Field Placement Essay

I moved to California three years ago to pursue a Master's degree in social work at USC. During the time I have lived here, I have gained invaluable experience working full-time in the social work field. My first social work related job in California was working at an IMD step-down program for transitional aged youths and adults with dual diagnoses. From there, I began working in the Wraparound program at Aviva Family and Children's Services as a Child and Family Specialist. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with these agencies but am also very excited to begin graduate study at USC's School of Social Work since my graduate education was the reason for my move to southern California. With the many experiences I have had throughout my life and the clear path I have found to social work, I am very excited to begin field placement. Upon learning USC will choose my first year of field placement, I felt somewhat relieved. During my field placement experience, I would like to gain more exposure to the realm of clinical social work practice and gain more training in areas such as crisis intervention and mental health assessment, as I am particularly interested in social work areas related to mental health. I would like to increase my knowledge of laws and policies in social service systems and how they affect mental health consumers. I also look forward to furthering my understanding of the diverse client populations and improve my working knowledge of different forms of evidence-based practice. Although I am eager to learn more about these areas within social work, I have resigned any expectations I might have because it is likely that I will be placed at an agency opposite of my interests. I see this first year of field placement as an opportunity to learn more about a population or condition that I otherwise might have never had a chance to learn about and experience. Many of my strengths stem from personal life experiences and through working with