Ferndale School District is located in beautiful Whatcom County, Washington. We have roughly 4,700 students in six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Ferndale is a district rich in diversity, with students from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Ferndale Schools are committed to providing high quality mental health services in the school setting. As an intern in our district, you will be given ongoing support and training, consistent high quality supervision, and various logistical support (e.g. locking file cabinet, quiet work space, etc.).

We would be honored to have you join our team.

The primary focus of this internship experience will be providing mental health care to identified K-12 students in the school setting. These students often do not have access to community-based mental health services, and the school provides a valuable space and access point to providing timely and valuable early intervention. Direct services opportunities with students and families include: intakes, treatment planning, individual and group therapy and case management.

As a MSW Intern providing therapeutic clinical services in the school system, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with various agencies (medical, law enforcement, youth services, etc.) in the community as well as serve as a vital member of the school team. Activities within the school system include: participation on IEP team meetings, collaboration with school counselors, other service providers, and school staff, and supporting social justice causes within the school setting.

While direct macro experience does not apply to this internship experience, we will consider the implications of laws, policies and norms and their implications in the lives of students and families experiencing mental health crises and participating in mental health services in the school setting. We will continually identify areas within our control and consider advocacy and policy input that fall in the realm of our work with social services, child and youth safety systems and the schools.

We will provide funding for training opportunities and materials for the Internship experience - specific amount is still being determined, but our intention is to provide sufficient resources for MSW student development and quality service implementation.

- Knowledge of and some experience in providing quality mental health services
- Understanding of systems impacting children and youth, including Child Protective Services, Juvenile Justice System, Medical Care, etc.
- Knowledge of the public school system

English required / Fluency in Spanish or another language would be beneficial

Please email your resume to Kaatri Jones at Kaatri.Jones@Ferndaleschools.org.