The psychiatric emergency service as a setting for social work training

The psychiatric emergency service can provide rich training opportunities for social work students. It is a site where they can learn to function in clinically autonomous, independent roles as primary care providers who are responsible for the evaluation, treatment, and disposition of psychiatric emergencies. Assuming responsibility for evaluating and intervening with a wide variety of people in acute distress prepares the student to enter professional practice with self-confidence. The abundant educational opportunities available on the psychiatric emergency service are discussed, teaching strategies to facilitate learning are suggested, and the unique professional growth experiences which derive from training are identified.