Social work internship program

The social work internship program at Children's Memorial Hospital aims to provide social work students with an environment and proper guidance to foster learning and refine clinical techniques as they deliver services to patients and their families. Students carry a case load of patients and families under direct supervision of a licensed clinical social worker. Students do this by shadowing filed supervisors, attending rounds, and journaling. Students will develop an understanding of what the medical teams do, and how to respond appropriately to their requests. The internship program provides experience in core social work functions:

  • Helping patients and families to adjust to illness and potential loss
  • Participating in a two-week rotation with the Protective Services Team
  • Researching and coordinating referrals to community resources
  • Conducting and documenting psychosocial assessments
  • Charting social work services provided in the patients' records

Student selection

The program is for second-year master's degree students.

Children's Memorial Hospital currently trains students from the following graduate schools of social work at:

  • Aurora University
  • Chicago State University
  • Dominican University
  • Loyola University
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

Students interested in pursuing an internship at Children's Memorial Hospital should contact the appropriate coordinator at their school.

Schools then submit lists of prospective students to Children's Memorial Hospital. Subsequently, students send resumes. Every student who sends a resume is interviewed if there are still openings in the program. The student is interviewed by: the program administrator, relevant field instructors, and other relevant staff. After the interview, applicants must express interest in Children's Memorial Hospital to be considered for an opening.

There are two interviewing cycles:

  • Interviews are conducted in January and February for “block” placements beginning in May.
  • Interviews are conducted in February and March for training starting in the fall.

For additional information about the program, please contact Sandy Rubovitz at 773.880.4485.