Bailey Fullwiler, Intern with Richland County Youth and Family Council

Bailey Fullwiler is an intern with Richland County Youth and Family Council.  The council is made up of over fifteen agencies that work directly in the community to provide services for youth, starting before birth, as well as for entire families. 

Tell us a little bit about your internship placement, your job duties, and the activities you’ve been involved in. 
I attend the monthly full council meetings as well as all our committee meetings.  I also work closely with several grants.  One is Strong Families, Safe Communities, where I help organize referrals, make presentations for agencies to assist in creating greater awareness of available funding, coordinate respite weekends at Camp Nuhop, as well as other other respite events in the community such as Friday Nights at the YMCA.  I work closely with the Home Choice program, where I visit youth in institutions to perform an assessment and then work with the client and their support system to determine the needs we can assist them with.  After they are released from the institution, I perform regular home visits for 90 days to ensure all needs and referrals are being met.  I also coordinate and perform team meetings for care management by meeting with families and their caseworkers in the home to fill out the proper paperwork and prepare their proposal for funding.         

How has Ashland University’s Social Work Program prepared you for your internship?
I was aware of the importance of confidentiality, the use and protocol for release of information, and how to properly maintain client paper work.  I feel that from course work and discussions, I was well prepared to work with the diverse client population, and have great techniques for engagement and skills to tactfully address confrontation.  I also felt confident in my knowledge of performing home visits.  The program has taught me the best ways to personally cope and how to prevent burn out, so I can deal with any feelings of stress and frustration in my internship. I am appreciative of how well prepared and competent I felt, thanks to our program.     

What have you enjoyed most about your internship so far?
I have enjoyed the opportunity to engage and work directly with clients.  I have loved getting to meet a diverse group of individuals, learn about their experiences, and provide meaningful services and assistance to them.  I have been overwhelmed to learn about the amazing programs available to assist those in need and see the dedication and commitment of the social workers in this community.  


More information about Richland County Youth and Family Council can be found here. 

All social work students undergo a 500-hour internship in their senior year, during which they put into practice the skills they have learned throughout their time at Ashland University while gaining valuable experiences to prepare them for employment or graduate studies after graduation.  For more information about Ashland University’s Social Work Program, please visit our website.