2011-1-2012 school year
Internship
Program
San Francisco Unified Schools
SELECT FROM PLACEMENTS IN:
Student Intervention Team Mental Health Services High School and Middle School Wellness Centers Elementary and Middle School Learning Support School Counseling Program
Foster Youth Services
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Table of Contents
About the SFUSD
Page 3
Internship Options with SFUSD
Page 4
Student Intervention Team
Clinical Internships
Page 5
Wellness Centers
Page 6
Elementary Schools
Page 7
School Counseling Program
Page 8
Foster Youth Services
Page 9
About Clinical Supervisors
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My supervisor...
Is flexible ,willing to entertain multiple perspectives on a case and respectful of my instincts and learning process.
Does a great job (in group supervision) of bringing in didactic pieces, modeling group management/addressing group process as it arises and making time for clinical questions to be addressed.
Is sensitive, responsive and has a wealth of great insight. I appreciate the breadth of experience and clinical perspective and the
encouragement to grow and trust myself as a clinician.
Always makes time for me. I greatly appreciate the concrete clinical suggestions. Plus, supervision is a wonderful refueling station for positive energy.
And the whole SIT team really cares about our goals in helping the children of SFUSD and also cares about guiding us to be better clinicians.
I love SIT,- super happy with my choice.
About the SFUSD…
The San Francisco Unified School District is the place where excellence begins for more than 55,000 of San Francisco’s youngest residents. Their education is entrusted to the over 7,000 principals, teachers, educators, administrators and staff that support the work of education in over 136 Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade schools in the District. More than fifty languages are spoken among the families of our students. The diverse student population enriches SFUSD, which has a solid record of academic achievement. With a “who’s who” of excellent students including outstanding doctors, lawyers, teachers, poet laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners in science, SFUSD students have transformed the city and changed the world.
San Francisco Unified School District is the top performing large urban school district in the state of California and one of the top performing urban districts in the country. SFUSD leads the way in many areas of educational endeavors. Those researching cutting-edge academic teaching methods and programs seek out San Francisco. SFUSD’s language immersion programs in which students are taught simultaneously in English, Spanish and Chinese or Japanese are premiere. Our quarterly Professional Development Institutes help equip classroom educators and those that support their work to embrace new ways of thinking and performing.
For six consecutive years, SFUSD has outperformed the seven largest California school districts on the California Standards Tests (CST). As State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell recently stated, “SFUSD continues a record of steady improvement in student performance. San Francisco has brought a greater percentage of students to proficiency than any other urban district in California.”
In May, 2008, the San Francisco School Board voted to adopt a new five-year strategic plan that places equity, student achievement and accountability at the forefront for San Francisco's public schools. Titled "Beyond the Talk: Taking Action to Educate Every Child Now," the plan is a roadmap for how SFUSD will bridge the gap between high achieving students and low achieving students. The plan features a Balanced Scorecard, a tool that was developed for use in business environments and has been successfully adapted by other school districts across the country.
More information con be found on the district web page:
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About Internship Options with SFUSD
The SFUSD Internship Program began in 1999 with a handful of MSW and MFT interns and has grown to accommodate close to 100 interns each year. The program is specifically designed for graduate students in Social Work or Counseling who are pursuing their MSW or MFT licenses and/or Pupil Personnel Services Credential. It is also a program where Post Masters MFT interns can accrue child and family hours. Historically, interns have been hired as SFUSD employees upon completion of their internship.
Internship opportunities are available within several different school district programs.
The Student Intervention Team (SIT) offers clinical internships for MSW interns, MFT trainees and MFT interns. Please see Page 5 for more details.
Foster Youth Services provides internship possibilities for MSW and first year Title IV-E interns. Please see page 9 for more details.
School Counseling interns are welcomed by our School Counseling Department. Please see page 8 for more details.
In all of our internship settings, interns provide individual and group counseling to identified students. Interns are also provided valuable research opportunities as part of their training. Individual and group supervision is of the highest quality and both individual and group supervision are offered. Training occurs on a regular basis. Training is provided for all interns and includes an orientation as well as periodic half day training on topics such as assessment, crisis intervention, family work, play and group therapy and termination. The District offers frequent training on a variety of on clinical and systemic issues. Interns are welcome and encouraged to attend all training that the District offers.
Please be sure to read through the various program options in this brochure to decide which program is the right fit for you. Application procedures for the programs vary. Please be sure to contact the program you are interested in for application details.
About the Student Intervention Team
Clinical Internship
The Student Intervention Team recruits, trains and supervises a yearly cohort of graduate level clinical interns from various University programs around the Bay Area. These emerging mental health professionals provide individual and group mental health support to students who attend SFUSD schools.
Interns are placed at school sites at the elementary, middle and/or the high school level. Each intern is placed at a site he/she has access to day-to-day supervision from a school site mental health clinician. In addition to site supervision interns are provided one hour of individual clinical supervision and/or two hours of group supervision from an appropriately licensed clinician. We ensure that each university’s supervision requirements are met. Professional development opportunities and training seminars are provided for all interns who work in any program at a SFUSD school site. Annual training opportunities include topics such as: school culture, relationship building and assessment, play therapy, sand tray, group therapy, and consultation to teachers.
Clinical supervision, learning agreements, university contracts, and all evaluations are provided by licensed clinical social workers or licensed MFT clinicians who meet the appropriate requirements for each university’s program. MFT/PPSC and MSW/PPS candidates are supervised by credentialed PPSC staff with at least two years of experience.
All high school interns and some middle school interns are placed at one of our school based Wellness Centers. Elementary school interns and some middle school interns are placed with a Learning Support Professional who is the designated mental health specialist at the site.
In addition, interns have the opportunity to provide services to children referred for Student Intervention/SB1895 services. Specific training on SIT/SB1895 procedures and policy is required of each intern in order to qualify to work with these students. Interns who are assigned cases by the Student Intervention/SB1895 Team are expected to complete specific SB1895 paperwork.
The following pages provide more information about the Student Intervention Team Clinical Internship program at the high school, middle school and elementary grades.
For information email Student Intervention Team
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Wellness Center Programs
The Wellness Center Program is a collaborative initiative between: the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF), the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), School Health Programs Department, the Department of Public Health, Community Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), Community Substance Abuse Services (CSAS), and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Youth Programs Section. The purpose of the Wellness Center Program is to provide and link students to health care and prevention/early intervention programs and services. Areas of need and focus are: mental health services, substance use prevention and treatment services, reproductive and physical health services and linkage to community based services.
The Wellness Center Program provides students access to health education, reproductive health, mental health, and substance use services, as well as referral to primary healthcare providers. Students can self refer to Wellness Program Services or can be referred by school site staff or parents. Students are assessed, counseled, and referred to community service providers when appropriate.
Currently, all fifteen High Schools have Wellness Center Program. SFUSD’s high schools are: Burton, Downtown, Galileo Academy, Ida B Wells, International Studies Academy, John O’Connell, June Jordan School for Equity, Lincoln, Lowell, Mission, SF International, School of the Arts, Thurgood Marshall, Wallenberg and Washington.
Support staff /activities at each Wellness Center include:
Wellness Coordinator, School Nurse, Peer Resource Coordinator, and some sites also have a Community Health Outreach Worker.
Department of Public Health ensures that a Mental Health Counselor, and Substance Abuse Counselor are assigned to each site.
A School Resource Officer assigned to each site in collaboration with SFPD COPS program.
Health Promotion Committee which includes Health Liaison, Tobacco Intervention Coordinator and Sexual Minority Youth Liaison provide adult and student coordinators for each position.
Technical Assistance Grant Writing Workshops.
On-site and district-wide professional development opportunities for all site staff.
Interns are a vital part of the Wellness Program. They play a pivotal role in providing individual and group treatment for our students. The services they provide varies with the needs of each site but always includes clinical work with students.
For information email Student Intervention Team
Learning Support
Elementary or Middle School
MISSION: Learning Support Professionals are mental health clinicians who work at schools throughout the District to assist school site staff in achieving academic excellence and improved attendance, by decreasing risky behaviors and creating safe and healthy school communities.The role of the Learning Support Professional is:
To provide a mental health perspective to assist site staff in assessing the learning environment/learning style and in developing a plan for the academic success of students.
Provide resources and coordinate services for identified students and families to address mental health concerns.
Support teachers in developing optimal learning environments for students. Develop behavior management and classroom management interventions/ plans.
Facilitate collaboration between SFUSD resources and community agencies to meet the needs of students and families.
Conduct educational and/or psychosocial support groups based on identified needs.
Consult with school site personnel and collaboratively develop a plan to increase a positive school climate that will foster student achievement. To consult and collaborate with school site personnel and parents/ caregivers at the Student Success Team meetings (SST) on alternative strategies to increase student academic achievement and appropriate school behavior.
Consult with parents regarding the development of learning and behavioral interventions for students including recommendations for home support of school goals.
Attend and/or facilitate meetings, workshops and professional development. Provide program development.
Provide crisis support as needed.
Interns are a vital part of the Learning Support Services to the Elementary and Middle Schools. They play a pivotal role in providing individual and group treatment for our students. The services they provide may vary with the needs of each site, but always includes individual work with students.
For information email Student Intervention Team
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PPS Counseling at Middle & High School
Internships in School Counseling are available at Middle and High Schools for graduate students pursuing a Pupil Personnel Services credential (PPSC) and Masters in School Counseling. All interns will be supervised at their school site by a Pupil Personnel Services credentialed School Counselor, Head Counselor/Dean, Assistant Principal or Principal.The role of the Middle and High School Counselor • Manage a specific caseload of students.
• Schedule students for classes based on their academic plan/goals and revise schedules based on academic, career and personal/social needs.
• Collect and disseminate to pupils and parents information regarding present and future education and career opportunities. This includes a program of orientation to the school and its offerings.
• Guide and counsel students through the development of academic, career and personal/social life plans.
• Provide prevention and intervention services to students and families using the Student Assistance Program and Student Success Team model.
• Consult and collaborate with teachers and staff in understanding and meeting the needs of students through the implementation of classroom observations, guidance curriculum, and other non-emergency referrals.
• Provide crisis intervention.
• Conduct small group and large group meetings for students based on developmental needs related to the school age student, e.g. anger management, organization, social skill building, career choice, college preparedness, etc.
• At the high school level, provide guidance to students in preparation for postsecondary education—college choice and applications as well as financial aid.
For Placement as a School Counseling Intern contact: Theresa Jahangir
Head Counselor, Counseling and Social Services 20 Cook Street
San Francisco, CA 94118 phone: 415-750-8656 email: jahangirt@sfusd.edu
Foster Youth Services Program
The Foster Youth Services Program serves the unique educational needs of all foster and probation youth within San FranciscoCounty. Foster youth are children who are removed from the care of their parents primarily because of abuse and neglect that resulted from complex family, social and environmental conditions. Children in foster care move frequently among emergency shelters, foster family, guardian homes (kinship/relative or non-relative) and group homes. These changes often result in multiple school placements. Because of these complexities in their lives, many foster youth perform below grade level, are held back in school, and have lower graduation rates than their peers.The Foster Youth Services (FYS) Program:
• Provides individualized educational case management to support academic achievement, attendance and positive school behaviors.
• Provides resources and coordinated services to meet the needs of students. • Provides high school to college transitional support services through the
Guardian Scholars Summer Academy.
• Provides individual tutoring services for foster youth students.
• Assists with immediate and appropriate school placement in coordination with the SFUSD AB490 Liaison.
• Facilitates collaboration between SFUSD staff, community agencies, Child Welfare Workers/Probation Officers, and care providers.
• Offers professional development for schools, care providers, Human Services Agency personnel and others on the educational needs of foster youth. • Advocates for foster youths’ educational needs.
• Advocates locally and state-wide to improve school & child welfare policies. • Maintains a database of foster youth attending SFUSD schools.
• Provides a school-based mentoring program for foster youth.
FYS Interns practice educationally focused, generalist case management of foster/probation youth and become knowledgeable about various social systems ; including SFUSD, Human Services Agency, Juvenile Probation Department, Juvenile Court, and community-based organizations. By understanding these larger systems, the FYS interns are able to advocate on behalf of their clients. Interns will provide individual and group interventions with students at the school site, participate in foster care events, attend Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, SSTs and consult with multidisciplinary team members. Stipends available!
For more information about this program contact: Shira Andron, LCSW, PPSC Foster Youth Services Program
1515 Quintara Street, San Francisco, CA 94116 Tel (415) 242-2615 x 3055 Fax (415) 242-2618 email: androns@sfusd.edu
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About Clinical Supervisors
Shira Andron, LCSW, PPSCShira is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who graduated from San Jose State University in 2004 with a specialization in School Social Work. She works with SFUSD’s Foster Youth Services Program, intent on improving the educational outcomes of foster youth in our district. She brings over six and a half years of experience working with current and former foster youth in the areas of education, employment, and housing. Shira’s previous experience also includes working in areas of youth development and school-based after-school programs.
Sarah Cohen, LCSW, PPSC
Sarah Cohen received her MSW from U.C. Berkeley in 1991 specializing in children and families. Since then she has worked in a variety of settings from early childhood mental health to adolescent in-patient and juvenile justice settings specializing in crisis intervention, family therapy and facilitating systems change. Sarah has run day treatment and healthy start programs on school sites, been a Mental Health Director in a residential program and has lead interagency collaborations which provided comprehensive mental health, health and education services to high risk children in families.
Kristen Edmonston, LCSW, PPSC
Kristen graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 2001 with an MSW degree specializing in school social work. Since then, she has been working in the San Francisco Unified School District running various programs to help meet the needs of children and their families. She supplements this work with a private practice where she specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. She believes that field work is the heart of interns’ experience and is strongly committed to ensuring a rich and rewarding learning experience for all interns.
Janet Frost, LCSW, PPSC
Janet has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1979 and has worked for SFUSD since 1987. She was a consultant with the District’s middle schools on systemic change issues, crafted the Internship Program for the District and is the founding member of the Student Intervention/SB1985 Team. She specializes in clinical supervision for school mental health professionals and supervises SFUSD employees and interns as well as therapists in other school districts and agencies. Her chief goal is to help interns learn how to provide outstanding clinical service in a school setting.
Theresa Jahangir, PPSC
Theresa is SFUSD’s Head Counselor for Counseling and Social Services. She has been with the District for five years and was previously a Middle School Counselor at Roosevelt Middle School. She has worked with children of all ages and developmental stages; in the capacity of a school counselor and other capacities, such as camp counselor for emotionally disturbed children and a behavioral coun-selor for a birth to three program. Theresa’s passion is working with students to help them achieve in all facets of life.
Beth Jaeger-Skigen, LCSW, PPSC
Beth began her work in the mental health field in 1992 and has worked for SFUSD since 2000. In addition to her work with the district she has a private practice. Her diverse clinical experience includes working with families-at-risk with drug and alcohol issues, domestic violence, trauma, and grief and loss issues. She has extensive experience in program development, group facilitation, and professional development for mental health issues in schools across all levels. Beth approaches her work with the core belief that each child is both unique and resilient and deserves the opportunity to reach his/her maximum potential.
Keith Lawrence-Wong, MFT, PPSC
Keith is a graduate of San Francisco State University and has worked for SFUSD since 2000. He is a Licensed MFT and has experience with children of all ages. He has extensive experience in training and program development and has been a mentor for the Learning Support Professionals in our District. He advocates a whole child approach with eclectic interventions to help our youth succeed.
Toni Nemia, MFT
Toni has been a Licensed MFT with a private practice in San Francisco since 1990. She retired from SFUSD in 1998 with a 29 year history as a high school reading specialist and mental health services coordinator. As a clinical supervisor, she facilitated the assignment, supervision, and training for interns who provided counseling to a K-12 population at a range of SFUSD school sites. Dedicated to the principles of equity in education, she firmly believes that students have a better chance of accessing school curriculum when psychosocial needs are addressed.
