Graduate

Norristown Community Practice Program:

In the spring of 2006, the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research expanded the scope of the College's campus-community partnership to include a new field placement initiative, the Norristown Community Practice Program. The program is designed to provide students who have field placements in Norristown the opportunity to integrate their work with individuals, groups and communities in Norristown with an understanding of the local social, geographical, political, racial/ethnic, and religious contexts. There are currently 12 students in the program who, in addition to interning 16-24 hours per week in a Norristown agency:

Participate in monthly integrative seminars to talk about the communities of Norristown through meetings and guided tours with key community informants
Share information and ideas about their fieldwork to gain an understanding of how individuals and organizations function within the various communities of Norristown
Participate in a critical dialog around issues of "community" and campus-community partnerships
Share their ideas with members of Norristown communities and with members of CPIA

Current students in the Norristown Community Practice Program have said that they have gained a greater insight into the overall Norristown community through this program.

Carrie is a first year clinical student interning at Central Montgomery Mental Health/Mental Retardation’s intensive outpatient unit. She co-facilitates group therapy sessions as part of her internship, and she feels that her participation in the NCPP has greatly enhanced her understanding. She states, “If I didn’t have the Norristown Community Practice Program, I wouldn’t know anything about this area... the Practice Program opened my eyes to the full community experience.”

Allie’s primary job at her placement is organizing and facilitating two parent support groups. These parent support groups are very interactive, and participants are encouraged to share their frustrations as well as their own ideas, techniques, or solutions to problems that other parents are facing. Allie feels that her participation in the NCPP “has helped me to understand my practice experience in the wider context of social and policy issues facing Norristown."

Deanne at a Norristown Community Practice Program Meeting

Deanne’s first year placement is at the Montgomery County Community College’s KEYS Program, which assists low income individuals overcome barriers that would otherwise prevent them from completing their education. Deanne states that “The NCPP has given me education and knowledge that could have never been achieved in a classroom setting. This seminar introduced me to the services that are available in Norristown and provided me with the fundamentals to become the best advocate for my clients.”

Graduate

Norristown Community Practice Program:

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