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There are various departments and programs within the Agency with opportunities for student internships. Clinical internships (i.e., social work, mental health counseling, substance use disorder counseling, etc.) will typically either want/need to pursue an internship within one of our residential cottage programs, the Van Clef Outpatient Substance Treatment Program or the Therapeutic After-School Program (TAP).

The departments and programs with the ability to host internships within the Agency currently include:

Ideally, the fieldwork experience develops the best of each intern’s professional capacity and catalyzes a lifelong investment in the values, goals, and skills of working in child welfare and other professions. A student intern will work under the supervision of a staff member who meets the educational and work-related qualifications required by their College/University. We strive to match the services, structure, and culture of our programs and departments with the skills, interests, and time availability of interns. Depending on the department and job position that a student intern is working with, there are opportunities for interns to be on our campus during regular business hours, weeknights, and weekends.

They will have their own working space with all supplies and equipment needed to complete specified job functions, including access to client files and electronic communications. A student intern will learn how to access and utilize documentation programs to complete tasks related to their duties. A student intern is expected to follow the guidelines of The William George Agency for Children’s Services policy and procedures manual and is expected to participate in our new hire orientation training class facilitated by the Human Resources Department Training Coordinator. Specific tasks will be defined by the student and assigned field instructor, with direction provided by the College/University’s educational expectations and learning objectives.

Completed applications go to the Human Resources Department and an interview is scheduled. The interview process is essential to ensure that the student intern and the Agency and/or it’s representative mutually agree that the student intern’s learning needs can be met through the resources available within the Agency. The Agency can refuse to accept a student intern for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to insufficient staffing resources, staffing changes, incongruent fit between the Agency and student intern and limited or no available intern slots.

The Agency has a number of employees who hold a Council on Social Work Education (CWSE) accredited baccalaureate or master social work degree. Clinical internships are typically granted based on the availability of Agency employee, and on the supervisor credentials required by the school (LCSW, LMSW, etc.) Each student intern should carefully review the program descriptions and indicate whether or not there is a specific population with whom they would like or would not like to work during the interview process.

In the event that there is no available employee with a social work degree or licensure, the student can also be assigned a task supervisor with a non-social work degree/licensure. The Agency will then provide the student intern with a Field instructor with a social work degree and/or licensure and will provide one hour of weekly supervision. Overall, the Task Supervisor and the Field Instructor have similar roles with the exception that the Task Supervisor is not required to provide one hour of weekly supervision. The Task Supervisor/Field Instructor has the multiple tasks of being a “teacher in the field,” a mentor, and a professional role model.

The Agency requires that interns complete background checks before the start of their internships. These background checks are intended to protect client rights and well-being and are most frequently required for residential settings, state department of mental health sites, and agencies that serve children, adolescents, and the elderly. Information obtained through background checks may include registered home addresses, driving statuses, aliases, criminal histories, drug statuses, drug possession arrests, and any personal protection orders held against the intern.

The background checks include the following:

If a prospective intern previously received a background check, it will not transfer, and a new one is required. All individuals will complete two separate forms: the Applicant Consent Form for Fingerprinting for Justice Center Criminal Background Check (CBC) and the Fingerprint Submission Authorization Form. Fingerprints are collected and processed by the Live Scan vendor IdentoGo/Morpho Trust. The Human Resources Department will arrange these appointments. The Agency will be responsible for the fingerprinting fee.

Affidavit

All interns must also complete an affidavit stating that they have or have not been convicted of a crime. This document is then notarized, producing a legally binding document. Any interns who have falsified documentation on either the application or affidavit are subject to immediate termination from employment.

Sex Offender Registry

A sex offender registry check will be completed during the first week of the internship. If an intern has been convicted of a sex-related crime, violent crime, and/or a crime involving children, the internship will be terminated.

Statewide Central Register (SCR)

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has a web-based application, the “Online Clearance System” (OCS), that allows authorized users to inquire of the SCR as to the existence of any reports of child abuse or maltreatment indicated against an applicant before interning.

If the prospective intern is not found to be a confirmed subject of an indicated report, the Agency will receive notification that the SCR has no record of the applicant being an indicated subject of a report of child abuse or maltreatment. If the prospective intern is found to be the subject of an indicated report, the SCR is required to send a letter informing the applicant of their due process rights. The applicant is given ninety days to respond back to the SCR in writing that he or she wants to exercise their due process rights through the administrative review and fair hearing process. If the SCR does not hear back from the applicant within the timeframe, the SCR will then notify the Agency that the SCR has a record of the individual being an indicated subject of a report.

If a prospective intern is found to be the subject of an indicated report, and the individual avails themselves of their due process rights, the Agency will not receive any notification from the SCR until the Administrative Review/Fair Hearing process is complete. This may take several months. During this time, the applicant may not have unsupervised contact with persons the Agency serves.

NYS Justice Center Staff Exclusion List (SEL)

The Agency must request the Justice Center to conduct a check of the SEL before determining whether to hire or otherwise allow “any person” to have regular and substantial contact with a service recipient. “Any person” can include an employee, administrator, consultant, intern, volunteer, or contractor. Provider agencies that are licensed or certified by a State Oversight Agency (OPWDD, OMH, OASAS, OCFS or DOH) and/or are under the jurisdiction of the Justice Center are required to submit information about what administrative actions, if any, the Agency took with respect to all subjects of substantiated allegations of abuse or neglect.

NYS OMIG Exclusion List

The OMIG maintains a list of individuals or entities on its website whose participation in the Medicaid program has been restricted, terminated, or excluded. The OMIG also recommends that providers check this list monthly to capture exclusions and terminations that may have occurred since the previous search. The Agency, as best practice, will endeavor to adhere as closely as practicable to the OMIG recommendations.

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and New Hire Orientation Training

The Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training program presents a crisis prevention and intervention model designed to teach staff & interns how to help children learn constructive ways to handle crises. The ability of the entire Agency to respond effectively to young people in crisis situations is critical for establishing not only a safe environment but also one that promotes growth and development. The skills, knowledge, and professional judgment of staff in responding to crises are critical factors in helping young people learn constructive and adaptive ways to deal with frustration, failure, anger, rejection, hurt, and depression.

All interns will be trained and certified in the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention curriculum. TCI training is required; however, the Agency does not expect interns to be involved in physical restraints. This two-week training is offered Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm, various times each month.

Vehicle Use Policy

The William George Agency does not expect interns to drive their own personal vehicles for Agency business.

Affiliation Agreements

We require that an affiliation agreement is completed with the university, if one does not exist before a student begins their internship on our campus.