Social Work Placements
Explore MSW Field Placements and Internships
The Social Work Practice has a robust Master’s in Social Work field placement program that runs parallel to the clinical law student program. Social work interns are an essential part of our collective team, engaging in all aspects of service delivery and holistic advocacy at EBCLC. Our 1:1 internship model pairs social work interns with an EBCLC Staff Social Worker who provides mentorship and guidance throughout the field placement. Social work interns have the opportunity to work collaboratively alongside attorneys and law students, manage their own caseload, attend individual and group supervision, and accompany clients to community-based visits, including court.
Social work interns are placed, based on expressed interest and program availability, in schoolyear-long placements in one of three distinct practice areas at EBCLC: (1) Education Defense and Justice for Youth; (2) Housing; and (3) Immigration.
We partner with local Bay Area MSW programs, including UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare, San Francisco State University, and California State University, East Bay. If you have questions regarding an internship, please email socialworkstudentapplicants@ebclc.org.
More about Social Work Program Placements
The EDJY unit works to disrupt the school-to-prison nexus, advocating on the front lines to keep youth – particularly youth who are Black, Indigenous or people of color – in school and out of the legal system. Our holistic model of youth representation means that our young clients receive interdisciplinary support from both an attorney and social worker. Specifically, EDJY’s social workers collaborate closely with attorneys and legal staff to ensure their young client’s legal and non-legal needs are being met. Social workers have the opportunity to advocate within various community-based settings, including school, juvenile court, and social services, and are often out in the field, meeting our young clients and their families where they are at – in their homes, juvenile hall, and in the community, as they support with system navigation, case management and crisis intervention.
EBCLC’s Housing unit is a fast-paced, high-volume practice that advocates for adult clients, and often their families, who are facing eviction. Housing social workers thrive under high-pressure situations, supporting clients with system navigation, case management, and crisis intervention. Our social workers spend ample time in the field – including conducting client home visits, advocating for clients in administrative settings, court and social services offices, and collaborating with other service providers. Not only do Housing social workers connect clients to public benefits and mental health resources to stabilize their housing and income, but social workers in the housing unit proactively problem-solve to support their tenant-clients holistically.
Our Immigration team works with individuals and families to help obtain gain legal status in the US. The social work component of the team is integrated to support and advocate for the stabilization and success of our clients. We aim to work in collaboration with the legal team, outside providers, and within the family to aid in the stabilization of the client. The immigration social workers work with clients in various settings, such as school, home, other organizations, and in the community. A huge part of this work is finding the appropriate resources, and conducting warm hand-offs for clients that historically may have a difficult time accessing services. The case management that our social workers provide our clients can include, ongoing needs assessments, crisis management, accompaniment to various appointments and court, supportive counseling, safety planning, and goal setting.