Post-MSW Fellowship
The basis of the UCC Post-MSW training program is an apprenticeship model that promotes the independent practice of the fellow to competently perform in positions in which advanced level social workers function, within our framework of reflective practice in a University Counseling Center setting. It is expected that Post-MSW Fellows demonstrate the ability to think about, and integrate the values and skills that are essential for an entry-level professional clinical social worker. The goals of the Post-MSW fellowship are to:
- Increase skills in assessment, diagnosis and treatment appropriate to college counseling center work, taking into account cultural awareness, including social justice and empowerment, developmental and mental illness concerns.
- Increase skills in providing brief counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, groups, and couples.
- Increase crisis intervention skills.
- Refine one’s multicultural skills and sensitivities.
- Develop outreach and consultation skills.
- Develop one’s level of supervising.
- Increase confidence in the multiple roles of a Social Work professional
- Build supervised hours towards licensure
Possibilities for specific clinical roles, tasks and areas of focus are numerous and are determined in consultation with the Social Work Coordinator and the Director of Training. The fellow conducts individual, couples and group psychotherapy, receives 4 hours of supervision, provides 1-2 hours of supervision to 1st year social work interns and/or post practicum students, offers consultation and outreach services to the university community, performs administrative functions (e.g. administrative evaluations, meetings about students of concern), and attends several case-oriented seminars.
Training Philosophy
The UCC training program is based in an apprenticeship model designed to support the Post-MSW Fellow’s growth, development and competency in core areas in which social workers practice, in a diverse campus mental health setting and with attention to the needs and goals of the individual. The University of Rochester UCC maintains a philosophy and belief in the importance of self-reflection and critical thinking in the practice of professional social work. The model of training in which we collectively engage at UCC is best described by the concept of the “reflective practitioner” as defined by the experienced professional-in-action. We bring an intellectual rigor to the practice of our craft (therapy) and an unwavering reflection upon that practice (through supervision and seminars).
In consultation with the Director of Training, the Social Work Coordinator and other supervisory faculty, fellows select training experiences that add to their overall level of competence (i.e., advanced learning of time-limited treatment, increased competence as a supervisor/teacher etc.). Fellows are expected to supervise one to two graduate students per week, and to perform administrative functions typical of social workers in counseling centers. The Post-MSW fellow may also assume a clinical specialty such as Group therapy, and Consultation work with specific issues or student groups, program development, or Multicultural Services specialization.
The Setting
The University of Rochester is a privately supported university with an enrollment of roughly 8000 students in its seven schools: The College, which comprises Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering & Applied Science; Eastman School of Music; Simon School of Business Administration; The Warner School of Education & Human Development; the School of Medicine & Dentistry; and the School of Nursing. The university is located in the city of Rochester, in upstate New York, with a six-county metropolitan population of over 1,000,000.
The University Counseling Center is a multidimensional, multidisciplinary section of the University Health Service. The UCC provides University of Rochester students with clinical consultation, individual and group counseling, crisis coverage, case management and campus outreach. The UCC is committed to providing excellent clinical services to the campus, which also benefits from well-established, diverse and rigorously supervised training programs. Services are provided by nine UCC senior staff, two Postdoctoral Fellows, five Pre-doctoral interns, one Post-MSW Fellow, four Social Work interns and additional training professionals (practicum students in Psychology doctoral training programs and Psychiatric Residents at the University of Rochester Medical School