UA Social Work Celebrates D.C. Internship Anniversary

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Since 1985, the Washington D.C. Internship Program at The University of Alabama School of Social Work has aimed to provide students with rewarding internship opportunities that allow them to develop their skills and gain valuable work experience.

Thirty-five years later, the program is going strong, with over 500 alumni whose internship experience complemented their academics and offered them innumerable career opportunities.

Thursday, the School of Social Work will celebrate the program with a reception in the nation’s Capitol.

Dr. Vikki Vandiver, dean of the UA School of Social Work, Carroll Phelps, coordinator of the school’s Washington D.C. Internship Program, and Mary Partlow Lauttamus, Tuscaloosa native and D.C. program alumna, will host the reception at The University Club in Washington, D.C.

The reception will take place between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Alumni, current students, field instructors, government officials, donors, faculty, and staff will come together to celebrate the success of the program.

“The School of Social Work is pleased to celebrate this historical milestone,” Vandiver said. “The Washington, D.C. Internship Program is the incubator for future leaders in social work policy and advocacy, and we are looking forward to another 35 years of opportunity.”

With more than 600 accredited schools of social work in the United States, The University of Alabama is the only school outside of the D.C. Metro area that offers masters of social work students this extraordinary opportunity.

“This unique internship prepares students both personally and professionally by exposing them to creative direct service programs as well as policy and advocacy implementation,” Phelps said.

“Innovative and progressive at its inception 35 years ago, the program has grown significantly over the years, and more than 500 MSW alumni of the program have gained invaluable work experience and have gone on to dynamic careers in social work,” she said.

UA and the School of Social Work receive widespread, national recognition because of the program’s success.

“Students have experiences in agencies that cannot be duplicated,” said Dr. Phillip Crunk, former coordinator of the program from 1986 to 2005. “These opportunities allow University of Alabama students to work at the cutting edge of knowledge.”

In February 2014, officials from Walter Reed National Medical Military Center approached Phelps about creating an internship program for bachelor’s of social work students. In fall 2014, five BSW honors students were selected to serve as the first BSW students in the Department of Defense.

All applicants are selected through a competitive application and interview process.

“The D.C. program offered me an experience like none other,” said Tamara Hall, a MSW graduate from Huntsville. “I learned a lot about myself, the profession, and what I wanted to do in the future. I was able to network and make myself more knowledgeable and marketable when entering the workforce. It truly was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

For more information about the anniversary celebration, contact Liz Dykes at eadykes@sw.ua.edu or 205/348-3942.