Funded Practicum Education Programs

The ACCESS Program is a partnership among the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and the Texas Center for Disability Studies.

The CCK Scholars Program is a joint effort of CapCityKids (a nonprofit 501c3 organization), the Austin Independent School District (AISD), and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work to provide preventative services to AISD students at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The program maintains a practicum unit within AISD with an internship coordinator and practicum instructor dedicated full-time to supervise CCK Scholars. Questions? https://www.capcitykids.org/learn-about-our-programs/

DVPHA Scholars will receive significant training in domestic violence prevention and safety planning as well as public health from a national network of universities the nationally renowned UT-SHSSW Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault IDVSA (utexas.edu). Students will also participate with the Austin-Travis County Domestic Violence Task Force, join the AmeriCorps network, and receive training in public speaking.

During the spring semester, scholars will deliver domestic violence-prevention trainings to diverse audiences composed of students, professionals, volunteers, or other community members. AmeriCorps requires a total of 450 hours at both the first and final internship sites. DVPHA scholars may apply and be selected for one of seven first-practicum positions, August 2023 through Mayterm, or for one of two final practicum positions, January through July. The 450 service hours are completed in conjunction with the practicum education requirements met through either first or final practicum; no additional time requirements are added to scholars’ workloads though additional deliverables are required in the form of domestic violence prevention-focused trainings delivered by scholars to audiences that may include agency staff, volunteers, clients, or the public at large.

• Focus: Public Health, Interpersonal Violence prevention. 
• Who: Seven MSSW First Practicum Clinical or APP applicants will be selected; two MSSW Final Practicum students will be selected. To be eligible, students must be a US Citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien interning at a DVPHA designated non-profit or governmental agency that offers an extended placement. Students do not need to be placed in agencies that focus on domestic violence. DVPHA members will be expected to facilitate trainings on: IPV 101, Evidence-infused screening, and safety planning. They will also take part in a group Community Resource Mapping project during the course of their internship.
• Requirements: The MSSW final practicum Clinical or APP 540 internship hours will count toward a 450-hour commitment to be completed by July. This requires an additional 135 hours outside the internship during which students will receive training to prepare them to become a qualified trainer. To be eligible, students must be a US Citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien interning at a DVPHA designated non-profit or governmental agency that offers an extended placement. Students do not need to be placed in agencies that focus on domestic violence. DVPH
  AmeriCorps members will be expected to facilitate trainings on: IPV 101, Evidence-infused screening, Safety planning. They will also take part in a group Community Resource Mapping project during the course of their internship.
• Funding: $2750 (if not receiving Federal Work Study funding) stipend, $1718.25 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award | AmeriCorps
• Questions? Contact Patrick Lloyd, LMSW.

Earl Maxwell Scholars program funds MSSW students each year to be placed in agencies that don’t have a social worker on staff to serve as the practicum instructor. Students receive practicum instruction from the Faculty Program Director or an external social worker. Students can expect to gain generalist social work skills and experience in program development and interdisciplinary practice.  This program funds up to 10 MSSW students each year. This program is supported by the St. David’s Foundation.

• Focus: Social services 
• Who: MSSW students, typically 7 first practicum students and 3 final practicum students.  
• Funding: $10,000 award. The program offers ten awards each year. 
• Questions? Contact Starla Simmons, LCSW-S.

FIPS provides financial support for students who are selected for international practicum placements with the goal of making this experience accessible to a wider range of students. 

• Focus: International social work. 
• Who: MSSW students. 
• Requirements: Students apply for this award when they submit their applications for international practicum in August. Awards are granted based on presented financial need and offered with the international practicum, allowing awardees to factor the funding into their decision. Awards are granted at the beginning of the spring semester upon successful completion of the fall international preparatory seminar.
• Award: Up to $5,000 award to 2 MSSW students, based on financial need. 
• Questions? Contact Tanya Voss, MSSW.

The GRACE Program prepares students to work with older adults and is supported by the St. David’s Foundation. 

• Focus:  Workforce development in social work in aging. 
  
• Who: MSSW students. 
• Requirements: GRACE practicum placement, attend at least five GRACE educational events. 
• Funding:  Eligible for a $7,500 fellowship award based on application process. GRACE Candidates are offered the opportunity to apply for fellowship awards to help defray the cost of their education. The number of awards given each year depends on funding availability but may be as high as 20 per year, generally divided between students in first and final practicums. Students may complete both first and final practicums in GRACE settings and apply for funding each time. GRACE students may also apply for an all-expenses paid trip to the On Aging Conference, which occurs each spring. At commencement, students receive the designation of GRACE Scholar.
• Questions? Download a one-pager. Contact Sarah Swords, LCSW-Sor Joan Asseff, LCSW-S.

The Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars Program seeks to build a diverse and culturally responsive behavioral health workforce with expertise in delivering integrated behavioral health care, particularly to underserved populations in Texas. The Addiction and Recovery scholarship is funded by the Steve Hicks Endowment and the interdisciplinary training program is administered through the Dell Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

• Focus: Interprofessional health education with a focus on substance use disorder.
• Who: One MSSW Final Practicum Clinical student.
• Requirements: IBHS-Addiction & Recovery eligible extended practicum placement, approximately 40 additional training hours. To be eligible, student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Funding: $10,000 award.
• Questions? Contact Robin Smith, LCSW-S.

The Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars Program seeks to build a diverse and culturally responsive behavioral health workforce with expertise in delivering integrated behavioral health care, particularly to underserved populations in Texas. This interdisciplinary training program is administered through the Dell Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and funded by Health Resources and Services Administration.

• Focus: Interprofessional health education with a focus on children, adolescents and transition aged youth.
• Who: MSSW Final Practicum Clinical students.
• Requirements: IBHS-Youth and Family eligible extended practicum placement, approximately 60 additional training hours. To be eligible, student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Funding: $10,000 award.
• Questions? Contact Anita Guajardo, LCSW-S.

This program seeks to enhance educational opportunities for social workers in the area of play therapy. The program is funded through the Norma and Clay Leben Endowment for Excellence in Play Therapy Methods. 

• Focus: Play therapy methods. 
• Who:  MSSW Final Practicum Clinical students.
• Requirements: Full block practicum placement in setting that provides significant play therapy opportunities, attend three training events. Students are required to attend the following professional development events for free: Norma Leben Play Therapy Workshop, Texas School Social Work Conference, and Annual Leben Play Therapy Symposium.
• Funding: $2,000 award. 
• Questions? Contact Mary Beer, LCSW-S.

Over 90% of social workers will work with a suicidal client in their career, yet fewer than 20% receive any formal training in suicide prevention. Given that LGBTQ+ youth have the highest rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, this program provides a unique opportunity to prepare students in suicide prevention and brief suicide intervention with LGBTQ+ young adults. This program represents a partnership between the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, the PRIDE Health Lab at Dell Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern Department of Family Medicine, and University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry.

• Focus: LGBTQ+ young adults (18-24 years) with histories of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors.
• Who: MSSW First and/or Final Practicum students (APP or Clin)
• Requirements: Final Practicum students, extended block practicum placement. Take part in 40+ hours of project-related training within placement.
• Funding: $3,000/extended internship ($1,500/semester)
• Questions? Contact Lauren Gulbas, Ph.D. 

The program prepares social workers to provide culturally competent health and mental health services to Spanish-speaking clients in Central Texas. 

• Focus: Bilingual clinical social work. 
• Who: MSSW First and/or Final Practicum Clinical students.
• Requirements: Spanish and English fluency, practicum placement that requires bilingual skills. Applicants must be newly admitted, be fluent in Spanish and English, and submit an application that includes a two-page essay and resume. Finalists are interviewed to assess Spanish fluency; both native and non-native Spanish speakers are encouraged to apply.
• Funding: $10,000 award. The program offers up to 10 awards for one or two years, depending on the program of work. 
• Questions? Contact: Dante Vargas, BSW.