Community engagement
VCU's School of Social Work has more than a century of history in Richmond, and we are deeply embedded in supporting our community through research partnerships, service projects and student internship placements.
260,000+ hours
260,000+ hours of student time spent working at field placement sites with community partners *
500+ groups
500+ community groups partner with us
Community-engaged research
The school shares VCU’s commitment to community-engaged research, which entails a collaborative approach to building and disseminating knowledge in mutually beneficial partnerships with community stakeholders. Faculty in the school apply this approach in projects focused on preventing substance misuse, reducing food insecurity, fostering awareness about interpersonal violence and ameliorating homelessness, housing instability and eviction. Many of these efforts are centered in our home community, the city of Richmond.
Community-engaged learning
VCU places premium value on experiential learning. In social work, our students work hands-on with our community partners through field education. Read about a few of our highlighted partners and how students apply their learning during their field experiences.
Robin’s Hope
Robin’s Hope is a trauma recovery center for adults. Focusing on building resilience skills, Robin’s Hope offers a variety of groups to assist traumatized individuals on their healing journey, including art, book, self-care and yoga groups, in addition to a resilience-focused trauma support group. Group attendees may also participate in individual counseling.
Social work student interns assist the agency with group facilitation and individual and family counseling using trauma-based theory and interventions. Student interns also participate in fundraising, grant writing, program development and program evaluation.
Central Virginia Health Services
Central Virginia Health Services is a nonprofit community health center with Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status. It has 16 clinics across central Virginia. Since 1970, it has been a community-based and patient-directed organization focused on providing care to people with limited access to the health services they need. Most locations offer comprehensive care, including medical, dental and behavioral health.
Social work student interns learn how to do behavioral health consultations within a medical setting for both adults and children. In addition, students will have a small caseload of more traditional psychotherapy patients. Students co-lead groups that could be psycho-educational in nature (e.g., parenting, managing stress, living with chronic conditions), and also therapeutic in nature (seeking safety).
VCU Health Injury and Violence Prevention Program-EMPOWER
EMPOWER is a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to enhancing prevention and intervention services to individuals and their families who experience intimate partner violence or sexual violence. It provides direct services to patients and employees as well as training for health care providers.
Social work students serve as client advocates, providing crisis intervention, community-based referrals and resources, liaison to law enforcement, safety planning, court accompaniment, ongoing counseling and legal advocacy including protective order information.