Social Work Internship at the Marcus Autism Center
Description of Training Program
The Social Work Internship Program at the Marcus Autism Center provides
students with an array of practice opportunities with children presenting
the breadth of developmental disabilities in a multi-disciplinary out-patient
setting.
Students in the program will develop skills in assessing children with
developmental disabilities, complex and chronic medical diagnoses, and
psychiatric presentation. As childrens’ lives are intimately wrapped
up with their families, evaluation of the family system is an integral
part of understanding the population who seeks services at Marcus, and
particular focus on family dynamics is included. These include opportunities
for family guidance, counseling and therapy as indicated in the diagnosis
and treatment of children with special needs. Group work with patients
and family members is a valuable method of intervention and opportunities
for this are available.
Students will be involved with the Behavior
Treatment Clinics, which provides state of the art applied behavioral
analysis (ABA) treatment in both the behavioral and feeding challenges
that our population often has. Additionally, the Marcus Social Work student
will become acquainted with the needs and services available for families
and children with developmental disabilities in the Atlanta area. Included
in this are educational issues for special populations. Involvement in
the school program at Marcus as well as with educational systems in the
community compliments the understanding of the care of children with
special needs.
Involvement with the multi-disciplinary team representing developmental
pediatrics, child psychiatry, pediatric neurology, behavioral psychology,
developmental child psychology, special education, nursing, nutrition
represents the many opportunities for placement. In addition to its affiliation
with KKI and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, we have an ongoing
relationship with Emory University that adds to the diversity of practice
specialties at the Marcus Autism Center. Practicum students from many
disciplines provide a strong and supportive academic environment for
one another.
The social work practicum student will be supervised by clinical social
workers with 50 cumulative years of professional experience who have
a breadth of social work practice experience and leadership in mental
health, medical, private and community service settings. The Marcus Autism
Center has trained student interns from many Social Work programs including
The University of Georgia, Smith College, Bryn Mawr, Washington University,
Clark Atlanta University, Kennesaw State University and Georgia State
University.
For further information about a social work practicum at the Marcus Autism
Center, please contact Moshe
R. Manheim LCSW at
404-785-9400.