Inside Sonder’s student placement experience

When social work students imagine their ideal placement, they often picture a supportive team, opportunities to grow, and the chance to make a difference. At Sonder, we work hard to ensure these expectations are met – and exceeded.

Across placements at Sonder’s headspace Adelaide, Northern Adelaide Medicare Mental Health Centre, and other services, students describe a culture of warmth, safety, and professional growth. Backed by a structured supervision model, dedicated educators, and an experienced multidisciplinary team, Sonder is building the future mental health workforce, one enriching placement at a time.

Why student placements matter

Demand for mental health support in Australia is growing rapidly, but the workforce is struggling to keep pace. Almost half of all Australians aged 16-85 have experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime, and one in five experience a disorder each year. Among young people, the need is even greater, with 38.8% reporting a 12-month disorder in 2020-22.

Despite this demand, there is a shortage of qualified mental health professionals. While more than 42,000 social workers are employed nationally, only 2,900 hold accreditation in mental health. As the Productivity Commission has highlighted, building a workforce that is large enough, coordinated, and equipped with the right skills is essential to meeting community need and strengthening the mental health system.

That’s why high-quality student placements matter. They are more than a learning opportunity – they are an investment in essential infrastructure for our communities.

A culture of support

For Cassie, a Bachelor of Social Work student, her placement at headspace Adelaide was exactly what she had hoped for.

“I’m really passionate about youth mental health,” she explains. “I have people in my life who have used the service, so I was familiar with the values of the organisation. I knew it would align with the journey I wanted to take.”

But not all students start placement with such clarity. For many, beginning a placement is daunting and shrouded in unknowns; students may worry about what their role will be, whether they have the skills to support clients, and how they’ll fit into their new workplace.

Fortunately, students at Sonder quickly find those fears alleviated by comprehensive support.

Jen, a Master of Social Work student recalls starting with her placement with limited knowledge of youth mental health. “I wasn’t sure how I could support young people,” she admits. “But headspace Adelaide carefully balances services with student learning while ensuring the young person receiving services always comes first.”

For Liz, a Master of Social Work student based at Northern Adelaide Medicare Mental Health Centre, what stood out most was the team culture and sense of belonging. “I feel like my opinion and voice actually matter here,” she reflects. “I’m treated more like a colleague than a student – not necessarily in responsibility, but in the way I’m valued.”

Cassie echoes that sense of belonging: “Every day I walk in, I feel blessed to be here. I’m welcomed, valued, appreciated, and respected.”

Bridging theory and practice

By design, placements bridge the gap between what students learn in the classroom and the realities of professional practice. Understanding safety planning, risk management, or theories of child and adolescent development is one thing – applying them in fast-paced situations is another.

Cassie describes her placement at Sonder as “the best experience for linking theory to practice”, pointing to time spent shadowing staff, conducting her own research, and reflecting in supervision.

Jen agrees, explaining that she’s been able to apply academic frameworks directly to frontline work. “I’ve learned a lot about mental health safety planning, having conversations about suicide and self-harm, and connecting with people involved in a young person’s care while managing consent and confidentiality. Those are important skills for any social worker, and I’ve had the chance to practice them here.”

But the impact extends beyond individual skills. From the outset of placement, students rotate through intake, duty, and support roles, giving them exposure to end-to-end service delivery. By embedding students across different tasks, Sonder ensures that theoretical learning is woven into real-world practice conversations, professional decision-making, and reflective supervision. This process not only accelerates learning but also strengthens the sector by producing graduates who are job-ready, confident, and grounded in evidence-based practice.

Supervision – the heart of placement

High-quality supervision is central to Sonder’s model. Students have access to field educators, site supervisors, and peer networks, creating multiple layers of guidance and reflection.

Field Supervisor & Private Practitioner, Dan Hales, explains “I try to help students connect what they’re doing on the ground with social work theory and practice standards. I remind them of deadlines, guide them through placement reviews, and act as the bridge between the university and Sonder.”

In addition to support from Dan, students access support from a site supervisor. For Cassie, that extra guidance is incredibly beneficial.

“Last week, my site supervisor and I went for a walk to a park to debrief. We talked about the theories I’d noticed in sessions, how professional judgement shaped decisions, and what could have been done differently. It was such a valuable way to reflect.”

Liz has appreciated the variety of supervision styles: “Dan really challenges my beliefs and shows me how to integrate theory into practice, while my site supervisor and I often have informal debriefs. The mix is good for growth – you see the value of serious reflection but also how important it is to share banter and enjoy the work. Not everything has to be clinical to help you grow.”

Early Career Clinical Educator, Vernae Constable sees this culture as essential for building a safe workforce: “When you’re emerging in the field, you wonder who you can turn to for guidance. Providing an environment where early career practitioners feel supported is part of creating a capable workforce.”

Shaping careers & building the future workforce

For many students, placement is about more than developing skills and expanding networks – it’s about discovering who they want to be as practitioners.

Liz reflects: “What I’m picking up is less about the work itself and more about the kind of social worker I want to be. At Sonder, I see positivity and good professional relationships role-modelled. That’s who I want to be as a social worker.”

Behind the scenes, Sonder’s Workforce Training & Development team ensures placements are meaningful for both students and staff. Workforce Training & Development Lead, Tori Doherty explains: “We’re working with the future workforce – we have to focus on early career capability to ensure continuity. It’s a big investment for Sonder because it’s so much more than a ‘tick and flick’ approach. Our goal is always to retain students, but even if they don’t move into a formal role with us, we know they leave job-ready, values-driven, and well-placed to serve the community.”

Vernae agrees: “I think about my own placement experiences and wish I had the learning opportunities students have here. At Sonder, they get professional development that prepares them for job interviews and early career success. With the workforce shortage we face, investing in emerging clinicians is critical.”

Behind the scenes

High-quality placements don’t just happen – they require careful planning to protect both students and staff. Sonder’s model ensures supervisors aren’t overloaded, with structured professional development delivered across the whole student cohort.

Dan explains “The students complete a full-day risk assessment training session, not only because it’s important and necessary, but because it means the leads and site supervisors don’t have to think about how they teach risk. They can just focus on the immediate day-to-day learning while students have a bigger framework in place.”

On the workforce side, Tori scopes placements, coordinates opportunities with Flinders University, and makes sure allocations are a good fit for both programs and students. Her role blends administration with advocacy – championing students’ capabilities, sourcing meaningful projects, and maintaining quality through feedback and check-ins.

This approach not only reduces pressure on frontline staff but also gives students exposure to a wide range of disciplines, from alcohol and other drugs (AOD) services to functional recovery in early psychosis, and even non-clinical areas such as community engagement. It also opens leadership opportunities for staff, with students often paired with team members keen to develop supervision skills.

A ringing endorsement

Perhaps the strongest endorsement of Sonder’s placement program comes from the students themselves. When asked whether they would recommend Sonder as a placement host, Cassie, Jen, and Liz are unanimous: the answer is a resounding “yes.”

At Sonder, placements are a deliberate and thoughtfully designed investment in the future of the workforce, and in the communities that workforce will serve. Students leave prepared for professional practice with skills, confidence, and values – and with an understanding of the kind of social workers they want to be.

Interested in joining Sonder?

At Sonder, we strive to help people in our community live better lives by providing high quality care, health and support services. You can view our current vacancies via our careers page. We also share opportunities on our LinkedIn page.