Sunland Center is a developmental disabilities center operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The Center is located in Marianna FL, right in the middle of Panama City and Tallahassee (1 hr away from both towns). However, the center provides residential services for individuals throughout the state of Florida. These individuals are either voluntarily placed here or involuntarily committed to residential placement. Most of the residents I work with have been found incompetent to proceed to trial due to a felony charge and deemed unlikely to attain competency. So they have been accused of a serious crime, but were never found guilty/not guilty.
Our residents are all adults, and the ones referred to our particular department are having behavioral difficulties related to their developmental disability and/or mental health diagnoses. We provide MH counseling and educational programs to address such issues as anger management, social skills, sexual acting out/inappropriate behaviors, substance abuse, life skills, and conflict resolution. Each person's services are individualized and determined by an interdisciplinary treatment team, documented on the individual program plan, and reviewed quarterly to assess progress and appropriateness to meet the resident's individual needs.
Unit 2 social services department advocates for residents in unit 2. Additionally, they assist residents with their finances, benefits, and family contact. The Social Workers in this department also assist with court hearings. They keep the residents abreast of various services available to them.
Duties will include assessing resident needs, developing rapport, developing treatment plans, maintaining appropriate boundaries, direct clinical services to residents, tracking and documenting participation and progress, participating and providing feedback in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, providing necessary documentation in said meetings, assisting with court reports (these have similar information to a biopsychosocial, but are on a legal document and are submitted to the court), as well as other duties such as special events for residents.
In the social services department Social Work interns will have the opportunity to: assist in completing psychosocial and social histories, assist in completing Medicaid and SSA applications, attend SAT (special active treatment) meetings, quarterly and annual IPP (individual program plan)-interdisciplinary meetings, provide feedback in said meetings, attend court hearings via zoom/Microsoft teams, document in case notes, complete money requests for residents, speak with counsel and advocate for residents, assist residents in maintaining family contact, as well as other duties as assigned.
Special placement information:
Accepting MSW 1st year and MSW 2nd-year/Advanced Standing (clinical) students. Full- and part-time positions available.
Stipend not available.
Travel reimbursement provided when personal vehicle is used. Generally, state vehicles are used.
Video-/Audio-taping permitted with resident consent and administrative approval.
Agency hours: 8:00AM-4:30PM CST. Monday-Friday. There may be some flexibility in some circumstances.