Post-MSW Fellowship in Clinical Social Work

The fellowship is grounded in the core principles of ethical and social justice-oriented clinical social work practice in a mental health setting utilizing an integrative model of therapeutic and community-based interventions at the individual, small group, and campus levels. Fellows receive clinical training and supervision in brief individual and group psychotherapy, crisis assessment and intervention as well as campus education and outreach. Fostering the development of knowledge, awareness, and skills for working with diverse populations is central to the fellowship. Guidance, education, encouragement, and mentorship are provided to support fellows in examining and exploring their knowledge of and attitudes toward cultural, racial, sexual, gender, religious, ability, and age differences.   

Post-MSW fellows receive training in two separate counseling units at Student Mental Health in University Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services(CAPS) and Social Services (SoS). 

CAPS provides brief individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and education and outreach to the campus, with the mission to support the emotional, psychological, educational, social, and cultural development of students. CAPS works with students who seek support for a broad range of bio-psycho-social concerns, including serious mental illness. 

SOS provides topic-specific brief individual and group counseling and mental health services for students who are seeking support to address alcohol and other drug use, chronic medical conditions or a new diagnosis, eating disorders and body image concerns, pregnancy resources and referrals, intimate partner violence, stalking, harassment, sexual violence, and other trauma. Fellows receive intensive individual and group supervision in both units. 

Post-MSW fellows join a learning community of doctoral psychology interns and postdoctoral psychology fellows with whom they participate in seminars and trainings, creating a mutually beneficial multidisciplinary environment. Staff members in both CAPS and SoS are committed to providing excellent training and we value the knowledge, experience, and skills that fellows bring to University Health Services. 

For the 1st year of the program, Post-MSW fellows are full-time in CAPS.

• assessments and psychotherapeutic treatment planning
• crisis assessment and intervention
• individual brief psychotherapy
• co-facilitation of skills-based, process, or support groups
• outreach and educational workshops to the campus community

First-year fellows spend approximately up to 50% of their time per week doing direct psychotherapeutic work, including a 2-hour urgent drop-in counseling shift. All fellows receive 2 hours of individual supervision per week. In addition, fellows participate in the following:

• group consultation with doctoral interns 
• clinical seminar with doctoral interns
• multicultural seminar with doctoral interns
• outreach and consultation seminar
• social work professional development seminar
• Student Mental Health multidisciplinary case conference
• staff meetings and professional development for University Health Services, Student Mental Health, and CAPS
• scheduled time to prepare for the California Law & Ethics Exam
• scheduled time to begin to take post-graduate courses required for licensure in California

For the second year of the program, Post-MSW fellows are full-time in SoS, providing specialty counseling/psychotherapy for topics including alcohol and other drug use, chronic medical conditions or a new diagnosis, eating disorders and body image concerns, pregnancy resources and referrals, intimate partner violence, stalking, harassment, sexual violence, and other trauma.

Second-year fellows increase their clinical hours, continue to receive 2 hours of individual supervision per week, and will have the opportunity to spend 2 hours per week working on a special project/apprenticeship, for which they receive additional supervision focused on the project. Special projects/apprenticeship offerings are subject to change given the needs of the center and availability of supervisors, but can also be designed by fellows in collaboration with program leadership. In previous years, choices have included the Clinical Administration Program, Hospitalization Program, Outreach Program, Training Program, or focusing on clinical, workshop, or community support and interventions for students in specific identity or affinity groups.

In addition to clinical work and the special project/apprenticeship, second-year fellows participate in the following: 

• group consultation with post-doctoral fellows
• social work professional development seminar
• weekly all-staff Student Mental Health multidisciplinary case conference
• Social Services topic-specific case conference
• staff meetings and professional development for University Health Services, Student Mental Health, and SoS

We hope after reviewing our materials you will find that our program is a good match with your professional development needs and goals.

Application Requirements

1. Applicants must have completed a Master of Social Work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), by July 1, 2025. 

2. Applicants who graduated from MSW programs outside of the United States must go through the CSWE International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service process, which evaluates and recognizes academic credentials in social work received outside of the United States that are comparable to accredited master's degrees in social work in the United States, prior to submitting an application. Please go to the CSWE website for more information about the process.

After extensive consultation with the Berkeley International Office (BIO), unless an applicant is from Mexico or Canada, we've learned that our program does not currently meet the criteria needed to allow us to sponsor visas for international applicants. 

3. Two academic years or more of supervised direct service, typically received during field placements/clinical internships—though work experience will be considered—is required. At least one year of clinical experience with a mental health focus is required. Applicants must possess a strong demonstrated interest in providing mental health services to diverse populations and must have had training in various modalities of psychotherapeutic interventions.

Application Procedures 

To apply for the fellowship please ensure that we receive all of your application materials by the application deadline of January 17, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Your application must include:

1. A cover letter that indicates your specific interest in gaining experience in the areas of focus in BOTH Counseling and Psychological Services and Social Services and that highlights your experience and interest in providing mental health services - including psychotherapy. Please share your approach to providing culturally responsive services to individuals and groups with diverse and intersecting identities, including ways in which you consider your own identities in the context of your role as a clinical social worker.

2. A resumé.

3. An official transcript from your MSW program that must be emailed or mailed directly from your academic institution. If both options for sending the transcript are available at your institution, we strongly recommend that your transcript be emailed to us, which seems to reduce routing errors or delays. 

4. Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from clinical supervisors. Each letter must be emailed or mailed directly from the writer, or you may mail it in a sealed envelope that has been signed on the back by the writer. (Please note for equity in the application review process, we will only review 3 letters of recommendation.)

5. If you advance in the selection process, we may request the contact information of two verbal references who have provided clinical supervision to you, including a current supervisor.  

• Is it appropriate to contact you by email or phone with questions? Yes, if you have questions please email Robin Walley at rwalley@berkeley.edu. She would be happy to respond to your questions through email or find a time to talk with you by phone. Also, please take a look here for some Common Questions and Answers from Current and Former Post-MSW Fellows.
• How diverse is UC Berkeley’s student body? UC Berkeley’s community has rich cultural, ethnic, social, and socioeconomic diversity in which every state and over 100 countries are represented. For instance, in Fall 2024, Berkeley had 33,070 undergraduate students and 12, 812 graduate students. Of the new undergraduate students, about 29% of them were first-generation college students; about 27% of them were from underrepresented minority groups; about 13% of them identified as LGBTQ+ individuals; about 10% of them were international students. More diversity data can be viewed on these links below:
  • Campus Data: UC Berkeley Quick Facts

  • UC Berkeley Enrollment Data for Undergraduates
    

• Will you accept a 4th letter of recommendation? We request only sending 3 letters from individuals you believe can best speak to your skills and areas for growth. This will ensure we read your best letters of support. Please ensure that at least 2 of your letters come from clinical supervisors.
• What are you looking for in a post-MSW fellow? We are looking for fellows who have training and experience providing individual and group mental health services including crisis counseling with clients who have a range of bio-psycho-social problems including more severe mental health issues and diagnosis. As a staff, we value diversity both in terms of learning from each other and from the students we serve. Applicants who can articulate how diversity has impacted them on a personal and professional level tend to be a good fit with our program. We are also looking for individuals who enjoy working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team setting.
• Do you look at social networking sites as part of the evaluation process? No 
• Can I receive specialized training in some clinical areas? You will receive specialized training in providing multiculturally responsive brief psychotherapy, crisis assessment and intervention, and group therapy. In addition, you will receive specialized training in the specialty areas of counseling provided in Social Services. If you have specific training goals that are not specified in our materials please ask before or during the interview so we can discuss the possibilities.
• Please describe opportunities for crisis counseling. Fellows provide on-call counseling, which is typically a two-hour shift in which they see students who are in varying levels of crisis or who state that they need to be seen urgently. During on-call shifts, fellows also take phone calls from staff, faculty, and parents concerned about students.
• Are there opportunities to do outreach? Yes. CAPS and SoS frequently receive requests from the campus to do educational workshops, trainings, and other preventive mental health programs as well as doing proactive outreach work to the campus to reach underserved populations. We do approximately 100 outreach events/year. Fellows are expected to be involved in outreach efforts (the expectation is that fellows will be involved in approximately two programs per semester) and to develop their skills and comfort level in leading such programs. In addition, fellows are paired with senior clinicians to respond to urgent outreach requests (e.g., crisis debriefings, and responses to campus emergencies), which rarely may involve evening or weekend work.
• How are supervisory assignments made? During the summer fellows are contacted by email to inquire about their goals for supervision and what they are looking for in a supervisor. The training staff meets to discuss possible matches based on the stated interests and goals of the incoming post-MSW fellows. Staff availability and areas of interest are considered as well.
• How would you characterize the culture of CAPS and SoS? We like to have fun with each other, love working with college students, and enjoy celebrating each other's accomplishments. That said, this is a fast-paced setting that is highly utilized. Thus, there can be increased stress during certain times of the year when demand for services is high. We continually look at how we can better meet the need for student access while at the same time monitoring the needs of staff.
• Are staff involved in research? A few members are involved in research and publishing. However, there is no formal program of research taking place in CAPS or SoS.
• Are there opportunities to teach? There are no formal opportunities to teach.
• How many applicants do you invite for Zoom interviews? We typically invite 12 applicants for phone interviews.
• Do I need to call you after the interview to "show interest" and hopefully improve my chances? No. However, feel free to contact us if you have any questions that are not addressed on our website or that were not addressed during the interview. Email is often the easiest way to reach us.
• Do you have an Open House? Not at this time.
• Can the fellowship be full-time remote? Is this a hybrid (both on-site and remote) position? This position is designated as an essential worker on campus and requires California residency. All training staff and licensed staff currently have the opportunity to work up to 2 days per week remotely. So for example, with a 5 day work week, that means 3 days on site, and 2 days remote/via Zoom. Any individual staff member's remote days are on the same days of the week most weeks, so they can expect a regular weekly schedule, however, sometimes people are required to come in on a remote day, for events, outreach, or other activities. Thus, this requires staff to live and work locally, within commuting distance from campus. We anticipate that this hybrid structure will continue next year, although the standard for this could change in future years, with potentially more on-site work needed, depending on client and operational needs. 
• Do you provide telemental health? Yes, we offer the option of receiving mental health services remotely through phone and Zoom video. Fellows are issued laptops so they can work from home or in the office and provide these telemental health options. However, post-pandemic campus life and student demand have increased the need for on-site, in-person services, so the majority of services are now being offered in person.
• Will I get my own office? Due to hybrid schedules, we are currently sharing offices. Fellows will be assigned specific offices for the days they are designated to work on-site.
  What do fellows do after they leave? Some go on to work in university counseling centers, others move on to community mental health or non-profit agencies, and some go into private practice.
• Could you describe the diversity of your staff? CAPS and SoS take pride in the diversity of our staff. Our staff is diverse with respect to age, gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, religion/spirituality, and size. In addition, theoretical orientations and areas of expertise vary among staff members. Learn more about CAPS staff and SOS staff.
• Are you able to sponsor a visa if I am an international applicant? After extensive consultation with the Berkeley International Office (BIO), unless an applicant is from Mexico or Canada, we've learned that our program does not currently meet the criteria needed to allow us to sponsor visas for international applicants.