Emily Jackson

Background

About Emily Jackson

I have had various internships which have opened my eyes to the world of social work. I have been placed in non-profits, clinical settings, residential center, and in the schools. At The Children’s Place Association in Chicago, IL has allowed me to work with individuals who have been affected by HIV and AIDS living below the poverty line. In the past years they have also expanded their clientele to include children diagnosed with autism and other mental health disorders. At this internship I not only get to work with the children in the classroom, but get to build relationships with the parents. I am in charge of completing service plans, setting goals, making referrals, and following up with parents to ensure the families strive for an over higher quality of life. My junior year at Central College interned at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. I was in charge of working with clients when they came in for diagnostic testing. I ran clients through tests like the MMPI, Wisconsin card sort task, WISC, and WAIS. In addition, I also sat in on the clinical interview the psychologist had with the clients. After listening to their interview I was often in charge of writing up the background report. I also volunteered at Creative Visions in downtown Des Moines for a semester. At Creative Visions I worked with low income children who had been expelled or suspended from school. While volunteering at Creative Visions, I gained experience working with children who needed extra help. I believe I gained a better understanding of varying cultures and how it affects human behavior and society. In graduate school at the University of Iowa, I completed my foundation practicum at Youth Homes of Mid-America. Here I learned an abundance about trauma and trauma-informed practice. For my advanced practicum I have been working at Heartland AEA as a school social worker.