In April of this year, I began a Masters of Social Work practicum at Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County, and found it to be a very rich learning experience.

Available to me was a wealth of opportunity to develop and enhance my clinical skills through the integration of theory with practice. I was able to gain ample experience through direct client contact within a single-session and ICF (Individual, Couple, Family) format. In addition to this, I was able to build on my case note and documentation skills.

Weekly, individual supervision was provided to me; in addition to group supervision as the need arose. As well, I was provided the opportunity to participate and provide feedback in agency- related activities, including individual and group supervision, clinical meetings, staff meetings and training workshops. The CFSSC staff are a warm and welcoming group and I always felt my input was well received, and encouraged.

The internship also promotes professional development and I was able to attend a number of workshops, where I had the opportunity to join with CFSSC clinicians in refining their clinical skills in various modalities. The clinical team includes many clinicians with diverse skillsets, and experience, and as well utilizes many different therapeutic frameworks. This was helpful to me, as I was able to shadow with some of them in sessions during the initial phase so that I could gain knowledge in different therapeutic approaches.

CFSSC operates out of various agencies across the Simcoe County region, and this has provided me with exposure to a range of client issues and demographic variables.

In short, my experience doing a MSW practicum with Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County has been an excellent opportunity. If you are interested in pursuing a practicum with this agency, please contact Jeff Long, Program Manager at jlong@cfssc.ca.