If you had asked me more than a year ago to consider a remote internship, I would have given you a blank stare. I do not mean that in a negative way. I could not envision completing clinically-sound direct practice with my clients without providing face-to-face interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic propelled us all to think creatively, and in spite of the challenges faced, I just graduated by fulfilling my internship requirements, 100% remotely!

 

My final requirement toward MSW degree completion was a one-semester, full-time, 500-hour block placement internship. Preparation for this placement began in October 2019, with an original start date of May and an August 2020 graduation. During the initial phases of internship planning, my field liaison and I worked to create connections with more than a dozen agencies—with no luck in securing a placement. The COVID-19 pandemic and a shelter-in-place gubernatorial executive order contributed to the difficulty of finding a site by April 2020. Most affiliated organizations were transitioning to remote status and were unsure as to if they could accommodate interns—and if so, how many.  Just in time to spice things up even more, I voluntarily moved out of my childhood home, found a job in a correctional facility, and jump-started independent living.

 

Although this was a difficult decision, I deferred to a Fall-semester start, which meant I would graduate in December 2020 but gain three more months to plan. My field liaison and I considered alternative ways to fulfill the internship requirements. The entire summer went by with no internship in sight. It was time to consider a not-so-typical internship model, otherwise known as a remote internship.

 

Another student in my cohort had already completed a remote placement, and my field liaison was open to considering this. A completely remote placement is exactly what it sounds like—all learning experiences are conducted online or via telehealth means, through recorded simulations, on Zoom and phone conferences or client meetings, and with a lot of computer work. I was overwhelmed with emotions—nervousness, worry, excitement, doubt, and uncertainty.

 

Three weeks into my internship rotation, I noticed that it was difficult fulfilling the 30-hour per week requirement. Perhaps the lack of physical parameters or boundaries, resulting from the virtual spaces in which I was interning, were contributing factors. I do not know for sure. However, the best decision was to prioritize my remote internship and reduce my work hours. This was a tough decision with obvious fiscal effects on my household. My partner and I made it work, though—it was only temporary. As my internship hours increased, so did my confidence. I felt proud as I gradually progressed toward achieving competency in my internship goals. Work, school, and my home schedule all started to fit together nicely.

 

You might wonder: what kind of advanced clinical learning activities could I experience remotely and how would I get hands-on learning if my site was my actual professional school, instead of the affiliated organization? My field liaison and I worked avidly and creatively to find projects or activities that would count as internship learning. We both reached out to at least six potential sites, most of which were already affiliated with my school. My liaison would make the connections and suggest a collaboration. If sites were interested, I would follow up to finalize the details. Many of the sites were open to taking on such projects with us, mainly because they would be able to offer new programs or finally complete tasks that had been set aside for years.

 

I chose to work with three agencies. The first agency asked me to create a mental health resource guide for its offender population. This would be a resource for offenders who were on track for parole or release within 30 days. The second agency asked me to provide counseling services to older adults over the phone. The individuals I telecounseled were feeling isolated at home because of the pandemic, and they were not able to see family or complete their daily living activities. The third agency facilitated a weekly support group for new moms who might also be experiencing postpartum depression. I co-facilitated that group. I gained unique learning experiences with each agency.

 

 

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Available in Paperback and Hardcover: ON CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK: MEDITATIONS AND TRUTHS FROM THE FIELD is Dr. Danna Bodenheimer's NEWEST book.

 

Jonathan Singer of the Social Work Podcast wrote the foreword to this book, and he said, "Danna pays attention to life’s details with a psychotherapist’s insight and writes about them with the passion of a slam poet. She speaks to the soul of social work and inspires us to think about more than just social work."