Field Directory
This field directory consists of approved agencies that may serve as field placements for social work students. This directory will be updated on a continual basis. Each agency summary includes the agency name, website, and contact information, whether they are accepting juniors, seniors or both, a brief summary of the services provided, a list of potential student intern tasks, and other pertinent information that students should consider during the selection process. Students should not reach out to any of the agencies prior to receiving approval from the Social Work Department to move forward with agency interviews.
Students who will hold a Liberty University leadership role (e.g. Resident Assistant, Resident Shepherds, Community Group Leaders, etc.) while completing field hours need to consider that that LU student reporting requirements may conflict with community agency client confidentiality requirements. Therefore, we recommend you keeping this in mind when selecting local agencies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Child protective services / adoption and foster care 6
Appomattox Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit 6
Bedford Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit 7
DePaul Community Resources: Child and Family Services Division 10
Lynchburg Department of Human Services: Foster Care and Adoptions Unit 11
Miller Home for Girls 13
Patrick Henry: Safe Families 15
Other: students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks. The agency does not pay for these background checks. ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES 16
Bedford Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit 17
Lynchburg Department of Human Services: Adult Services Unit 18
Prince Edward Co. Department of Social Services: Adult Protective Services Unit 20
Employment & Training Services 21
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys: Workforce Development 21
Medical Social Work 22
Centra Lynchburg General Hospital:Emergency Room (Community Access Network) 22
Centra Virginia Alliance for Community Living, Inc. 24
Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital: Adult Psychiatric Unit 25
Refugee Services 29
Commonwealth Catholic Charities: Refugee Resettlement Office 29
Youth Development Services 31
Family Service of Roanoke Valley Youth Development Program 31
Domestic Violence Services 33
Bedford County Department of Social Services: Domestic Violence Services 33
Total Action for Progress 35
YWCA of Central Virginia: Sexual Assault Response Network 36
YWCA of Central Virginia: Domestic Violence Shelter 37
Services for Homeless Population 39
Miriam's House 39
Rescue Mission of Roanoke 41
Behavioral/Mental health services 42
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg 42
Centra Bridges Treatment Center 44
Centra PACE: A Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly 46
DePaul Community Resources: Developmental Disability Services 48
Patrick Henry: Boys and Girls Homes 49
Patrick Henry: Homes of Hope 51
Support Systems, Inc. 52
School-Based Services 55
Hempfield School District 55
Lynchburg City School District 57
Out-of-State Internship Programs 59
Chicago Semester 59
Liberty University Washington Fellowship 61
International Placements 62
Best Semester International Program 62
Human trafficking services 64
The Lighthouse Community Center of Lynchburg 64
maternal health services 66
Motherhood Collective 66
Child protective services / adoption and foster care
Appomattox Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit
(Juniors and Seniors)
Please note that there is only a social worker that can supervise Juniors at this agency. Senior students will need to identify an external social worker to serve as their field instructor.
318 Court St, Appomattox, VA
434-352-7125 x 130
Agency Field Coordinator: Tammy Callen
Field Instructors: Susan Hunter, BSW
Services: Agency services include: Foster Care, Adoption, Resources families, Child Protective Services, Prevention Services, Services Intake, Employment Program; Adult Services and Adult Protective Services.
Job Description: Student tasks could include shadowing Family Service Workers in each of the units on home visits, interviews, and court. Students may also assist workers with data field documentation, home studies, and home assessment intakes for foster families. On Thursdays, students will have the opportunity to observe in court.
Other: Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks as well as fingerprinting, which are all completed through the agency.
Bedford Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit
(Juniors only)
119 East Main Street, Bedford VA 24523
(540) 586-7750 x2266
http://www.co.bedford.va.us/Res/Social/
Agency Field Coordinator: Denise Kennedy
Field Instructors: Timothy Heck, BSW; Tammy Venables, BSW; and Gretchen Vannoy, BSW
Services: The Family Services Unit is supervised by the Family Services Manager and has four (4) Family Services Supervisors. The unit is responsible for Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Prevention, Foster Care/Adoption, and Community Resource Services/Service Intake.
Job Description: Student tasks could include shadowing Family Service Workers in each of the units on home visits, interviews, court and hospital visits. Students may also assist workers with dictating interviews onto the computer, filing cases, shredding case files, filing court orders, returning phone calls.
Other: Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks as well as a DMV check, which are all completed through the agency.
Campbell County Social Services
(Juniors and Seniors)
69 Kabler Lane, Rustburg, VA 24588
434-592-9585
www.co.campbell.va
Agency Field Coordinator: April Clark 434-332-9737
Please note that there is no social worker at this agency. Students will need to identify an external social worker to serve as their field instructor.
Services: The focus of social work services is to strengthen a family’s or individual’s ability to be self-sufficient and independent, to avoid inappropriate institutional placements and to provide protection for those persons unable to protect themselves. Certain social work services are based solely on need and not on income eligibility. Social work services include: Adult Protective Services (APS) and Adult Services, Child Care, Child Protective Services (CPS), Employment Services, Foster Care, Housing Choice Voucher Program, Medicaid/FAMIS, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Units under the
Job Description: Interns will be able to attend and conduct home visits, support service intake, monitor the benefit application/ interview process, schedule appointments, view and enter client data into specified systems, attend community meetings (Family Partnership Meeting (FPM), Virginia Enhanced Maintenance Assessment Tool (VEMAT), FAPT, etc. Seniors will be assigned cases to lead.
Others: Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks, which are all completed through the agency. Students are responsible for obtaining and submitting a DMV check.
DePaul Community Resources: Child and Family Services Division
(Juniors and Seniors)
4859 Waterlick Road Suite A through D Forest, VA 24551
(434) 455-3727
http://www.depaulcr.org
Agency Field Coordinator: Elizabeth Nelms
Field Instructor: Sherry Gearheart, MSW
Services: DePaul Community Resources provides adoption preparation and recruitment, post-adoptive support, foster care, and developmental disabilities support, including day support, group homes, and host homes.
Job Description: Students will complete their internship engage in the following: attendance at agency/community professional training; transport of children to parent visits, counseling, and other appointments; case management; supervision of family visits (birth family); home visits; attendance at IEP, family planning, and treatment planning; development of treatment plans and other paperwork; pre- and post-adoption preparation and support for child and family and; completion of paperwork to expedite adoption finalization process.
Other: Although the student will be working in the Forest, VA location, the student must be willing to travel to the location of where the field instructor is (Roanoke) once/week for supervision. Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks and DMV checks, which are completed through the agency. Students also must provide proof of car insurance. Interns have access to agency cars, but may use personal vehicles at times (rare).
Lynchburg Department of Human Services: Foster Care and Adoptions Unit
(Juniors and Seniors)
99 9th Street Lynchburg, VA 24504
(434) 455-5850
http://www.lynchburgva.gov/department-human-services
Field Instructor: April Watson, MSW
Services: The Department of Human Services is a public social services agency providing a variety of financial benefits and mandated services to the public. Services include foster care/adoption and ancillary services (foster and adoptive home recruitment, training, and licensure, independent living services to older foster youth), adult protective and ongoing services, and child protective services/family preservation and foster care prevention (including parenting classes, support groups), and self-sufficiency programs including child care subsidy, employment and work readiness classes. Benefits programs include Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Energy Assistance Programs.
Job Description: Job tasks will vary greatly depending on which unit the internship is in and the needs at the time, as well as the aptitude and experience level of the student intern. Student will learn the foster care timeline and case management skills. Student will complete home visits that focus on safety, permanency, and well-being of the child. Additionally, student will learn about the different placements available to foster children and determine which placement best suits the child. Student will learn about services provided in the area and will learn how to make appropriate referrals for services. Students will attend Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) meetings, Family Partnership Meetings, foster-care reviews, permanency planning, court staffing and court trials, and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) meetings. Students may also receive their own caseload and will travel monthly to visit a child and foster family on their caseload. Students may also learn to write services plans, file paperwork, document monthly visits and team meetings, write transitional living plans, and request grant funding. Students will work closely with various professionals including Guardian Ad Litems (GALs) and Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). Finally, the student will become knowledgeable about the Online Automated Services Information System (OASIS) and case documentation.
Other: Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks, which are completed through the agency.
Miller Home for Girls
(Juniors only)
2134 Westerly Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24501
(434) 845-0241
www.millerhomeoflynchburg.org
Agency Field Coordinator: Morgan Kane
Please note that there is no social worker at this agency. Students will need to identify an external social worker to serve as their field instructor.
Services: The Mission of Miller Home is to provide short or long term care and guidance to girls, ages four through twenty-one, who cannot live with theirfamilies. Miller Home seeks to provide these services within a supportive, non-institutional environment, which encourages each girl to grow and develop to her highest potential. It is the goal of Miller Home to assist its residents in becoming responsible productive citizens.
Job Description: Interns work directly with Miller Home residents in a capacity that benefits Miller Home residents and is approved by the Executive Director or Program Director. Interns may be with residents without staff supervision including outings away from Miller Home. Interns must comply with any agreed upon arrangements such as dates and times the volunteer will work and their specific duties including the resident remaining under their direct supervision at all times. Basic intern duties include: supervising youth in all activities, daily logging on individual youth activities, reading and logging in staff log book, planning and teaching group activities, writing discharge reports, learning and executing the intake process, and individual discussions with youth to provide supportive counseling.
Interns must exhibit a positive attitude and exhibit appropriate behavior while volunteering as they are a role model for residents, must keep a professional relationship with staff and clients at all times, and must report any significant issues or events that occur while with a resident and maintain contact with the Program Director.
Other: This agency requires students to commit to completing an internship through the entire semester. Background checks are required for any intern who is alone with residents on a regular basis. The fee is $46.00.
Patrick Henry: Safe Families
(Juniors and Seniors)
1621 Enterprise Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502
Please note that although there is a social worker at this agency and the agency is open to considering multiple student placements, students may still need to identify an external social worker to serve as their field instructor.
www.patrickhenry.org
Field Instructor: Robert Day, MSW
Main Contact: Ruby Caskey, Family Coach Supervisor (434) 239-6892 X605
Services: Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Homes provide a loving, family environment built on Christian values where children (ages 6-17) can feel safe, build confidence, and find hope for the future. The residential care program welcomes children from different walks of life who need time away from their homes of origin. Residents need a structured and safe environment for many reasons: choices they have made, disruption in their family, or their home no longer being the healthiest environment. At Patrick Henry, the children receive skills to prepare them for successful transition into adulthood.
Job Description: Student intern tasks may include attending trainings for volunteers as well as Host Family trainings and teleconferences, accompanying family coach supervisor when approving host families and family coaches with home studies, helping with the client fingerprinting process, connecting or referring clients to community agencies to address needs, setting up files for host families and volunteers to be sure they have followed all requirements, supporting the coordination of the Foster Hope Conference, fundraising campaigns, and securing donations. Student interns may also complete office administration tasks to support report preparation for a pilot program. This might include copying, printing, revising policies, entering data for the families we are hosting etc.
Other: For continuity of services, interns must commit to a full semester internship. Students are required to submit to criminal and child abuse background checks. The agency does not pay for these background checks. ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Bedford Department of Social Services: Family Service Unit
(Juniors and Seniors)
119 East Main Street, Bedford VA 24523
(540) 586-7750 x2266
http://www.co.bedford.va.us/Res/Social/
Agency Field Coordinator: Denise Kennedy
Field Instructor: Noelle Guill, BSW, Timothy Heck, BSW, and Andrew Crawford, LCSW
Services: The Family Services Unit is supervised by the Family Services Manager and has four (4) Family Services Supervisors. The unit is responsible for Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Prevention, Foster Care/Adoption, and Community Resource Services/Service Intake.