Internships
Thank you for your interest in an internship at Bay State Community Services (BSCS)
Bay State Community Services (BSCS) is a leader in the field of behavioral health services, specializing in care for the most vulnerable children and families in our community. We are committed to preparing the next generation of behavioral health practitioners through our robust clinical and generalist training programs. BSCS partners with nationally recognized academic institutions to provide graduate-level clinical internships in a variety of practice settings including our outpatient clinic, residential programs, and home-based services. BSCS also offers bachelor’s level generalist direct service internships for social work and human service-related majors.
At BSCS we work hard to create a rich and meaningful learning environment for students while ensuring the unique and often complex needs of the people we serve are met in the most respectful and collaborative manner possible
Current employees or previous interns please contact Director of Training Stephanie Flaherty at sflaherty@baystatecs.org
GENERAL INTERNSHIP EXPECTATIONS
Bay State Community Services is committed to providing exceptional human services and clinical training to students who are preparing to practice in community-based behavioral health care settings with marginalized and disadvantaged children, families, and adults.
- Internship supervisors will work with students to develop individualized learning plans to help student reach their competency goals.
- Interns are expected to attend and actively participate in our weekly Professional Development and Training group.
- Interns are expected to attend a 3-day intensive training in preparation for their internship experience. The training is held three times per year, typically on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday prior to the start of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The training will include break-out sessions based on degree level (bachelor vs master) and program assignment.
- Given the nature of our work, the winter break between the fall and spring semesters should not exceed two weeks for bachelor level interns and one week for master level interns.
Students work with their individual supervisors and our training team to develop personalized learning plans designed to help them meet the BSCS internship practice competencies:
- Ethical and Professional Practice
- Trauma-informed Practice
- Practice with Vulnerable Populations
- Effective Engagement with Clients
- Comprehensive Assessment
- Evidenced-informed Interventions
- Practice in Behavioral Health Care Settings
APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1: Review the Available Internships tab which identifies all available internships with the organization. Applicants are encouraged to review opportunities available applicable to their educational program and degree. Applicants may select up to three internship opportunities for consideration.
Step 2: Apply on our Careers page and upload your resume and cover letter to include:
- The academic program and degree in which you are currently enrolled, and your anticipated graduation date;
- Any internship requirements established by your academic program including supervision requirements (ex. type and number of weekly and total supervision hours, number of clinical face-to-face contact hours, supervisor credentials, state and end dates, etc.);
- Explicitly state up to three internship placements for which you would like to be considered, ranked in order of preference; and
- Respond to the following prompts:
- After reading our mission statement and training philosophy, discuss why you think completing an internship at Bay State Community Services would be a good fit for you.
- Discuss the factors that led you to select each of your top three internship placement choices.
- Discuss the knowledge and/or skills that you hope to gain from completing an internship in a Bay State Community Services’ program.
- Briefly discuss your post-degree professional goals (immediately following graduation and five years post-graduation).
Applications will begin to be reviewed on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023 and acceptances will be rolling until intern positions are filled. Interviews will begin the week of Feb. 6, 2023.
Current employees or previous interns please contact Director of Training Stephanie Flaherty at sflaherty@baystatecs.org
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder’s Clinic- MASTERS LEVEL
As an intern you will have the opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team comprised of a psychiatrist, Nurse Practitioner, Clinicians, and Recovery Coaches to implement the Best Practice Model to individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral health needs.
As an intern you will have the opportunity to: Complete diagnostic assessments, provide individual therapy, and facilitate group treatment. The clinic serves adults, young adults, and children who present with substance use disorders and/or Mental Health Disorders.
Quincy Family Resource Center- MASTERS LEVEL
The Quincy Family Resource Center is part of a statewide initiative to provide accessible and responsive community-based services to all children, youth, and families who need immediate resources, referrals, educational group services, and short-term clinical supports.
As an intern you will be part of a team that is committed to addressing our communities’ social determinants of health by assisting with obtaining basic needs, completing assessments to determine service need, and collaborating with state agencies and our community partners.
Plymouth or Coastal Home-Based Services- MASTERS LEVEL
Home-based services provide intensive family clinical support in the home and community. In-Home Therapy Services (IHT) is a structured, consistent, strength-based therapeutic intervention that includes improving the family’s ability to provide effective support for the youth to promote his/her healthy functioning within the family. Interventions are designed to enhance and improve the family’s capacity to improve the youth’s functioning in the home and community and may prevent the need for the youth’s admission to an inpatient hospital, psychiatric residential treatment facility, or other treatment setting.
As an intern you will be part of a team that completes comprehensive diagnostic assessments, intensive family services, mentoring for the youth in the family and developing treatment plans with the family that are strength based.
C.R.E.W Adolescent Afterschool Program- BACHELORS LEVEL
The CREW program offers a structured, year-round therapeutic after school day program that is a strength based, recovery focused that is designed to meet the emotional and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents ages 6 through 18.
As an intern you will have the opportunity to participate in DMH team meetings, learn about milieu management, facilitate groups and make authentic connections with the youth.
DMH Flex Services-MASTERS LEVEL
The Flexible Support Services (FLEX) program provides youth and families supported by DMH the skills to address the child’s behavioral health needs. The team works collaboratively with the family, youth, community providers and DMH to develop therapeutic behavioral supports that enhance youth and family’s communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and limit setting skills while also increasing effective patterns of family interaction.
As an intern you will have the opportunity to work in the community with an experienced team and participate in intensive family services.
Prevention Services- MASTERS LEVEL
The Prevention Department manages several community-based prevention grants, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other government agencies, in the areas of youth substance use prevention, tobacco prevention, and overdose prevention. We work with community partners to promote health and well-being through local policy, practice, systems, and/or environmental changes. We strive to apply a racial equity and social justice lens throughout our work. Our team works to build relationships with community partners, conduct needs assessments and develop strategic plans, implement programs and social marketing campaigns, and conduct evaluations.
As an intern you will have the opportunity to participate in community organizing and engagement, community health, public health or macro social work, racial equity and social justice, health communications, and evaluation.
Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) BACHELORS OR MASTERS LEVEL
MOAR is the statewide advocacy organization that organizes individuals, families and friends into a collective voice to educate the public about the value of recovery from substance abuse.
MOAR coordinates numerous recovery events and champions recovery policies to ensure that all individuals and families have access to the supports they need.
As an intern you will have the opportunity to participate in event planning, legislation, advocacy and be part of a team of individuals who are using his/her/their lived experience to change the stigma associated with addiction.
Community Justice Support Center-MASTERS LEVEL
This program provides intensive rehabilitative services to individuals who have been referred from the local courts, through probation/parole, or returning citizens who choose to attend on a voluntary basis, and provides educational, career, and clinical supports.
As an intern you will be part of a collaborative team with the Office of Community Corrections, Probation, and the Trial Court in implementing evidence-based practices and curriculum to participants.
Requirements for all Internships
- Currently pursuing a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Human Services or closely related field
- Strong Computer Skills
- Ability to work a flexible schedule
- Valid MA driver’s license with acceptable driving record and current proof of insurance
- Acceptable CORI and SORI background record check as required by program
Internship Training Philosophy
Bay State Community Services is a leader in the field of behavioral health services, specializing in care for the most vulnerable children and families in our community. We are committed to preparing the next generation of behavioral health practitioners through our robust clinical and generalist training programs. BSCS partners with nationally recognized academic institutions to provide graduate-level clinical internships in a variety of practice settings including our outpatient clinic, residential programs, and home-based services. BSCS also offers bachelor’s level generalist direct service internships for social work and human service-related majors.
Interns will begin their training by exploring the ways in which the Socio-Ecological Model, the Person-in-Environment Perspective and the Strengths Perspective inform and shape practice. Throughout their training, students will participate in didactic seminars, case presentations, clinician observations, individual and group supervision, and direct practice. Students learn and practice a range of evidence-based and research-informed engagement, assessment, and intervention methods drawn from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, trauma-informed, attachment, and humanistic frameworks. Our training curriculum reinforces and promotes the critical thinking and problem-solving skills required of behavioral health providers to meet the complex needs of the people whom we serve.
Students work with their individual supervisors and our training team to develop personalized learning plans designed to help them meet the BSCS internship practice competencies:
- Ethical and Professional Practice
- Trauma-informed Practice
- Practice with Vulnerable Populations
- Effective Engagement with Clients
- Comprehensive Assessment
- Evidenced-informed Interventions
- Practice in Behavioral Health Care Settings
In addition to extensive direct practice experience, our primary internship trainers collectively hold more than 35 years of higher education teaching experience as current or previous teaching faculty at Boston-based universities.