and communities
- Complete application and questionnaire
- Commit to be on site for at least 15-20 hours a week.
