April 8, 2021

In celebration of National Internship Awareness Month this April, we are honoring three of our nine Mental Health Trainee alums: Stephanie Dearman, Martha McDermott and Aly Scrignoli. 

Because of their experience as mental health trainees in our internship program, Stephanie, Martha and Aly were able to grow in their careers at People Incorporated. All three transitioned to positions within the organization after their internships. 

Read more about what Stephanie, Martha and Aly are doing now at People Incorporated and how their experience in our trainee program helped advance their career while giving them a strong foundation of clinical skills.

Learn more about our Mental Health Trainee program called Pathways.

Stephanie Dearman, Mental Health Practitioner II, TACT Team

Being a trainee was a lifesaver for me and I am very proud to be a member of the first cohort!

I moved to the Twin Cities from Alabama 12 years ago and after some bad education and career choices, I realized my desire to be in the mental health field. I was a mental health trainee in 2016 and from June 2017 to March 2018, I worked as a Mental Health Practitioner I at Diane Ahrens Crisis Residence. I then became a Mental Health Practitioner II on the Transition Age Community Treatment or TACT team (formerly Youth Assertive Community Treatment).

This program has not only benefitted many new graduates – but it is also a tremendous asset to the company. I’m very proud to have been involved with the transition of the Youth ACT team to the TACT Team. We essentially created a new treatment model and I helped shape it from the ground up. I am excited for the future of this treatment model and our team!

Martha McDermott, Targeted Case Manager Team North

I was lucky enough to be part of the pilot program in 2016. It was my first job out of college and in the mental health field. I learned so much about how people utilize the community-based mental health system and what it means to provide person-centered care to someone navigating that system. I use that knowledge every day as a case manager. I also would be a fool to not mention the amazing friends that I made in the program. 

After working/shadowing at more than 20 programs, I knew that case management was the right fit for me and was lucky that a Targeted Case Manager position opened up right before graduation. It was at Team North and I have been there ever since.  

I am most proud of organizing a holiday music program for my colleagues and their families on Team North (including the Trainee Program’s very own Kathryn Dunleavy on Harp) in December. It was great to see everyone get excited to perform and share in music – even if it was virtually!

Aly Scrignoli, Program Supervisor, Eighth Street Residence

I started with People Incorporated as a Mental Health Trainee in June 2016 and am now a program supervisor at Eighth Street Residence (IRTS) in St. Paul.

The trainee program helped introduce me to the multitude of services there are in the mental health field so that I can also help clients with resources. The program made me resilient in ways I’m still discovering. It helped me set a foundation for clinical skills in the field and a motivation to continue to develop and advance in my career. 

I am currently in graduate school pursuing a Master’s in Social Work on the licensing track. In my spare time, I’m doing my best to stay in touch with friends during the pandemic, listening to podcasts on true crime and the macabre, watching movies and television shows, and performing concerts in my car and for my roommate.