Donate

Internship Program

Address:  Field sites in Southwest Denver & Far Northeast Denver — 1836 Grant Street  Denver, Colorado 80203 (office) –

Website:   www.cihadf.org 

Agency Description: 

Colorado “I Have a Dream” Foundation is partnering with graduate school programs in the fields of Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, and other Mental Health areas to serve as a field placement site for students who are seeking experiential opportunities working with youth and families in communities throughout the Denver Metro area.

Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation is a long-term partner to youth. We believe that through a deep, sustained commitment to students and their families, our community can thrive, and our work together can be a key catalyst in fighting systemic oppression. We travel side-by-side with the same group of youth and their families as they navigate education and life, offering academic, social, and emotional support as they learn, grow, and achieve their dreams. No one should take this journey alone. When we fulfill our promises, anything is possible. 

Since our founding in 1988, Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation has leveraged proven methods accounting for the whole child and given youth equal access to the resources they need to succeed. Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation removes barriers to academic success from elementary school to career through a comprehensive support model focused on four key components: 

  • Academic Development 
  • Emotional Wellness Development
  • College & Career Development
  • Systems Advocacy

In addition to being an Out of School time provider as described above, we offer free and low-cost Mental Health Therapy to clients ages 4-adult hood.

Treatment Methods:

Our treatment methods use a holistic approach to enhance the development of social-emotional learning and therapeutic practices.  The clinicians are able to consider the whole person and, therefore, can meet each client’s unique and individualized needs.  We are committed that each youth who receives our services will go from surviving to thriving. We emphasize the use of best practice methods for social and emotional learning and therapeutic interventions that are rooted in trauma-informed care to create an avenue to improve overall success in the classroom from kindergarten through early adulthood, at home, in the community, and beyond. We believe that it is vital for therapeutic success to form a trusting relationship with each client and the other stakeholders who support them.

Intern Experience: 

We provide opportunities to approximately ten trainees working on their advanced degrees in the mental health field. Combined, our interns have provided nearly 5,000 hours of service to support the social and emotional health, mental health, and overall well-being of the youth we work alongside youth and families in the southwest and far northeast of Denver. This placement is unpaid by our organization; however, we have served as a work-study site for some students. The internship program is divided into two parts.

The first is the Emotional Wellness Track which will be available to first-year graduate students in the field of social work.  The second is the Clinical Therapy Track which will be available to second-year graduate students in the area of social work or counseling.

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS TRACK:

The intern will:

Clinical Service Delivery

  • Program Facilitation
    • Facilitate targeted small group emotional wellness lessons for youth enrolled in the program needing extra support.
  • Collaboration & Feedback
    • Collaborate with other Clinical Team members and serves as a liaison with multi-disciplinary team members and external community partners.
    • Participate in coaching and feedback sessions with the Clinical Managers and Senior Director of Clinical Services to ensure the successful execution of organizational goals.
  • Data Analysis
    • Participate in clinical-based assessments to evaluate youth’s emotional wellness skills, including the Devereux Student’s Strengths Assessment and daily check-ins..
    • Analyze data and assist in intervention development to ensure youth and families’ success within the program.
  • Systems Advocacy
    • Serve as a liaison for youth, families, and community members to connect with resources to ensure needs are met, allowing everyone to thrive.  

Program Development

  • Community Resource Connection
    • Play an active role in securing and vetting community resources focused on supporting the needs of youth, families, and the greater community. 
  • Organizational Program Development
    • Collaborate with the Senior Director of Clinical Services in program evaluation and development opportunities.

CLINICAL THERAPY TRACK 

 The intern will: 

Clinical Service Delivery

  • Program Facilitation
    • Provide direct 1:1 therapy and management of clients, ages four through adulthood, by developing and implementing therapeutic treatment plans as well as developing a therapeutic relationship with clients (and families, where applicable) to assist with behavioral health challenges
    • Opportunities to collaborate, lead, monitor, and facilitate educational and therapeutic groups for clients and community members
  • Collaboration & Feedback
    • Collaborate with other Clinical Team members and serves as a liaison with multi-disciplinary team members and external community partners
    • Participate in 1:1 supervision with the Clinical Managers and Senior Director of Clinical Services to ensure the successful execution of organizational goals.
    • Attend and participate in group supervision opportunities with other interns
  • Data Analysis
    • Complete behavioral health assessments for treatment or crisis intervention
    • Analyze data and prepares case records, reports, and documentation to ensure compliance with state and federal standards of care


Supervision

Interns in Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation’s program will receive weekly one on one supervision from a licensed professional in the mental health field, regular larger group training throughout the year on therapeutic strategies and methods, ethics, etc., quarterly session observations from the Senior Director of Clinical Services, and participate in team meetings where case conceptualization is discussed. 

Candidate Requirements

  • Minimum of beginner level knowledge of child development and behavior
  • Experience working with clients from a diverse and underrepresented background
  • Understanding of systems 
  • 2nd Year students must have at least one year of experience working in a clinical setting to participate in the Clincial Therapy track.  Consideration will be given to 2nd-year interns who would like to participate in the Social and Emotional Wellness track.
  • The unwavering belief that all people can be successful
  • Record of accomplishment contributing to an organizational culture that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Strong team player
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop strong relationships across a diverse spectrum of stakeholders
  • Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, non-verbal)
  • There is no minimum or maximum requirement for hours; however, we ask that Interns are available to work the same schedule week after week 
  • Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking Spanish is highly preferred
  • Occasional evening or weekend hours 
  • Must be fingerprinted and pass a background check before the start of the internship. 

Application Process:

We are currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year (May or August start dates)

To apply, please visit this link. Applicants will be asked to submit a resume and answer questions related to their experience.

Timeline of 2023 Field Placements:

Applications will open February 1, 2023   


If you have any questions, please email Aimee Alcorn, LCSW, CCTP (Senior Director of Clinical Services) at aalcorn@cihadf.org or 303-861-5005 x116