Practicum / Internship Opportunities

Position Summary

People Incorporated is a Twin Cities non-profit organization providing a spectrum of interrelated services to help people with mental illness to live independently as much as possible in the community. A bachelor’s level practicum will provide an opportunity for the student to be placed within our Case Management Division and will allow the student to gain exposure to meeting clients from all different backgrounds in their homes in effort to link them with various community resources that will assist the person is staying in their preferred environment of choice. This is an unpaid practicum.

Work will include

• Observing and following various mental health practitioners and professionals as they provide resource information and referral with people who are faced with various aspects of mental illness and/or chemical dependency.
• Learning how to work with a diverse population and how to participate on a multi-disciplinary team in providing individual rehabilitative skills teaching in promoting independence.
• Learning how to prepare reports and what is required in documentation for reimbursement of services.
• Understanding and learning core competency skills associated with various job roles within the Case Management Division. 

Time Commitment

Days of the week and time of day are flexible to meet student’s schedules and program needs. Some flexibility in hours (day and evening) is preferred to accommodate client schedules.

Responsibilities

1. Attend initial Onboarding and Orientation sessions outlining People Incorporated’s mission, philosophy of care, and policies and procedures.
2. Respect and follow HIPAA and Vulnerable Adult reporting procedures as depicted in orientation in relation to both written and verbal communication.
3. Observe task supervisor and–when authorized–participate in conducting various interventions with people we serve, and be able to incorporate constructive feedback given into daily practice.
4. Be open to learning about the complexities and stigma associated with mental illness and addiction, and be able to identify how certain attitudes, beliefs and values of the practitioner affect service delivery.
5. Attend and participate in individual and group supervision meetings, trainings, staff meetings, or other meetings as required.

Qualifications

1. Ability to participate as a team member and to accept responsibility
2. Ability to follow direction and seek supervision and consultation when needed
3. Uphold the ethics & professional standards of social work
4. Openness to discuss attitudes, biases, values or experiences that may affect your ability to work with clients
5. Ability to communicate observations, questions, and/or concerns to task supervisor, site supervisor, and field instructor as needed
6. Supervision: Hour-long meetings with academic approved supervisor held on a weekly basis

Training

At the onset of the training experience, each student develops a plan for structuring his or her practicum experience by completing a learning contract. Learning opportunities and training begin with an extensive orientation to the organization as a whole, to the specific programs, and to various policies and procedures guiding the scope of practice. Methods of observation and supervised direct work with clients are provided to gain exposure to necessary core competencies associated with various job roles at the program sites. Both individual and group experiences are provided to allow the student to experience the differences between these modalities. Ongoing evaluation is done throughout the internship by the task supervisor and in conjunction with the field instructor to intentionally make the connection between theory learned in the classroom and actual practice.

These practicum are available several times each year for spring, summer and fall opportunities. To check for current practicum availability, click here. All applications will be reviewed, and qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview to determine appropriate placement. 

Interviews will be held every April and May in accordance with undergraduate school timelines for summer block and fall full-time placement.

For more information, contact Anne.Boone@PeopleIncorporated.org.

Position Summary

People Incorporated is a Twin Cities non-profit organization providing a spectrum of interrelated services to help people with mental illness to live independently as much as possible in the community. A master’s level practicum will provide an opportunity for the student to strengthen their area of interest by learning how to sharpen their skills in relation to engagement, assessment, goal setting, intervention, and evaluation with the people we serve.  At present, People Incorporated offers a continuum of services that span the needs of people with mental illness and addiction ranging from Crisis, Intensive Residential Treatment Services, Adult Foster Care/Supported Living Services, Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment, Community Support Programs, Out-patient Mental Health Services, Homeless Services and in-home based services, including nursing care.  Depending on the intern’s area of interest, one of these settings will be the focus of their training experience with People Incorporated. This is an unpaid internship.

Work Includes

• Providing recovery-based therapeutic interventions with people who are faced with various aspects of mental illness and/or chemical dependency. Responsibilities will include educating, supporting, and advocating for people who are experiencing problematic symptoms that are interfering with their ability to lead meaningful lives.
• Learning how to work with a diverse population, and how to participate on a multi-disciplinary team in providing either individual or group rehabilitative skills teaching in promoting independence.
• Being proficient in report preparation and documentation skills necessary for meeting documentation guidelines required for reimbursement.
• Connecting individuals with needed resources and involving family support throughout service delivery.

Time Commitment

Days of the week and time of day are flexible to meet students’ schedules and program needs. Some flexibility in hours (day and evening) is preferred to accommodate client schedules.

Responsibilities

1. Attend initial on-board and orientation sessions outlining People Incorporated’s mission, philosophy of care, and various policies and procedures.
2. Respect and follow HIPAA and Vulnerable Adult reporting procedures as depicted in orientation in relation to both written and verbal communication.
3. Work with task supervisor in conducting therapeutic approaches with people we serve, and be able to incorporate constructive feedback given into daily practice.
4. Be open to learning about the complexities and stigma associated with mental illness and addiction and strive to demonstrate a recovery philosophy in working with individuals.
5. Attend and participate in individual and group supervision meetings, trainings, staff meetings, or other meetings as needed.
6. Complete all necessary paperwork and/or other duties as assigned by site supervisor.

Qualifications

1. Ability to work as a team member and to accept responsibility.
2. Ability to act independently and to seek supervision and consultation when needed.
3. Uphold the ethics & professional standards according to applicable board of discipline.
4. Openness to discuss attitudes, biases, values or experiences that may affect your ability to work with clients.
5. Have basic computer skills needed for documentation and record keeping.

Supervision

Hour-long meetings with academic approved supervisor held on a weekly basis. Regularly scheduled team case consultation.

Training

At the onset of the training experience each student develops a plan for structuring their practicum experience by completing a learning contract.  Learning opportunities and training begin with an extensive orientation to the organization as a whole, to the specific program, and to various policies and procedures guiding scope of practice. Methods of observation and direct work with clients are provided to ensure competency in the areas of engagement, assessment, treatment planning, therapeutic intervention and evaluation utilized in both individual and group modalities. Ongoing evaluation is done throughout the practicum by the task supervisor and in conjunction with the academic institution.

These practicum are available several times each year for spring, summer and fall opportunities. To check for current practicum availability, click here. All applications will be reviewed, and qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview to determine appropriate placement. 

Interviews will be held every April and May in accordance with Graduate school timelines for summer block and fall full-time placement.

For more information, contact Anne.Boone@PeopleIncorporated.org.

What It Is

A new field training experience for Master’s-level mental health students with a desire to learn more about working with children and adults affected by mental health issues.

How It Works

Interested individuals apply to become volunteers with People Incorporated and commit forty hours of time over a four-week period (ten hours each week). Hours are flexible, depending on the student’s schedule and the availability of program staff. The program is conducted on-site at several People Incorporated programs across the Twin Cities two times a year in June and October. Students identify four programs/areas of interest among the following, one for each week:

• Outpatient Mental Health – Individual, group, and family therapy
• Children and Family Services – Mental health and family support services
• Intensive Residential Services – Residential treatment for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness
• Assertive Community Treatment – Team approach to providing community-based psychiatric services, rehabilitation, and support to homeless individuals with severe and persistent mental illness
• Community Support Services – Deaf supportive living; epilepsy and mental health services; assisting with finding stable housing; working toward achievement of goals around employment, education, and volunteering; customized living and independent living skills training
• Huss Center for Recovery – Residential and outpatient treatment for co-occurring mental illness and chemical dependency issues
• Homeless Services – Assist chronically homeless adults with mental illness in achieving goals related to safety, stability, and recovery
• Case Management – Targeted mental health services, case management, and waivered case management

Objectives

Students in a mental-health-related Master’s program will become familiar with various services for individuals with mental health challenges and/or severe and persistent mental illness, and will gain a better understanding of individuals suffering from these conditions. Specifically, students will:

• Identify areas in which additional experience is desired
• Gain a better understanding of mental health symptoms and resulting impairments
• Learn the concept of recovery to promote greater independence for clients with severe mental illness
• Gain experience in understanding the relationship between mental illness and chemical dependency
• Gain experience in understanding various complications and complexities for clients with severe mental illness
• Increase comfort levels in working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness

For More Information

If interested, please notify your training director or contact Dr. Sue Hoisington, People Incorporated’s Clinical and Training Services Director, at 612-872-2003 or Sue.Hoisington@PeopleIncorporated.org.

The White-McGhee-Sims Internship Scholarship program is open to graduate students of color pursuing a degree in an area of study pertaining to the family (i.e. social work, psychology, marriage and family, or professional counseling).

Click here for more information.

Who May Apply

The pre-doctoral psychology internship at People Incorporated is available to PhD and PsyD students participating in the National Match for Fall 2016. Click here for a brochure.

Training

Training is structured to address the following areas of learning:

• Competence in a client-centered approached to assisting individuals on their own path of recovery
• Competence in psychotherapy and psychological interventions
• Ethics and professional behaviors
• Sensitivity to cultural and diversity needs
• Competence in differential diagnostic assessment
• Utilization of supervision and understanding the role of consultation

Other clinical training includes:

• Participation in a formal case conference
• Various consultation opportunities
• Diagnostic evaluations utilizing various measures
• Opportunities to participate in a variety of trainings offered through People Incorporated

Specific expectations of the internship, training content, and arrangement of time must be approved by People Incorporated, the intern, and the graduate school program.

Time Commitment

The doctoral internship requires a full-time commitment to on-site training of 2,000 hours. The intern can arrange for up to two weeks of paid time off. The clinic is closed on holidays.

Stipend

People Incorporated offers a stipend of $18,500 to doctoral-level psychology interns in training at the clinic.

To Apply

This internship is part of the National Matching Services; more information on the application process can be found on their website. The deadline to apply is December 1st.

Questions

Any questions about the internship can be directed to Sue.Hoisington@PeopleIncorporated.org.