The Zucker Hillside Hospital and Substance Abuse Services serve as major training sites for social work interns obtaining their Master’s degree in social work from one of seven schools of Social Work in the New York region. Students can be accepted for their first or second year of placement. These schools include: Adelphi University School of Social Work, Columbia University School of Social Work, Fordham University School of Social Work, Stony Brook School of Social Work, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, Hunter College School of Social Work, and New York University School of Social Work.

During their internship and under the supervision of designated Field Instructors from the hospital staff, students are prepared with the requisite knowledge and skills to offer more effective services to patients and families. Field instructors are selected by the Director of Social Work and must have 3 years post Master’s experience before being eligible to be field instructors. They are required to successfully complete a seminar in field instruction course offered by the faculty from one of the cooperating schools of social work.

Field instructors are supervised in their efforts by an Educational Coordinator who plans and programs student assignments in the specific field setting. In addition, the educational coordinator plans and implements weekly seminar programs relevant to training and practice. These seminars are taught by social workers and other interdisciplinary staff.

The Educational Coordinator acts as liaison to all the schools of social work involved in student placement.

Rotations and Training:
Students generally are in the field for 21 hours over three days in one clinical area. The assignments are direct practice but in some cases students can have a secondary assignment in administrative or community organization. Current assignments include:

Length of Program:
Students start their one year placement in September and finish mid-May. Some of the schools have placements that begin in January and end in August.

Prerequisites and other requirements:
Students must be enrolled in one of the seven graduate schools of social work in the metropolitan area. They must have a current health assessment and TB clearance prior to starting the assignment.

Number of Positions:
Field sites noted above can have 1 to 2 students for each field instructor. In some sites there are multiple field instructors.

Application Deadlines, and Process:
The application process begins with the university and field agency matching the individual student to the program. This matching generally starts in the Spring for Fall placement. The Educational Coordinators at the Zucker Hillside Hospital and Substance Abuse Services coordinate placements with the field education departments in the university/school.

For Further Information: