Social Work Practicum in Outreach, Recruitment, and Community Engagement

Social Work Practicum with the Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core of the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) at Washington University School of Medicine.

This practicum enables students to learn skills related to recruitment and retention of research participants for longitudinal research studies at the Knight ADRC. The student will learn about outreach to groups in Saint Louis including persons 40 years of age and older with interest in brain research.  This includes special outreach to engage groups that are underrepresented in AD research including the African American and Black community. This community is impacted by Alzheimer disease greatly but remains underrepresented in research.  We also seek to engage people experiencing memory loss and/or cognitive decline and people from rural communities. 

The student will gain literacy in the area of brain health and aging and how it effects different populations. 

Key domains a student might explore include:

• Skills related to diversity, equality and health equity. 
• Understanding of organizational policies related to human subject research. 
• Social work ethics and education on how we enter communities, work with them to build and maintain trust, and show respect. 
• Program evaluation and outcome measurement by working with the team to evaluate the efforts and initiatives we put together. 

Sample projects could include:

• Working with the team to help create and staff an outreach event and evaluate its success. 
• Identifying new places and people to reach via Center outreach.
• If interested in direct practice, there are opportunities to attend support groups and observe family care consultations. 
• Joining a team to create a research question, conduct study, and contribute to a publication.  

This could be a 1 or 2 semester practicum (foundation or concentration) depending on the student's interest and academic requirements.  Students can expect to gain skills in the area of dementia health literacy, plus organizational, writing, and research skills. 

The position is hybrid but there will be occasions that require in person support at outreach events.  Some events may occur on nights and weekends. 

Supervisor is a LCSW with a background in law and social work, and has 12 years of team leadership at the Knight ADRC.