As reflected in the Social Work Department's mission statement, the department provides a year-round field instruction program for students from schools of social work, including the Catholic University of America School of Social Service, Smith College, Howard University, University of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Alabama, University of Texas, and West Virginia University.
The department's residency program trains students to provide clinical services to patients enrolled in a variety of patient-care research studies. The program incorporates an experience with psychosocial research for second-year students. The residency training strives to help students develop clinical skills with an emphasis health-care social work.
Students are exposed to a variety of clinical practice approaches--which include individual, family, and group work--as well as opportunities to function as members of interdisciplinary teams. Licensed social workers provide clinical supervision. All residents participate in weekly educational seminar groups, which focus on the various aspects of clinical social work in health care. Topics include psychosocial assessments, psychosocial issues in death and dying, professional boundaries, psychosocial issues for children with chronic illness, bioethical issues for social work practice, and the healing journey of a cancer patient.