Social work interns within the Social Work Division at Harbor-UCLA may be beginning or completing their academic and clinical training toward their masters or doctoral degree in social work.  The interns are chosen from among the most qualified candidates from APU, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, USC.  Students can apply and interview in the following programs in our department of psychiatry:  adult outpatient clinic, child and adolescent outpatient clinic, adult dual diagnosis outpatient clinic, adult Behavioral Medicine outpatient clinic, and inpatient psychiatric units. The student will be part of the Division of Social Work and could have exposure to some of the other Internship tracks (e.g. Inpatient services student could carry one outpatient case).   Depending on the program, there are several training opportunities for social work interns that may include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma work, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Grand Rounds on different mental health topics.  All students will learn to conduct initial assessments, diagnose using the DSM V, and be proficient in completing DMH documentation.

Social work interns receive primary clinical supervision from one of the licensed clinical social work staff but are also provided informal supervision by preceptors who are masters level social workers.  Interns participate fully in clinical, programmatic and training activities throughout the Department of Psychiatry.  They are an active and critical part of primary service delivery in the department.  The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health provides training to interns on a variety of subjects but mandates all students to training on sexual harassment prevention policies and HIPAA privacy practices.