BRIDGING THE GAPS
Summer Community Health Internship Program
Information for GSSWSR Students
Mid-June – Early August
Eligibility: Students interested in community based social work practice who in the process of completing their 1st year field placement may apply.
How to Apply for the Community Health Internship Program (BTG CHIP):
- First review list of community partners to determine where you might be interested in interning
- Go to the BTG website and complete their short online application here
- Click here to submit your Bryn Mawr GSSWSR Application by April 5, 2019
Program Outline:
- 7 week, full-time, paid ($3,000) community-based, summer interdisciplinary experience
- Students (in interdisciplinary teams whenever possible) are matched with a community organization based on the organization’s needs and the student’s professional discipline and interest
- Students collaborate with community and faculty members to create and implement a health-related project consistent with the goals and mission of the community organization
- Students attend training sessions (one day each week) where community members, health and social service professionals, and program faculty help build skills and develop a deeper understanding of key issues regarding vulnerable populations
BTG Symposium ( in September) offers students an opportunity to present their work, while providing a forum for dialogue and networking opportunities for individuals interested in improving the quality of life in our communities.
Bridging the Gaps (BTG) originated at one academic health center in Philadelphia in 1991. Currently, the program is administered by the Philadelphia Bridging the Gaps Consortium, which is comprised of representatives from the five Philadelphia academic health centers (Drexel University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the University of Pennsylvania) with affiliated, programs at Bryn Mawr College, LaSalle University, and University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The Bridging the Gaps program model has also been implemented at two other academic health centers in the state, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, who with the Consortium form the Bridging the Gaps Network. In 2007 a Bridging the Gaps network affiliate program was established at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In 2009, the Lehigh Valley Health Network completed a feasibility year with the goal of establishing a Lehigh Valley Bridging the Gaps Program. Bridging the Gaps’ work has been recognized by the Philadelphia County Medical Society and by the American College of Physicians, among others.
Questions? Contact: Sue Edgerton – sedgerton@brynmawr.edu