Seneca Family of Agencies has a long history of partnering with universities to provide fieldwork placements for students. Fieldwork placements at Seneca are available in our San Francisco Bay Area, Central California, Southern California, and Washington state locations.
Undergraduate Internships
Currently, undergraduate internships are only available in our Orange County programs, in our Guided Animal Intervention Therapy (GAIT) and Family Finding programs. Most undergraduate internships are one semester, but can be extended. To express interest in an undergraduate internship, please email fi**************@se**********.org.
Graduate Internships
Seneca provides in-depth clinical fieldwork placement and training opportunities for MSW interns, MFT and PCC trainees across our California and Washington programs. Additionally, we offer PsyD practicum placement in our Hayward CA program and macro-level social work placements in our Oakland CA programs.
Graduate students at Seneca experience:
- An intensive orientation to Seneca’s population served, values, philosophy, and practice at the beginning of their fieldwork placement
- An opportunity to conduct fieldwork in a variety of programs
- Training and supervision focused on the Seneca treatment model
- Training and Mini Grand Rounds presented on a wide range of topics applicable to working with children and their families
- Weekly supervision provided by a Seneca clinician with an appropriate degree or license
- Weekly group supervision when applicable to the student’s fieldwork agreement
- Fieldwork stipend – see below for details
Time Commitment
In order to establish therapeutic relationships with our youth and families, we require a nine to ten month commitment from all students; beginning in the fall of each year and continuing through to the spring of the following year (our Atascadero program is on a different schedule). Some fieldwork placements can be extended to 12 months (fall to fall) if requested by the student at the time of application. Please note we do not offer winter-start or summer-only fieldwork placements.
Fieldwork Stipend
Graduate students in placement receive $300/mo for working 16 hours per week; $500/mo for students working 24 hours per week; and $700/mo for 2nd year students working 24 hours per week who also completed their 1st year internship with Seneca. Receipts for educational expenses are required for the full amount of your stipend.
Who should apply?
The training settings we offer are most appropriate for advanced students who already have some exposure to clinical populations and direct work with clients. You must be currently enrolled in a clinical graduate program to apply. Please note: Fieldwork placements do not automatically lead to employment at Seneca.
How to Apply
Seneca begins accepting applications for graduate fieldwork on February 1st of each year, and continues accepting applications until all positions are filled for the fall. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon after February 1st as possible, to maximize their chances for interviewing with a program that matches their learning goals, academic requirements, and geographic availability.
- Submit an online application with the following attachments: cover letter, resume, and a completed Fieldwork Matching Form.
- Select Fieldwork Placement as the employment category to ensure your application is sent to Seneca’s fieldwork coordinator.
- If it is after February 1st and you are unable to upload your application to the online application system, you may email your three application documents to fi**************@se**********.org.
Note for Post Graduate Clinical Associates:
As a post graduate clinician (ASW, AMFT, APCC) you quality for many of the Clinician/Therapist positions at Seneca. As an employee, Seneca will assist you in gaining your hours, trainings, as well as supervision and support, as you move towards licensure. For more information about applying for a clinical position at Seneca, please go to the Careers page.
