Intern Policy
Onboarding Interns
Droste has a limited number of internship opportunities each year. Interns are different from volunteers, staff, or independent contractors as they are working on agreed-upon tasks in exchange for academic credit. Interns do not receive separate payment for the hours worked.
For any person who is accepted as an intern, certain paperwork is required including:
1) Letter of Agreement that outlines the policies and procedures, especially around confidentiality, that the intern is agreeing to
2) Copy of Resumé,
3) School Agreement/Contract outlining what the school’s responsibilities are, what the intern’s responsibilities are, and what Droste’s responsibilities are,
4) New Team Member Info Page
5) Liability insurance (sometimes interns have to purchase separately, sometimes school provides)
All interns will then receive onboarding training that will include an orientation to Droste and a review of any policies or procedures applicable to their work.
Interns at Droste will either be assigned programmatic tasks (generalist interns) or clinical work (clinical interns).
Supervision
All interns at Droste receive at least one hour of supervision weekly with additional supervision time available as needed. Some years, group supervision may also be included as part of the supervision plan. It is each intern’s responsibility to come to supervision prepared with questions, challenges, or successes to discuss. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure time is dedicated for supervision each week.
School Assignments
Each program has different requirements regarding what assignments are expected to be completed as a part of the internship experience. It is the student’s responsibility to know if there are journals, process recordings, or other assignments like an education plan needed and to complete them in a timely fashion. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to provide timely and substantive feedback on those assignments (within one week).
Similarly, the intern is responsible for asking for any necessary evaluations and providing at least a week’s notice for those evaluations.
Programmatic Interns (Generalist)
There are a number of projects that programmatic interns may be assigned to work on at Droste. In the initial discussions about the possibility of placement, a Droste representative and the potential intern will discuss projects currently available and the intern’s area of interest to determine a mutually agreed-upon work agreement. Sometimes this is a specific project, sometimes it is an agreement on categories of assignments. These interns are typically either a first year student with prior work experience or a second-year student in a policy or programming track. The projects agreed upon will determine if the placement is a virtual, in-person, or hybrid placement.
Clinical Interns
Droste Mental Health Services clinical placement is largely an in-person placement with virtual options. The intern’s specific schedule should be discussed and agreed upon by the supervisor at the start of the placement. Intern’s main work will be clinical work with clients determined by Supervisor at Droste. This may include phone intakes and assessments, individual sessions, family sessions, couples counseling, or clinical groups.
School Agreements & Requirements
Sign an Affiliation Agreement between school and agency (placement). Each school should provide their specific agreement to Droste.
Ultimately, you as the student are responsible for knowing your school’s requirements. Droste is committed to completing any documentation requested in a timely manner, including education plans or evaluations, but it is each student’s do our part to aid in the completion of the requirements (such as process recording feedback, etc) but each intern is responsible for providing timely notification to Droste of any needed items.