[humanser] Tips for preparing for field placement

[Anjelina]

Good evening JD,
Thanks for your helpful advice. After your undergraduate degree did you immediate get your MSW? My academic adviser recommended I work for a few years before attempting a MSW, but since my strongest interest is working with the disabled population I am trying to decide which would be the most practical next step.
I appreciate all the feedback from the list.

Anjelina
Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 3, 2012, at 3:06 PM, "JD Townsend" <43210 at Bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Hello Angelina,
> 
> 
> I have supervised student internships for a wide variety of students, including blind folks.  I only rejected one blind person - in our interview he stated that he had left an engineering degree program for something easier and had no "feel" for our field.
> 
> As a blind man I do have, perhaps, less bias than others;  however, what I look for are:
> 
> Sincere interest in the field;
> A good smile and a sense of humor;
> Reliability and trustworthiness;  and
> Excellent blindness skills.
> 
> 
> The latter include good social skills, knowledgeable use of adaptive equipment (practical, everyday use of devices), and, especially, flexibility.
> 
> 
> I have had my interviews myself and have had blind student interns who felt that their internships were wasted time as they were only observers, not allowed to do productive work.  Emphasize your ability to do the work of the agency, be that doing assessments or running groups.  Your abilities in forming relationships, writing skills, and assertiveness will put you in good stead.
> 
> And, I suggest that you read some of the writings of Dr Kenneth Jernigan from the NFB website as it was through these publications that I learned the philosophy of the NFB.  That philosophy got me my first job following my MSW degree and has not failed me in over 30 years of professional employment.
> 
> 
> 
> JD Townsend LCSW
> Helping the light dependent to see.
> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System 
> 
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