The practicum student will work and learn alongside three field instructors; all three are dedicated social workers at Seattle Children’s in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU is a 48 bed unit that serves neonates from Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Our littlest patients range from micro preemies (22 week gestational age) to 6-month old infants. Patients remain in our unit for as little as days to 5+ months. Your work will be supporting the family unit as a whole with interventions directly with NICU parents/caregivers. This practicum placement is also part of the Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC) Leadership Training Grant which is further detailed below. 

Our work focuses on postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (i.e. postpartum depression/anxiety) and general adjustment and coping with their baby’s medical complexities and/or diagnoses. As medical social workers, we provide brief mental health interventions, supportive counseling and psychoeducation at bedside. We do not provide continuous therapy to caregivers, but refer out to community practitioners. This student may experience cases with end of life.

The Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC) Leadership Training Grant funds multidisciplinary training in post graduate work for physicians, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists. Our goal as faculty is to train leaders in family centered, community based, culturally competent and interdisciplinary care. The clinical training focuses on a balance of inpatient and outpatient hospital practice, with the opportunity to develop leadership roles in advocacy, policy, research, and public health contexts.  Leadership training consists of required interdisciplinary clinical and advocacy activities that culminate in a trainee capstone project. The position includes developing advocacy and research skills through the conception and completion of a year-long capstone public health leadership project.

The PPC team is looking for trainees who have a commitment to pediatric public health practice and policy ideals and an interest in working with and advocating for underserved populations. Our team works with children with chronic illness and often special health care needs. In addition to providing clinical skills training, we use our clinical experiences to inform a broader reach for partnerships with a number of state, regional, and national agencies in order to innovate, improve care, suggest new directions for research, and participate in policy development.

The mission of the PPC is described below. Please visit the PPC website for additional information.

The mission of the Pediatric Pulmonary Centers is to develop leaders who will improve the health of children with respiratory conditions through the provision of family-centered care.

The Pediatric Pulmonary Centers are training programs funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

All MCHB training programs aim to promote comprehensive, coordinated, family centered, and culturally sensitive systems of health care that serve the diverse needs of all families within their communities.

PPC traineeships are available in pulmonary medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, respiratory care, physical therapy, and social work. Funding is available for long term traineeships of at least 300 hours of clinical and didactic experience.

PPC Purpose:

The Pediatric Pulmonary Centers (PPC) are Title V training programs funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration.

All MCHB training programs aim to promote comprehensive, coordinated, family centered, and culturally sensitive systems of health care that serve the diverse needs of all families within their communities.

The Pediatric Pulmonary Centers maintain five goals:

GOAL 1: To provide interdisciplinary leadership training for graduate and postgraduate health professionals.

GOAL 2: To provide services to children by facilitating family-centered, community-based culturally appropriate comprehensive care.

GOAL 3: To pursue basic science and clinical research relevant to pediatric lung diseases.

GOAL 4: To provide consultation and technical assistance in the planning and implementation of services at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

GOAL 5: To provide relevant regional and national continuing education for health professionals at all levels.

PPC traineeships are available in pulmonary medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, respiratory care, physical therapy and social work. Funding is available for long term traineeships of at least 300 hours of clinical and didactic experience.

PPC Graduates Attributes

1. Demonstrate clinical excellence.

2. Incorporate the public health principles of health promotion/disease prevention into professional activities.

3. Demonstrate understanding of public and private systems of care.

4. Demonstrate administrative management, and strategic planning.

5. Participate in advocacy and legislative processes.

6. Apply principles of coordinated, family-centered care to practice.

7. Apply principles of culturally competent care to practice.

8. Establish and maintain community based linkages.

9. Apply interdisciplinary team skills.

10. Demonstrate effective education and communication skills.

11. Utilize information resources and technology.

Support to parents and caregivers in the patient’s room; adjustment to illness/new diagnosis, communication with medical team.

The social work team meets with every family upon admission and completes a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment. This assessment touches on family demographics, stressors, barriers to visitation/care, risk/safety factors, communication preferences and mental health assessment. Following the assessment, we continue to provide support/weekly check-ins to assess any new or ongoing family need and resources.

Resource navigation and community referrals; attending medical rounds with the multidisciplinary team; attending family care conferences; advocacy with community agencies. As part of the Pediatric Pulmonary Center traineeship students will also complete a capstone public health leadership project.

The PPC work permits an opportunity for more macro level practice and policy work.

Social Work students completing their Master’s level training at the University of Washington MSW or combined MSW/MPH program are eligible to apply. Students should bring direct service experience and either experience or a strong interest in working in a complex and high demand health care environment. This is a clinical internship with opportunities to engage in policy, advocacy, and research. While it is preferred that students be in the Health/Mental Health concentration, we will also consider those in other concentrations with more extensive previous clinical experience. The Practicum will begin Fall Quarter 2025 and students are expected to be in practicum 3 days/week for 3 quarters. The student will work exclusively with inpatient NICU families and is required to complete a capstone project and attend public health seminars, PPC core training activities, and SCH Social Work Department designated activities for trainees.

Submit resume and cover letter to all of the following by 2/28/25:
isabella.moliterno@seattlechildrens.org
grace.amend@seattlechildrens.org
rachel.daliva@seattlechildrens.org

Interviews will be scheduled in March.