Student Mental Health Intern

INTERN ASSIGNMENT: Project AWARE

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP: The Student Mental Health Intern reports to the Director of Behavioral Health Support or, in their absence, to the Chief Outreach Officer. In addition, the intern will receive guided support and coaching from the Behavioral Heath Support Services Project Coordinator. The worksite supervisor will provide day-to-day supervision while the Student Mental Health Intern temporary employee is at the actual worksite.

SCOPE OF INTERNSHIP: The Student Mental Health Intern is responsible for fully participating in a paid work experience for the required amount of time indicated in the time requirements section. Time is spent on the worksite and in educational activities, engaging in teen mental health initiatives, developing leadership skills, and contributing to the improvement of mental health services in the community. The intern will work closely with the Project AWARE team and peers, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment for positive change.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Meet weekly with the Director of Behavioral Health Support and the Behavioral Heath Support Services Project Coordinator to discuss weekly objectives and report on progress.
2. Research and gain familiarity with Rachel’s Challenge and collaborate with peers to create a regional vision for amplifying teen voices in local initiatives.
3. Network with youth leaders in the region to establish connections and partnerships for collaborative efforts related to teen mental health.
4. Obtain district advisor points of contact and youth leader points of contact for effective communication and coordination.
5. Outreach to and coordinate with local district advisors regarding mental health initiatives, ensuring smooth collaboration.
6. Assist in interviewing regional youth to understand and document teen mental health challenges, contributing valuable insights to the Mental Health Community of Practice (COP).
7. Actively participate in mental health trainings such as Aevidum, Mind Matters and Question/Persuade/Refer (QPR), and provide constructive feedback based on your perspective.
8. Conduct research on barriers to accessing mental health services from a youth perspective, contributing to a better understanding of the challenges faced by young individuals.
9. Assist in Project AWARE record keeping processes to ensure organized and efficient project management.
10. Contribute to the development and periodic updates of the Project AWARE website, ensuring that it remains informative and up-to-date.
11. Collaborate in the creation of a monthly Project AWARE newsletter tailored for participating districts, providing valuable information and updates to stakeholders.
12. Demonstrate initiative and commitment to the AWARE grant objectives.
13. Communicate with the Director often related to any issues and/or questions.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Other duties as assigned by the Director of Behavioral Health Support and/or their designee.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIRED: 

• High school students enrolled in a cooperative education program.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills along with understanding and use of correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation are required.
• Technology skills related to email, creation of professional materials, PowerPoint and Word documents.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding education programs, students and parents at all times adhering to the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements to protect staff and student data.
• Requires the ability to develop and maintain positive and collaborative relationships using tact and diplomacy and to remain calm in unpredictable situations

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS:

• Current, approved Act 34 (PA State Police), Act 151 (PA Child Abuse Registry) and Act 114-FBI Fingerprint clearances are required and must be renewed at appropriate, specific intervals pursuant to Act 153 of 2014 (revised Act 15 of 2015).
• Current, approved Act 126 Mandated Reporter Training certificate showing completion of a minimum of three (3) hours training every five (5) years.
• If age 14 to 17, this internship requires a valid, approved wallet-size transferrable work permit issued from the school district. In addition, this internship must adhere to the hours of employment as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Abstract of the Child Labor Act Hours Provisions indicated in the Time Requirements section of this internship opportunity description.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

• Attend all relevant and required training and meetings to maintain and enhance trainee’s personalized professional development as requested or recommended by the immediate supervisor.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Physically able to manage activities according to specific paid work experience duties and responsibilities.
• Sedentary: Able to sit for extended periods of time
• Dexterity: Finger movements (computer keyboard), eye-hand coordination
• Audio-Visual Requirements: Within normal range with or without correction
• Worksite Environment: combination of in-office work and telework as follows:
  • In a physical setting, must be able to travel to work site and off-site work locations.
  • In a virtual setting, participant must be able to telework from home-base or off-site location.

TIME AND SITE REQUIREMENTS: 

• This is a part-time, temporary position developed in accordance with the CSIU award of the AWARE-IMPACT grant mental health student intern contract. The paid work experience is a minimum of 20 weeks working up to 15 hours per week. The total hours of paid work experience hours will not exceed 400 hours and are contingent upon the availability of funding through the Project AWARE grant.
• As a high school student, minors (under the age of 18), must adhere to the hours of employment as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Abstract of the Child Labor Act Hours Provisions for their applicable 16-17 years of age bracket
  • Age 16-17:
    • Hours of work are prohibited before 6:00 AM and after 12:00 AM midnight. During school vacations, the minor can be employed until 1:00 AM.
  • Maximum eight (8) hours per day on school days up to a total of 28 hours per school week (Monday-Friday) and only at a time that does not interfere with school attendance. Plus additional hours on Saturdays and Sundays is permitted if required of the paid internship. During school vacation, maximum 10 hours per day and maximum 44 hours per week. 
  • For individuals who are under 16 years of age, a written statement by the minor's parent or legal guardian acknowledging understanding of the duties and hours of employment and granting permission to work subject to the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities). The form titled LLC-75 Parental Acknowledgement of Minor's Duties and Hours of Employment provided by the Department of Labor and Industry.
• Regular attendance participating in internship-related activities is a requirement of opportunity.
• Any and all absences must be approved by the Student Mental health Intern’s worksite supervisor.

CSIU PROPERTY AND CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS: 

1. All property, including intellectual property, materials, equipment or actual products and services developed or accrued as part of the job duties and responsibilities listed above, is the property of the CSIU. It may not be used for personal profit or gain and will be relinquished to the CSIU upon termination of employment from the CSIU. 
2. The person employed in this position shall maintain confidentiality with regard to the personal and private information about clients and coworkers, programs and services and any other proprietary information accrued as a result of CSIU employment or as required by state or federal laws and regulations.
3. The person employed in this position must adhere to all requirements identified in the code of professionalism entitled "Ambassadors Are Professionals, Too" and CSIU Administrative Regulation 317-AR-1 CSIU Service Standards.

The position holder must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations. It is the responsibility of the temporary employee to inform his/her supervisor, cooperative education teacher or the project manager of any and all reasonable accommodations that will be required.