Assistant Director of Social Work Internships

Department Social Work About the University Established in 1965, Metropolitan State University ( MSU Denver ) was founded to serve students who were underrepresented in higher education whose life paths and experiences did not fit the traditional mold. Sixty years later, the University continues to serve over 16,000 of Colorado’s extraordinary and diverse students, providing them with the foundation on which to build their unique aspirations. As the third largest public institution of higher education in Colorado, MSU Denver is a model university for today’s college students.

Proud of its federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution that also offers graduate programs (gHSI) and the only Seal of Excelencia certified institution in Colorado, the University serves the most diverse undergraduate student population in the state, as well as the most first-generation students. Through affordable, flexible, and holistic education, MSU Denver helps students build essential skills grounded in a multicultural and global perspective that lead to undergraduate and graduate degrees, and career and life success. At MSU Denver, we are committed to our CADRE

values: Community,
Access, Diversity, Respect, and Excellence. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where all community members are valued and belong. Our dedication to breaking down barriers to education, fostering open dialogue, and promoting world-class scholarship ensures that we provide exceptional services and innovative learning opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff.
About the Department of Social Work
Our
Mission Statement
is: MSU Denver’s Department of Social Work prepares social workers to engage in skillful, ethical, justice-oriented, and effective practice in their communities. We accomplish this by:
Educating and training students to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, including those who are members of historically excluded populations
Building community centered and strategic partnerships with organizations, co-creating relationship-centered learning, and working environments to foster growth and collaboration
Utilizing the NASW Code of Ethics to inform teaching and practice, while adapting to changes in the field and world, drawing from a vast knowledge base informed by multiple perspectives.
Position Summary
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.
Responsibilities
Internship Support Process - 40%
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.
Internship Administration and Leadership - 30%
Work as a member of the OSWI leader