Dozens of students spoke with hospitals, child welfare agencies and other employers during the School of Social Work’s Field and Career Day held March 27 at UTA’s University Center.
The event drew social work students who, among other things, were searching for internships, summer jobs, permanent placements and research opportunities at agencies across North Texas.
“I think it went really well” said Elizabeth Anderson, a junior social work major and treasurer of the student-run Social Work Council. “I like how streamlined it was.”
Field and Career Day was held in March to coincide with National Social Work Month.
The day’s activities included field agencies featuring more than 60 North Texas employers and organizations, a Career Panel comprised of professional social workers and alumni, student research displays, a training session that offered continuing education credits and even an opportunity for students to take professional photos for their social media business profile pages.
Field and Career Day is hosted by the School of Social Work to connect area agencies with students who are available for work, field internships and for students interested in research and career development.
Prinston Hill, a BSW student, said he chatted extensively with a representative of Arlington Police Department’s Victim Services Unit, a program that employs social workers to offer crisis counseling to those who have been sexually assaulted.
“I had no idea their victim services unit has MSW positions,” says Hill, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and acting president of the student Social Work Council. “I have a police background. That would be an awesome job for me.”
For the training event, School of Social Work Assistant Professor in Practice Karla Arenas-Itotia taught professionals how to recognize signs of domestic violence, understand its prevalence and empathize with those impacted during a two-hour presentation.
Across the nation one of five women and one of seven men report severe physical violence during their lifetimes, according to data, Arenas provided during the training.
Globally, 275 million children are impacted physically, mentally or emotionally by domestic violence, according to statistics collected by Childhood Domestic Violence Association and shared by Arenas-Itota, who is a Licensed Master of Social Work who previously oversaw the Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention (RVSP) department, as well as served on the Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) as a Case Manager here at UTA.
“This is a pretty big deal. That’s a lot,” she said during the training. “We know that it happens nationally and at the global level.”
Domestic violence also affects survivors’ physical, psychological and social health, she said.