Master's Level Internship: Family Focused Program (Therapeutic Classroom)
Minneapolis, MN
Clinical Internships – Fall Internships /
Intern /
On-site
Washburn Center's Master’s level Interns gain professional development and a solid foundation of clinical knowledge as they build careers in mental health therapy. Our unique program offers collaborative and direct field placements to graduate students exploring careers in children’s community mental health.
Use your internship to actively improve the lives of MN kids
Regardless of where Interns are placed, each student will get first-hand experience working with children accessing mental health services, and will support families alongside both peers and independently licensed Therapists and Case Managers.
Our field placements offer hands-on training in individual, family and/or group therapy, as well as case management, and Interns will focus in on center-based, home-based or school-based therapy. While most placements stem out of Washburn Center’s Minneapolis office, majority of interns will spend much of their time in the community.
Gain knowledge you'll use for the rest of your career
In addition to case consultations and in-service workshops, learning opportunities for master’s level internships include: diagnostic assessments, case management, development of treatment plans, progress notes and discharge summaries. Internships are typically a nine month experience from Aug/Sept to May.
Pathways Fellowship for BIPOC Interns:
Washburn Center for Children’s Pathways Fellowship aims to support people of color pursuing a career in the mental health field by reducing social, economic and racial barriers. Pathways builds upon Washburn Center’s clinical internship program and its long-time commitment to training professionals in children’s mental health. This fellowship supports the pathway to independent licensure for interns pursuing their Masters degree in Social Work, Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy and Psychology.
Fellows receive:
• mentoring with an experienced clinician of color
• a cohort experience to build comradery and support with other Pathways Fellows (twice monthly, 90 minute meetings)
• a fellowship grant in the amount of $7500 to assist with expenses while pursuing graduate education or licensure
BIPOC Interns who are hired as interns for the 2024/2025 co-hort can apply for a Pathways Fellowship during the Pathways Interview Process in Summer 2024.
COVID Vaccine Policy
As part of Washburn Center for Children’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and to comply with federal, state, and local government regulations, Washburn requires COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, for:
- All employees
- All interns/trainees/fellows
Exemptions for medical or religious reasons may be requested. Exemptions will be considered for medical reasons and due to religious beliefs. Please notify the HR team if you would like to request an exemption
The Family Focused program is an early childhood mental health program that serves families with children ages birth to kindergarten who are having social, emotional, behavioral difficulties, have been exposed to traumatic events, and/or are experiencing environmental stressors. The program offers intensive in-home family therapy in addition to and intensive therapeutic group programming when indicated. Family Focused is designed to strengthen the parent-child relationship while supporting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning across all areas of development. In home therapists in this program are trained in Child Parent Psychotherapy, an empirically supported treatment for children with histories of exposure to traumatic stress and/or disruptions in their primary attachment relationships. Group therapists are trained in the Developmental Repair Model, an intensive milieu based group treatment model for supporting children in distress.
This position is a group position, working with preschool aged children, ages 3-5. Children are referred to the group by their family focused in home clinician, and attend 4 half days a week for approximately one year as part of their on-going intensive mental health treatment.
As an integral part of the group treatment team, interns will work daily with group therapists in implementing Developmental Repair and treatment plan interventions through the provision of group therapy and group skills interventions to 8 children. This position does not carry a case load of in home clients, though some shadowing may be possible. The intern typically work 16 to 20 hours per week with the following shift:
Morning Internship: Monday through Thursday, 9:15 AM to 12:45 PM
Afternoon Internship: Monday through Thursday, 12:45 PM to 4:30 PM
Clinical interns also receive the following supports:
· Individual 1 hour supervision per week
· Team meetings on Friday’s from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
· 6 hour Crisis Prevention Intervention training
· Training in Developmental Repair
· Daily debriefing with group therapists
· Weekly team consultation/collaboration
Responsibilities
Group Therapy & Group Skills
The intern, along with clinicians, support classroom treatment for children ages 3 to 5 through:
· Work with co-group facilitators to provide and lead scheduled group services
· Plan and lead therapeutic activities based on the child’s individual treatment plan goals and objectives, developmental needs, and therapeutic group themes once per week
· Review, discuss, and plan therapeutic interventions and group activities with therapists each week
· Lead a group environment that demonstrates consistency, respectful communication, safety, predictability, clear limits, and encouragement
· Intervene respectfully, safely, and directly to maintain the children’s physical and emotional safety and use therapeutic approaches to help prevent aggressive, destructive, and harmful behavior
· Coordinate care with in home clinicians and co-develop accurate case formulations based on children’s strengths and needs
· Assess appropriateness of fit for both services and diagnoses throughout treatment
Documentation
Interns will train in:
· Writing clinical progress notes
· All interns and clinicians are to ensure Minnesota and HIPAA data privacy requirements are followed
· Exposure to diagnostic assessments and treatment planning with Supervisor
Supervision and Professional Development
Interns are invited to:
· Attend debriefing meetings at the end of each group session
· Attend weekly case consultation and staff meetings each Friday
· Receive one-hour weekly supervision session
· Complete on-line Learning Management System trainings
· Exposure to early childhood mental health interventions and tools, including DC 0-5 assessments and Child Parent Psychotherapy
· Opportunities for weekly care coordination and collaboration with in home clinicians
Internship Requirements
- Must be enrolled in Master's program of Social Work, Counseling Psychology or Professional Psychology that leads to LPCC and LICSW licensure
- Must be earning academic credit for an internship placement
- Must be able to meet the day/hour requirements of the internship
- Applicants should be flexible, resourceful, and demonstrate knowledge of cultural diversity and the role of culture in the therapeutic process
- Knowledge and application of trauma informed practice and experience working with children that have experienced trauma is desired
- Practical and theoretical knowledge of infant and child development desired
The intern typically work 16 to 20 hours per week with the following shift:
Morning Internship: Monday through Thursday, 9:15 AM to 12:45 PM
Afternoon Internship: Monday through Thursday, 12:45 PM to 4:30 PM
COVID Vaccine Policy
As part of Washburn Center for Children’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and to comply with federal, state, and local government regulations, Washburn requires COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, for:
- All employees
- All interns/trainees/fellows
Exemptions for medical or religious reasons may be requested. Exemptions will be considered for medical reasons and due to religious beliefs. Please notify the HR team if you would like to request an exemption
