Legacy Hospice: End of Life Social Work
Overview
The primary focus of the internship will be on end-of-life care, providing holistic support to terminally ill individuals and their families. This placement aims to offer firsthand experience in hospice-based social work practice, grief and bereavement counseling, and interdisciplinary team collaboration. An internship in Social Work with Legacy Hospice, stands to offer a unique opportunity to integrate academic learning with the real-world compassionate practice of social work in end-of-life care. Legacy Hospice’s mission directly aligns with the values of social work—dignity, service, integrity, and respect for the individual—and this internship seeks to contribute meaningfully to that mission. By the conclusion of the internship, you will have:
- Gained practical experience working with individuals and families throughout the dying process.
- Strengthened real-world concept of professional identity as a social worker in a hospice setting.
- Developed cultural sensitivity, ethical reasoning, and emotional resilience.
- Established foundational skills for future social work in healthcare or palliative care settings.
Duties
- Shadowing hospice licensed social worker during patient visits and family consultations, both in-home and facility visits
- Conducting supervised psychosocial assessments for new patients
- Participating in care planning meetings with the interdisciplinary team
- Supporting patients, families and caregivers through emotional, spiritual, and social challenges while navigating the end-of-life process
- Assisting with bereavement calls and facilitating grief support activities
- Documenting case notes in accordance with agency policies and HIPAA/PHI (patient confidentiality) standards
- Participating in relevant training on hospice philosophy, death and dying, cultural humility or continuing education opportunities as advised
Pre-Requisites
- Must meet all UMW and Department of Psychological Science internship requirements.
Required Courses
- PSYC 233 – Adult Development
- PSYC 315 – Foundations of Clinical Psychology
Assessment
- 42 hours of work per credit hour (most interns do 3 credits with 126 hours of work)
- Grade is based on on-campus supervision, agency evaluation, reflective journal, and a professional development portfolio.
Agency Contact
Bree Hall, Volunteer Coordinator
Office: 540-299-8440
breehall@legacy-hospice.com