Public Child Welfare: California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC):

This program offers a two-year stipend of $18,500 per year. Students who receive this assistance "pay back" the stipend with two years of employment at any public child welfare (PCW) agency in the State of California. Students interested in working with Native American populations have additional pay back options.

CalSWEC attempts to recruit students who reflect the needs and ethnic makeup of the public child welfare client base. A preference is given to candidates who are current public social services and public child welfare employees.

Public Child Welfare: Inter-University Consortium/Department of Children and Family Services (IUC/DCFS)

The UCLA Department of Social Welfare’s Center on Child Welfare (UCLA/CCW) is a member of the Inter‑University Consortium (IUC) Training Project, a unique partnership between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the graduate programs of social work/social welfare at four universities, including UCLA.  

UCLA Center for Child Welfare provides one-year stipends ($18,500) and specialized training to up to sixteen (16) MSW students enrolled in the UCLA Department of Social Welfare.  Recipients of the stipend must intern for one year in one of two UCLA/DCFS field education intern units that are sites for practice innovations designed to enhance DCFS’s capacity to increase the positive outcomes of permanency, safety and well being for children, youth and families receiving services from DCFS. Upon graduation, students are required to work for one year as a Children’s Social Worker in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Mental Health: California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC)

         (2nd Year Students Only)

The CalSWEC Mental Health Stipend focuses on training students to work with: 1) severely emotionally disturbed children; 2) transitional aged youth; 3)  adults with severe mental illness; and 4) older adults with persistent or new onset mental illness. Students in the program will obtain general knowledge and skills to work with all of these populations, but may commit to a specific focus on one.

Students participating in the initiative will be eligible for an $18,500 stipend and will have a field placement in either a County Department of Mental Health (e.g., Los Angeles County DMH) or an agency operating under contract with the department. Students must be enrolled in the Mental Health Specialization. The stipend is received in exchange for the student’s agreement to work at a Department of Mental Health or one of its contract agencies, anywhere in California, for one year after graduation.  For more information and application requirements, contact Gerry Lavina, glavina@ucla.edu.

Geriatric: Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC)

         (2nd Year Students Only)

The Geriatric Leadership Internship (GLI) offers a geriatric social work field training experience based on a biopsychosocial model and adult learning theory with a focus on diversity issues and leadership skills. Hence, GSWEC offers a collaborative, student directed, field training experience.

The program offers integrated academic and field education in geriatric social work; networking opportunities with other interns from four universities and leaders of premier aging organizations; experience with the aging network and resources across the continuum of care; competency-based training with certificate upon program completion; employment listings and preferential status as a job applicant at Centers of Excellence; and stipend awards.