Oakland Unified School District

Rolling applications until July 2026

Fall: Aug/Sept
Spring: Jan/Feb
Summer: May/June

3

Email resume, complete a brief questionnaire and schedule a 45 minute zoom interview.

No, all work is in person/in office.

Yes, a $4,000 stipend is available at the end of placement.

Heather Graham 
Behavioral Health Program Manager-Internship Program
heather.graham@ousd.org

Oakland Unified School District is a diverse urban school district serving K - 12 student population in Oakland, CA. The Behavioral Health Internship Program is well-established (20+ years in existence!) and offers a high quality field experience for MSW/MFT grad students interested in school-based work. Wonderful site-based field placement opportunities exist at 9 elementary and middle schools throughout Oakland. We have long-standing partnerships with these sites and MSW/MFT interns will obtain a great introduction into serving in a school setting! Along with excellent training from experienced professionals on topics including, Play Therapy, Group Work, Crisis Response, Trauma and Restorative Practices to name a few.

Our program typically enrolls 16 +/- MSW/MFT interns from Bay Area Universities which enriches the learning experience and sense of community for all. Interns are placed in pairs at sites for the duration of the school year and participate as a member of an interdisciplinary team of service providers at the school site. This team works closely with teachers and administrators to support the social-emotional needs of students and families. Experienced and supportive clinical supervisors offer weekly individual and group supervision.

Potential Tasks & Projects for MSW/MFT Interns Include: Serve as a direct service provider on an elementary/middle school campus providing individual and group mental health services, partner with families and conduct intakes and classroom observations to assess needs, examine school services + gaps utilizing a multi-tiered systems of support framework, build connections with students in need, focus on marginalized communities including serving Newcomers, BIPOC, foster youth, LGBTQ + etc., provide teacher consultation and classroom social emotional learning lessons as needed, participate in school intervention team meetings (COST, IEP, SST.) Other school climate projects also available based on community needs and intern interests.

We accept applicants and conduct interviews from January-July and we onboard folks in July and August. The field year lasts from mid-August until mid-May and interns are expected to follow the OUSD school calendar.  We require some past work experience working with elementary aged children and for folks to be flexible and have a desire to want to work in a school setting. This requires interdisciplinary teamwork and close collaboration with staff and families. We welcome applicants who are open to exploring issues around race, equity, intersectionality and systemic oppression.

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