Clinical Internship

Overview

For current graduate students looking for a site to complete all or part of their internship hours as part of their Master of Arts in Counseling or Social Work.  Dr. Melinda Johnson is the Internship Program Director for Real Life Community Behavioral Health and Real Life Counseling (our sister company). 

Real Life Community Behavioral Health is a licensed Behavioral Health Agency in Clark County, WA. This Masters Level Intern is responsible for the provision of mental health outpatient therapy in a private practice setting, utilizing in-office and tele-health services. We work with a combination of Medicaid Funded Insurances. We also provide weekly supervision for both internship program and agency policy purposes.  We adhere to the standards and expectations set forth by our Behavioral Health Agency(BHA) License through the State of Washington.

Thank you for your consideration in applying to the counseling internship program!

Our goal for our internship program is to be a part of creating competent professionals for our community and our profession.  We accept applications on a rolling basis. Please review the Internship position description and the information on this page. If you feel you meet the qualifications,  complete the internship application and review submission guidelines below.

Purpose

RLCBH will be a center of learning for graduate Interns/students, to produce interns that know, understand, and are confident in the multiple facets of this work. From business, to counseling techniques and approaches, RLCBH seeks to be a part of the growth process of individuals from internship through to licensure. We strive to provide a quality & robust counseling experience to promote individuals in becoming confident competent independently licensed clinicians.

Goals

To have a collaborative working relationship between Intern, supervisor and our RLCBH team. Give a broad working experience with different client needs and populations. We provide a flexible opportunity that seeks to align with their long term goals and provide purposeful engagements. To grow in their skills and knowledge of the counseling profession, including the clinical modalities/techniques, to provide training in documentation for a confidence in state and BHA standards.

Direct Service Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide therapy to individuals, couples, and families (if qualified) utilizing evidence-based practices in office and tele-health settings.
• Work from a strengths-based/team-based approach in coordinating the provision of services.
• Intern will occasionally interact with community partners and resources as part of some case management activities when the clients present with needing additional resources (e.g. - engaging with their PCP or med management provider, accessing addiction related service, etc)
• Know or learn the service expectations of our Behavioral Health License, including service and documentation standards (we provide training on this and, as an Intern, one would be responsible for following these standards).
• Complete documentation and billing within expected timelines.
• Maintain a weekly minimum  10-12  sessions/week (5-8 during practicum)
• Counseling Services - including harm reduction strategies, family systems approach of identifying social roles, relationships, and family functioning, is trauma-informed, and utilizes evidence-based interventions.
• Complete, assess, and integrate provided assessments as part of the treatment planning process, as needed (e.g. - PHQ9, GAD7, PCL-5, etc).
• Participate in weekly individual or small-group supervision with a direct supervisor and every other week large-group supervision for 6 hours of supervision provided monthly.
• Complete initial orientation training and Relias training within the first week of onboarding and annual training as requested by the supervisor.
• Operate within the Rules and Ethics of your field, the Intern’s educational institution, and as outlined in Washington State RCW/WAC, NASW, AAMFT, and/or ACA.

RLCBH/RLC Interns Get

• Experience in mental health counseling with opportunities to serve a wide range of clients including children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.  
• High quality, weekly individual supervision.
• Opportunities to shadow therapists.
• Opportunities to ask questions, put classroom learning into practice, and support from an experienced team.
• This position is considered a "volunteer" position designed to assist Intern Clinicians to meet & achieve their program client face to face and indirect hours. 

Qualifications and Internship Expectations

• Currently enrolled graduate students who are completing requirements for a master’s level degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy or closely  related fields of study and be in good standing.
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills and professional demeanor.
• Candidates must be able to work a varied schedule.
• Follow the signed RLCBH Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
• Have a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor license or be able to obtain one by start date that is in "pending" or "active" status.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Applicants must successfully complete and pass a background check, prior to being offered an official Intern offer. 
• Be a team player/worker - RLCBH takes a collaborative approach to providing services through regular supervision and engagement with other staff members.
• Be able to provide services professionally in both office and telehealth settings.
• This position includes the possibility of a flexible schedule and set based on intern’s school needs, office availability, and supervisor/client availability.
• It is expected that Interns will manage their own Agency Affiliated Counselor Credential requirements and maintain an “Active” & “In good standing” qualification in regards to their legal/ethical responsibilities in the state they are practicing and supervisor they are under.

Your Commitment & Anticipated Schedule

• Minimum of 10-12 direct client hours a week 
• Weekly 1 hour supervision meeting 
• 5-10 hours of indirect time i.e. paperwork, treatment planning, and progress notes.
• Additional hours as required by your program.
• Services can be provided in the office and/or via telehealth. Telehealth preference can be increased based upon intern preference and client availability
• Interns are provided office space to adequately provide their caseload of in-office sessions. We request that assigned office space is utilized a minimum of 75% of the time for completed sessions, in-person.

Submission Materials - Please submit the following

• Internship Application (you can copy a paste it from below and attach it to your cover letter as one document)
• Cover letter that includes: 1) What made you choose a career in mental health? 2) Why are you seeking an internship at RLCBH/RLC?  3) What could you bring to RLCBH/RLC and the people we serve? 
• Resume 
• One Letter of Recommendation (Faculty and/or Supervisors only) - Can be added to either your Resume or Cover Letter as one document
• The materials can be uploaded here via the Resume and Cover letter upload tabs (be sure to include within the cover letter the below Internship Application Information along with the letter of recommendation).  

Internship Application to Copy and Paste & Add to your cover letter

Full Name (First & Last): _______________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________

Address (Street, City, State, Zip): ____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Phone: __________________________________      Leave Voicemail? (Y/N): _________    Email: ______________________________ 

University Attending: ____________________________________________  

Program: _____________________________________________________ 

Anticipated Completion by: _______________________________________ 

When is your practicum/internship start date? _______________________________________________________________________ 

How did you hear about this internship site (Internet/Website, Current Team Member, Internship Fair, Other?)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List any specific populations that you are hoping to work with:  ______________________________________________________ 

What theoretical orientation(s) might you explore during your internship experience? ______________________________

What are your strengths? ______________________________________________________________________________________________