With over 200,000 hours put in by UCCS social work students over the years and partnerships with over 200 organizations, their efforts and the program are woven into the fabric of Colorado Springs.
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program pairs graduate students with a variety of companies and initiatives to earn their practicum hours, demonstrating the value of hands-on learning and a commitment to helping both the students and the community thrive. With students placed in schools, hospitals, nonprofits, private practice, government and more, their impact is felt across the region and allows them to learn in real situations while helping ease the burden of an understaffed workforce and supporting the needs of Colorado Springs citizens.
Students are matched with participating organizations with the help of Ila DeBose, Clinical Associate Professor and BSW Practicum Director, and Monica Furey, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor and MSW Practicum Education Director, who shared a little on how students are placed and emphasized the incredible work they put in to their academics and practical hours.
“Our students are in every aspect of the social work industry,” said Furey. “First-year MSW students are more guided into their placement because they don’t know the landscape as well and they benefit from working with all areas. In their second year, the MSW students meet with me to talk about what they experienced in their first placement, what their goals are for postgraduation and what experience we need to provide them to ensure they meet those goals. Together, we find a few places that align with their needs and they interview with them and are matched from there, so it’s a mutual choice for the student and the organization.”
Some of the many local organizations students work with include UCHealth, TESSA, Peak View Behavioral Health and Homeward Pikes Peak, though this is only a few of hundreds. The program fosters other partnerships as well, with students interning at Fort Carson, and the employees who work at the El Paso Department of Human Services often pursuing their master’s at UCCS.
Along with dedicating over 200 hours each semester, students are often earning their degree alongside full-time jobs, coursework and family obligations.
“We have a lot of nontraditional students,” noted Shannon Johnson, Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor in the MSW program. “They might have families, they’re going to school full time and then they’re doing this practicum, which is typically unpaid. They put in 900 hours over the course of their two years in the program. Our students providing those services is phenomenally beneficial in a severely understaffed industry, and allows them to learn about and practice being professional social workers.”
With such busy schedules, students can use all the assistance possible, and the social work program faculty are instrumental not just in the classroom but outside as well.
“Our professors care deeply about our students and make an effort to provide intentional care and attention to them, and to really understand what their lives consist of,” said Furey. “We can always listen to what’s happening, and that makes a difference for students who are having a hard time or students who just need a little extra support.”
Learn more about obtaining a social work degree at the College of Public service here.