Social Work Internship at Kaiser Permanente
South San Francisco
KAISER PERMANENTE, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
1200 El Camino Real
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94080
CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
We offer 2-3 second year internship positions, with possible placements on the Adult, Child and Family or Chemical Dependency teams, within the department of psychiatry.
THE SETTING
The Mid Peninsula Bay Area
The Mid-Peninsula San Francisco Bay Region encompasses Daly City down to Redwood City. It is approximately a half-hour’s drive south of San Francisco, and approximately 20 minutes west of the ocean. Oakland and Berkeley, across the Bay Bridge, are approximately a half hour away to the east.
Patient Population
The patient population consists of Kaiser Health Plan members possessing prepaid psychiatric benefits and covers a broad ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic spectrum. All age groups and virtually all psychiatric categories are represented. The ethnic diversity of these counties is also fairly broad, including Caucasians, African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians. Our clients also include monolingual families who speak languages such as Spanish and Tagalog.
The Staff
The professional staff consists of full and part-time staff: 18 psychologists, 11 psychiatrists (two with specialty in child psychiatry),15 licensed psychiatric social workers, 3 Marriage and Family Therapists, and 3 psychiatric nurses. A team of triage staff members provides front line access for patients through telephone and face to face contacts.
Services
The Department of Psychiatry provides individual, group, and family therapy, psychological testing, and psycho-educational programs such as stress reduction, couples communication and other classes. It also includes an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) that provides services to recently hospitalized individuals or people who would otherwise be at risk for hospitalization. We run approximately 30 different groups, from Dialetic Behavioral Therapy to Job Stress. The members of the staff represent a variety of theoretical orientations ranging from psychodynamic to cognitive behavioral therapy.
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
General Principles
The basic training philosophy adopted by this department stresses
a commitment to a continuous reassessment, modification, and enrichment
of counseling techniques. Interns are exposed to a unique and diverse
community. There is a clear emphasis on the role of the social worker
in a multi-cultural community and outpatient setting. Interns will
be encouraged to become familiar with the demographic composition
of the community in which our clients reside.
The Best Practices literature serves as the curriculum for the training
program. This body of literature is comprised of well researched guidelines
for the treatment of various mental health problems such as depression
and anxiety. The Best Practices Literature is available on-line and
in hard copy form.
Overview of the Social Work Training Program
1. Seminars and Intern Case Conference
Two hours per week, a variety of presenters teach ongoing seminars
on DSM-IV, chemical dependency alternating with one time presentations
on a wide variety of clinical topics. In addition, during the second
semester, a specialized case conference is offered to the social work
interns.
2. Individual Supervision
Weekly individual supervision is conducted with a primary supervisor.
3. Child Team Case Conference
Interns to participate in weekly (Tuesdays 1pm) staff case conference.
4. Grand Rounds and Cultural Diversity
Presentations
Interns are invited to join the staff in attending Grand Rounds and
Cultural Diversity presentations on a variety of clinical topics.
These sessions are held on Thursdays at 11:15 – 12:30 on the
3rd Thursay of each month.
5. Kaiser Regional Training Opportunities
Social work interns throughout the Northern California Region are
provided four specialized half day trainings on topics such as cultural
diversity, chemical dependency, brief therapy and treatment of anxiety
disorders.
In addition, Kaiser periodically sponsors 1 to 2 day conferences on clinical topics for a reduced fee to Kaiser Staff and Interns. Frequently, there are opportunities for interns to attend at no cost in exchange for some volunteer help. Attending conferences is an opportunity, but not a requirement of the internship.
6. Observation Opportunities
Interns begin the placement with observing different clinicians conduct
assessments, psychotherapy groups and psychoeducational classes.
7. Experiental learning
Key learning opportunities are achieved though conducting individual,
collateral and family sessions with children, teens and parents; co-facilitating
therapy groups and psychoeducational classes.
Supervision
Interns will receive at least 1.5 hours of regularly scheduled individual supervision and two (2) hours of group supervision. In addition, they will be supervised on cases in their seminars. Selection of cases and size of caseload is carefully adjusted to the intern's readiness and training needs as determined by his/her supervisor.
Evaluations
The primary supervisors are responsible for completing the intern’s evaluation in collaboration with the rest of the training staff. There are two evaluations, one mid-year and one at the end of the year. All efforts will be made to provide ongoing feedback to interns throughout the year. Interns will also have an opportunity to evaluate this program twice a year.
Grievances
Any problem, which might arise, should be addressed with the resident's primary supervisor. If the problem cannot be resolved, then this matter should be taken up by the Director of Training. A Policy and Procedures manual provides a lengthy description of grievances procedures.
Apply To:
Department of Psychiatry
Kaiser Permanente, South San Francisco
1200 El Camino Real
South San Francisco, CA. 94080
Director of Training: Kassandra Edwards, L.C.S.W
650-742-2746 E-Mail: kassandra.edwards@kp.org