CEW+ Social Work Internship Program

CEW+ empowers women and underserved individuals in the University of Michigan and surrounding communities by serving as an advocate and providing resources to help them reach their academic, financial, and professional potential. 

CEW+ provides immediate and ongoing services and the financial support needed to ensure educational success and degree completion. Women and underserved students (which includes, but is not limited to: students who are older, returning, primary caregivers, students of color, first-generation, commuters, LGBTQ+, or have a disability) are CEW+’s primary constituency, but all students are welcome. CEW+ also serves those who encounter education and career obstacles based on their non-linear paths to, and experiences within, the University community.

CEW+ operates as both a non-degree-granting University unit and as a community benefit organization, serving individuals throughout Southeast Michigan communities. This dual role allows CEW+ to offer student interns a range of experiences that will be applicable across a wide variety of not-for-profit entities.

Student interns will have the opportunity to develop and implement projects and, in so doing, create a valuable, career-relevant, and documentable body of experience. The student intern will be an active participant in the bi-weekly intern seminar, and will also work in collaboration with a variety of professional staff members, fellow student interns, and work-study students.

Key attributes for a successful intern to “hit the ground running” and have the best internship experience are communication (oral/writing/listening) skills, interpersonal skills, commitment to follow-through, and analytical ability. Highest ethics and commitment/ability to treat sensitive material with full confidentiality are absolutely required for this work. Knowledge of diversity and women’s issues is helpful.

*Counseling Services

Counseling student interns will have the opportunity to provide one-on-one career and education counseling with a holistic life-planning lens to CEW+’s constituencies, with a focus on community members who seek out our services and to develop workshops with a special focus of supporting underserved students at U-M. Ages of participants range from 18 to 80 and are diverse with respect to race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and presenting challenges. About 90% of our participants are women, and 10% are men. Typical presenting challenges include navigating through life transitions (e.g. returning to the workforce after divorce, after raising children, after completing a degree, etc.), job searching or career-changing, clarifying career goals, clarifying educational goals/returning to school, and managing work/life balance issues.

Student interns who participate in CEW+’s counseling services will be able to participate in the following learning opportunities:

• Facilitate one-on-one appointments with community participants who are seeking counseling regarding career, educational, life transition, and work/life balance issues.
• Identify and deliver services to participants appropriate for ongoing counseling
• Cultivation of an individualized approach to interpersonal work with consideration to organizational policies, career counseling theoretical frameworks and NASW Code of Ethics
• Develop and implement workshops/presentations on topics of relevance and interest  (ex. career change, work/life balance, etc) to CEW+ student constituencies (including use of virtual programming formats)
• Participation in CEW+ counseling meetings, which include case conceptualization and assessing trends utilization of within counseling services
• Collaboration with CEW+ counseling staff and fellow interns via peer consultation around topics related to advocacy, diversity, resource identification and referrals
• Professional development training/seminars around topics relevant to CEW+’s population
• Engage in weekly individual supervision meetings with field instructor
• Participation in bi-weekly Intern Seminar with the opportunity to develop content themes

*CEW+ Scholar Community & Nontraditional Student Programs

The intern will have the opportunity to contribute to CEW+’s extensive work with nontraditional students on U-M’s Ann Arbor campus, both through CEW+’s Scholar Community and new initiatives designed to engage a larger population of underserved and nontraditional students. Key pieces of the experience will be working with the CEW+ Scholar Community Advisory Committee in collaboration with CEW+ staff (the Development, Marketing, and Communications team and the Student Program Manager) to develop and launch meaningful events to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of CEW+ scholarships. The focus of the celebrations is on creating supportive and community-building programs for over 1,800 current and former CEW+ Scholarship recipients, and to further reengage our donors and scholars to give to CEW+ and continue to diversify the scholarship criteria of CEW+’s scholarships. As the diversity of marginalized scholars applying for funding has grown our scholarship funds must continue to grow.

Student interns who participate in CEW+ Scholar Community & Nontraditional Student Programs will be able to participate in the following learning opportunities:

• Strategic planning, setting goals and objectives
• Working with an advisory board – the CEW+ Scholar Community Advisory Committee
• Assessing the interests and needs the CEW+ Scholar Community
• Learn how to work within the University’s alumni and donor database, DART (Development and Alumni Relationship Tool)
• Developing and facilitate student support programming in collaboration with the Scholar Community and CEW+ staff
• Planning engaging, community building virtual events for CEW+ Scholars and U-M nontraditional students and navigating the differences and needs of both groups
• Managing and promoting on the CEW+ Scholar social media accounts 
• Assessing the impact of programmatic efforts
• Becoming proficient at communicating CEW+’s mission and message in a variety of formats and venues, and to a variety of constituents
• Working with CEW+ volunteers
• Attend CEW+ and other University-wide professional development opportunities

• Receive a $2500 stipend each semester you are a CEW+ MSW Intern 
• Professional development opportunities are encouraged
• Admission to major CEW+ events
  • CEW+ Scholar Community Award Ceremony
  • CEW+ Advocacy Symposium

For more information about the CEW+ Scholarship and Fellowship Program Internship, please call Courtney Reid, CEW+ Counseling Program Manager at 734-764-6360, or email her at [email protected].

Supervision: Supervision is provided by CEW+ staff content area specialists and a Licensed Masters Social Worker.

Qualified candidates must:

1. Be admitted to the University of Michigan School of Social Work (U-M SSW) prior to application.
2. Complete a field placement request application through U-M SSW Office of Field Education (OFE)
3. Be matched by CEW+ and OFE staff for consideration
4. Interview with a panel of CEW+ staff

Preferred Pathways

• IP/IHMHSA (Integrated Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse)
• Management & Leadership

In addition to weekly supervision, the internship program is supported and enhanced by a comprehensive program orientation, as well as a 1.5 hour, bi-weekly internship seminar series. Seminar is a time for exploring practice theories, acquiring relevant tools, methods, and skills, discussing and evaluating ethical practice, and gaining professional feedback and support from the internship cohort.

CEW+ has four licensed MSWs on staff, trained and experienced in field supervision and mentorship, as well as content-area experts in advocacy, project management, and development. Our Social Work Internship supervision team is dedicated to the creation of specialized training opportunities for qualified candidates.

Supervision is offered on a weekly basis, a time during which interns can reflect on their learning experience, gain feedback on and develop practice goals, and ask questions about current projects. Additionally, interns in the counseling track join CEW+ staff counselors for bi-weekly counseling team meetings.

Courtney Reid, MSW, LMSW
Counseling Program Manager

Gabriella Boufford, MSW, LMSW
Counseling Center Social Worker