The department supports students who wish to pursue psychology-related internships in Hillsdale and surrounding communities. A list of the most popular internships that previous students have completed appears below. For further information about internships, meet with a faculty member to discuss options.
Domestic Harmony
Domestic Harmony is a non-profit organization that houses battered women and runs a crisis line. It gives women who are in an abusive situation a safe place to live with their children while they make other arrangements. Counseling and legal services are also provided. A volunteer can work either as a shelter worker or a crisis worker. A shelter worker works at the shelter either during weekday evenings or weekend mornings, and responsibilities include answering the door, answering the phone, and assisting the women in the shelter with various needs. A crisis worker works on an on-call basis to take crisis calls that come into the shelter. A crisis worker is also responsible for picking up women and bringing them to the shelter. The staff at Domestic Harmony is committed to equipping women with the tools they need to regain control of their lives.
Head Start
Head Start is a half-day preschool program funded by the government. It provides children with two hot meals a day and a devoted staff. At Head Start, interns can work either in the classroom with the teachers, go on home visits, or ride the school bus. In addition to educating the 3, 4, and 5-year-olds, the Head Start school provides children with the security, encouragement, and attention that they may be missing at home.
The Region II Community Action Agency
The Community Action Agency is an umbrella organization responsible for running different community support programs. Though itself a private organization, much of the CAA’s funding is from public sources. Opportunities exist for observing meetings between social workers and persons seeking food or rent assistance. Other opportunities may include participation in a parenting skills class.
Court House Probation Work Program
Juvenile probation provides an internship possibility with a good deal of freedom. Every Saturday probation supervisors meet with the youth offenders to complete a set number of hours of community work service. The program provides opportunities for interns to build relationships with program participants, who range in age from six to seventeen. Interns may also have the opportunity to act as peer counselors.
Hillsdale Hospice
Hospice is nursing care and counseling for terminally ill patients. The work available for interns may include group therapy for families of deceased loved ones, help with Hospice fund raisers, and other office jobs.
Key Opportunities
Key Opportunities is a private non-profit vocational workshop located in Hillsdale County. While Key Opportunities meets the needs of companies in the area with quality labor, the institution’s main goal is to aid individuals experiencing physical, mental, or emotional limitations. Such individuals are trained and evaluated on jobs compatible with their unique abilities, in a safe and educational work environment. They learn how to communicate effectively with one another, conduct themselves properly in a work atmosphere, and other essential skills that open the door for employment opportunities within the community. Whether working side by side with experienced supervisors, interacting directly with the disabled, or observing, interns have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of a unique form of rehabilitation.
Family Independence Agency
This internship provides an excellent opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career as a social worker. The children services department is divided into two groups: those working with child protective services and those working with child foster care. Previous interns who have expressed an interest in field work have visited homes and schools to talk with children and adults involved in abusive or neglectful situations. Other interns with an interest in administrative tasks have been given projects that allow them to problem-solve and get acquainted with governmental paperwork.
Alpha Omega Women’s Care Center
Alpha Omega Women’s Care Center is a safe and confidential haven where individuals facing crisis pregnancies can come to receive accurate information and compassionate help.
Hillsdale Senior Center
Hillsdale County Senior Services Center is a private, non-profit organization established in 1983. The center is a place where persons over 50 enjoy pleasant surroundings and share new and interesting experiences with their contemporaries. HCSSC reaches out to provide a variety of programs and services designed to improve seniors’ health, support their independence, and encourage involvement in the community.
Local Schools
Schools in the surrounding areas accept interns to work with mentally and physically handicapped students. Schools that have accepted interns in the past include Greenfield and Gier.