Master's Level Clinical Internship: Early Childhood In-Home Program

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 kidsRegardless 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 careerIn 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.
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 internship is an in-home therapy position and includes a group therapy component if you need over 20 hours per week. Interns will learn how to provide services to educate and support families to become empowered to better self-advocate and navigate the various systems with more confidence and skill, as well as providing specialized direct services to children and their families, in their homes, schools, and communities. Intern will learn about and observe Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and additional evidenced practices to address traumatic events/triggers, locate protective factors, provide developmental guidance and provide emotional support. 
Group Therapy involves 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.
            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·