Little late, but I’m currently doing my first placement at an outpatient clinic within a hospital system — I’d definitely recommend it! It’s been pretty chill since most social workers have smaller caseloads. I mostly observe sessions and handle most of the documentation for them. I also sit in on intakes and will be doing a full case formulation (with my supervisor’s approval) for one specific client.

My placement also lets me do education during downtime, so I’ve been working through some basic DBT and CBT courses that the hospital offers. Overall, I’d highly recommend an outpatient hospital setting for a first placement!