How long have you been with the organization? I’ve been with Everybody Matters for six years. I started as an intern when I was getting my BSW and have never left.
What makes your organization unique? Everybody Matters is unique for several reasons. Our entire organization is dedicated to training future social workers. We offer placements for both BSW and MSW students who are placed in schools providing mental health services to K-12 students at no charge to their families. Our program focuses on building skillfulness — helping children to develop healthy coping skills, social skills, skills to regulate difficult emotions, and develop their ability to manage stress in their lives. Our staff team is entirely dedicated to supporting interns during their practicum, and although it sounds like a made-up statistic, 100% of our interns would recommend our placement to another student. It is a joy for us to be training new social workers and simultaneously providing important services for children.
What opportunities do interns have? Interns get great hands-on experience at Everybody Matters. Each intern carries a caseload of students with whom they meet on a weekly basis. Interns implement activities focused on skill development and also have the opportunity to facilitate dyads or small groups. Interns also have the opportunity to facilitate classroom presentations if that is something that they are interested in as well. Each week, interns are also provided with individual supervision, and periodically, we also offer group supervision to allow interns to network and build their relationships with fellow SW students.