Assistant Director of Social Work Internships

Metropolitan State University of Denver•Denver, CO

3d•$67,000 - $78,225•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Social Work Internships is a member of the leadership team of the Office of Social Work Internships (OSWI) within the Department of Social Work. The Assistant Director of Social Work Internships works under the Director of Social Work Internships and in collaboration with the Associate Director of Internships to maintain high-quality internship education for Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students. This position holds a key role in quality assurance by ensuring that internship experiences align with accreditation standards and that students meet required skills through the internship portion of their social work degree program. As internships are designated as the signature pedagogy in social work education, supports provided by the Assistant Director enhance student retention, completion and post-graduation success. This position is responsible for managing the Internship Support Process which is engaged at both the student and agency level when needs or conflicts arise related to internships and/or student performance in community-based settings. This position requires a strong background in conflict resolution skills and frameworks, as conflict resolution is a key focus of this role. Additionally, this position manages the coordination and documentation of internship support services, including data management which is used to inform training, coaching and mentoring of Faculty Internship Liaisons (FILs) and agency-based supervisors. This position also works collaboratively with the Director and Associate Director of Social Work Internships to advance the strategic direction of the development of internship sites and the student internship search process in line with Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation standards and MSU Denver strategic goals. Candidates must have a strong commitment to working as a member of a collaborative team and to excellence in developing and maintaining high-quality internship education. This position requires a high level of organization, detail-orientation, and multi-tasking abilities to organize and follow through on all administrative activities. This position also requires creativity in identifying new opportunities to support and enhance OSWI’s approach to internship education and/or the overall mission of the Department and University. In addition to strong administrative skills, the successful candidate must have the ability to work with and be sensitive to the educational needs of a diverse urban population. The University is particularly interested in applicants who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for under-represented groups.

Requirements

Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited institution
Experience with and sensitivity to the needs of a diverse urban population
Relevant post-MSW, and administrative experience
Experience building collaborative partnerships with community agencies relevant to social work
Supervisory experience (with student interns or other professionals)

Nice To Haves

Two (2) or more years working in higher education setting
Five (5) or more years of supervisory experience or student internship supervision (Faculty Internship Liaison, Social Work Supervisor, etc.)
Two (2) or more years of experience or training in mediation, restorative practice and/or conflict resolution
Two (2) or more years of experience in program development or administration
Demonstrated experience developing and delivering presentations and trainings
Experience conducting program evaluation
High attention to detail and previous experience using Microsoft Office Suite to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
Demonstrated use of web-based databases to meet program need

Responsibilities

Manage the Internship Support Process which is utilized when challenges or needs arise in internship settings, including but not limited to: mentoring faculty, ensuring the process is implemented consistently and equitably, facilitating conflict resolution meetings and internship termination proceedings, and escalating concerns to the Director of Social Work Internships as needed.
Respond to time-sensitive situations with sound judgment and ability to coordinate across departmental and university resources.
Coordinate support when unexpected challenges arise during an internship, using restorative justice, trauma-informed, intersectionality and anti-oppressive practice frameworks.
Manage two parallel components: Student Review and Agency Review. Student Review is designed to address concerns related to a student’s internship performance; Agency Review is designed to address concerns related to quality assurance and policy compliance among agency partners.
Navigate students into replacement internships aligned with student learning needs if/when approved. Develop and monitor “readiness to return” plans based on assessment of student learning needs.
Provide leadership to Clinical Internship Faculty (CIFs), who serve as the course leads for all Internship Experience classes, and Faculty Internship Liaisons (FILs), who teach internship related courses and monitor student progress and agency relationships.
Provide consultation and mediation to facilitate communication between students, Faculty Internship Liaisons (FILs), agencies, Office of Social Work Internships advisors, and other department faculty and staff.
Balance case-by-case consideration of individual student circumstances with bigger picture implementation of policy equitably across the program.
Ensure alignment of Internship Student Support Processes with departmental policies and procedures.
Maintain documentation of student support needs including updates to the web-based internship database system.
Track data on the problem resolution process, and with the Director of Social Work Internships, analyze trends and design supports and processes to address findings in alignment with accreditation standards and trends in social work education. Use data to inform curriculum, training and ongoing support needs for all stakeholders.
Maintain positive working relationships with multiple stakeholders, including FILs, agency partners, and other members of the department.
Serve a key role in onboarding and ongoing training of all FILs to ensure they are adequately informed and prepared to carry out their role as a liaison and representative of the University within the community.
Work as a member of the OSWI leadership team in conjunction with the Director and Associate Director of Social Work Internships. Under the direction of the Director of Social Work Internships, provide leadership in the development of internship program policies and procedures designed to maintain high-quality internship experiences. Ensure the internship program adheres to both the university accreditation requirements and those mandated by the Council on Social Work Education.
Assist in the interviewing, hiring, training and supervision of select OSWI personnel as determined by Director of Social Work Internships.
Interpret and make recommendations on policy and procedures as they relate to internship education and communicate internship program information effectively to students, faculty, community and University partners.
Contribute to the development and facilitation of all OSWI events including but not limited to student and agency orientation sessions and ongoing training.
Represent OSWI in department, university, and community level committees, meetings, functions, and events.
Collaborate with the Department of Social Work Advisory Board comprised of key stakeholders to enhance program success.
Guide OSWI policies and procedures related to exceptions in internship education (e.g. employment-based internship placements, same agency placements, out of sequence internships, off-site Social Work Supervision, etc.). The Assistant Director provides students, agencies, and FILs, as well the Department, with information about and interpretation of policy regarding exceptions in internship education.
Serve as Internship Navigator to guide a caseload of 75-100 undergraduate and graduate social work students in securing approved community-based internships. This includes assessment of individual student needs, guidance on appropriate internship settings, and screening of new community partners as needed.
Fluently use the web-based internship database to support all manners of the internship search process and learning while in internship.
Screen and onboard new agency partners in alignment with program standards.
Collaborate with OSWI leadership to identify needed additional resources in the office.
Special Projects/Other Duties as assigned