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Student Internship
On Going Internship Opportunities
Excelsior offers both graduate and undergraduate professional internships to students in the mental health field. Excelsior establishes contracts with Colleges and Universities to offer students a professional experience where the student can get a hands on experience working in the mental health field. Internships are unpaid, however, students typically earn college credit through specific guidelines set forth by their individual school.
Excelsior has internship sites available for 8 undergraduate and 8 graduate candidates at a time. Although internships may begin and conclude at various time periods through out the year, they usually follow traditional semester timelines. Specific hours an intern will work is determined based on the individual College/ University expectations. An intern must be at least 21 years of age.
Completing an internship with Excelsior Youth Center does not imply future employment by Excelsior. An intern may apply for employment, but preferential treatment is not given to any candidate.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Internship candidates complete an application
that can be found on the Excelsior website or distributed from the
Internship Coordinator at their local College/ University. Applications
are submitted directly from the internship candidate and processed
by the Employment and Internship Coordinator at Excelsior.
INTERVIEWS: The Employment and Internship Coordinator processes
all applications and evaluates these based on completion of application,
previous experience in the field, education and answers provided regarding
previous history; specifically criminal charges. If offered a formal
interview, the candidate will be given a standard set of questions,
both verbally and written. Once the candidate is determined to be
a qualified individual, their application and identifying paperwork
is submitted for background and professional reference checks. The
candidate will be informed that an internship position is available
for them pending receipt of results of the Expedited Background check
described below, which will be completed within 1 week of the applicant
releasing pertinent information. The candidate will be asked to provide
previous names and addresses, their social security number and date
of birth. During this process, if any arrests are revealed or a candidate
receives less than positive references, the Executive Director will
be consulted before an internship offer is made. After this process
is completed the individual is assigned to a supervisor at Excelsior.
BACKGROUND AND REFRENCE CHECKS: Excelsior Youth Center is
required to conduct a full background check on all potential interns.
Background checks include reports from a private pre-screening company,
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Bureau of Investigation,
Central Registry of Child Protection, and verification of related
experience. Negative findings from any background check may result
in rejection or expulsion of the intern candidate at any time during
the professional relationship between Excelsior Youth Center and the
Student Intern. CBI and FBI checks: Student Interns must have their
fingerprints taken as required by the Colorado Department of Human
Services. These finger prints are completed at Excelsior Youth Center.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
screen the fingerprints. If the fingerprint background check reveals
any arrest, Excelsior Youth Center reserves the right to terminate
the internship relationship. New employees must complete authorization
for Excelsior's background check and Colorado Department of Human
Services "Background Investigation Unit Facility Inquiry form."
If the intern is reported to be on the Statewide Automated Child Welfare
database "TRAILS," Excelsior will not accept the potential
internship candidate.
RECORD KEEPING: A permanent record shall be made of all interns
who are under contract with Excelsior Youth Center. Such records shall
be kept in a separate folder for each person. All personnel records
are the exclusive property of Excelsior Youth Center. An intern who
wishes to review their personal record may do so only at the discretion
of the Human Resource Director and Internship Coordinator. Review
of personnel records is done in the presence of the Internship Coordinator.
An Intern who wishes to have additional information included in their
file may submit such documentation to the Internship Coordinator.
In addition, Excelsior Youth Center may request copies of documents
for insertion into permanent personnel records for verification of
standard information as well as for changes in information contained
therein.
NEW INTERN ORIENTATION & TRAINING: All new interns are
required to begin attending a "New Employee/ Intern Orientation"
program within the first 45 days of beginning their internship. This
orientation will include information regarding: agency policy, history,
intake, treatment, school, cottage life, the Team and Treatment Coordinator
role, emergency procedures, personnel policies and procedures. Additionally,
interns with direct contact with clients will attend workshops that
review treatment concepts and basic counseling skills. Individual
training will take place with the Interns Excelsior supervisor. Interns
must have direct supervison by their assigned supervisor during the
first 20 hours of interning, Future supervision of the intern can
be done by other Excelsior staff members as agreed upon by the indivdual's
Internship Supervisor.
INTERN I.D. CARDS AND KEYS: Interns are given an Identification
Card at the time they complete their finger prints. The Scheduling
Coordinator prepares the cards within the first two days of an internship.
Interns are responsible to wear their ID's while on duty. ID's are
to be turned in upon termination of the internship relationship. Interns
are not issued keys to any Excelsior building or door.
INTERNSHIP CONTRACTS AND EVALUATIONS: :All potential Interns
must have a signed agreement between their school and the Executive
Director of Excelsior Youth Center prior to an internship beginning.
The contract must include the purpose of the internship, the responsibilities
of the university, the responsibilities of the agency, and the number
of hours the student is expected to perform. Each intern is responsible
to have their own malpractice insurance and the University provides
professional liability insurance. Each university or college will
provide written evaluation material to their student at least one
month prior to the required submission date. Internship supervisors
at Excelsior agree to complete necessary evaluations and meet with
the internship coordinator at the school a minimum of one hour a semester.
GRADUATE LEVEL RESPONSIBILITES: The intern is assigned to a specific living unit/ cottage that are supervised by an LPC. The intern would assist the Team and Treatment Coordinator with all aspects of the therapist job; including individual therapy, team processing, group facilitation, family therapy, development of treatment plans, documentation of all therapy contacts, monthly progress reports of assigned clients, and critical incident reports for assigned clients. The intern may attend staffings, court reviews and clinical supervision with the consulting psychiatrists. The intern is expected to establish and maintain a schedule for the semester.
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL RESPONSIBILITES: The intern is assigned
to a specific living unit/ cottage. The intern would be supervised
directly by a senior group living staff member, which is typically
someone with a minimum of a bachelor's degree. The intern would assist
the group living staff with all aspects of the counselor job; including
direct supervision for clients, team processing, group facilitation,
instruction and observation of life skills, academic tutoring, and
individual counseling of clients. The intern may complete daily logging
to include critical incident reports, general logging, significant
event documentation, individual logging and monthly progress reports.
They may also attend staffings, court reviews and clinical supervision
with the consulting psychiatrists. It is expected that the intern
will spend one day observing and assisting in the Intervention Unit
and Treatment and Learning Center, as well as one day job shadowing
the intervention specialist during the school day. The intern is expected
to establish and maintain a schedule for the semester. They may actively
participate in recreational activities with the cottage, review treatment
plans for individual students and understand how these are implemented
by the cottage staff and therapists.
An intern can never be responsible for independent supervision of
a client. They may not transport/ drive an Excelsior client and they
may not physically intervene in a crisis situation.
Download an internship application
For more information please contact Becky Davis at 303-693-1550x230 or email beckyd@excelsioryc.org.
