Family Place Internship Spring, Summer and Fall 2025

Family Place: Preschool Mental Health Day Treatment

AGENCY AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

St. David's Center is regional leader in child and family development. We offer therapeutic, educational, and support services, including mental health and pediatric therapies, autism treatment, home visiting, an inclusive preschool, and disability services. Over 4,000 children and families access these services at our two early intervention centers in Minneapolis and Minnetonka, more than 30 partner sites, and hundreds of homes across the community.

We provide a continuum of relationship-based mental health services for nearly 2,000 children ages birth to adolescence and their families, including those impacted by trauma and early adversity, engaging them at home, in the community, and in center-based treatment programs.

Family Place is an intensive mental health day treatment program for young children (3-6) who have experienced trauma, an early loss of or lack of consistent caregivers, and/or abuse or neglect. These children struggle to manage their emotions and behavior at home, within their childcare/school setting and/or the larger community. We are trauma-informed in our clinical orientation and practice. We draw upon Psychodynamic Theory, Attachment Theory and the tenets of Developmental Repair within the day treatment classroom and in our treatment of individual clients and families.

We love to hire our successful interns! St. David's Center has a long tradition of investing in the professional development of our mental health employees, starting with the interns we hire. All post-graduate clinical trainees receive free licensure supervision as part of our benefit package and evidence of our investment in professional development.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:

In Family Place, there are 3 academic year internship placements at our Minneapolis location and 2 at our Minnetonka location. Interns are required to be present within the day treatment classroom a minimum of three days per week. Morning or Afternoon shifts available (A.M 8:00-12:00 and P.M 12:00-4:00)

Foundation and Clinical students will:

·Learn therapeutic intervention and developmental repair techniques based on fundamental tenets of early childhood mental health.

·Learn and participate in play therapy with individuals, dyads and groups.

·Co-facilitate Mental Health Group Skills and Mental Health Group Psychotherapy within the day treatment milieu.

·Learn foundational aspects of Group Therapy.

In addition, Clinical Placement students will have the opportunity to:

·Participate in extended DC 0-5 diagnostic assessments with the program coordinator.

·Collaborate on the development and implementation of individualized treatment plans.

·Attend and co-facilitate in-home family therapy sessions and in-home Family Skills Sessions.

·Learn standard documentation practice.

·Learn standard outcome measurement tools (e.g. ECSII, CBCL).

Multidisciplinary learning opportunities for Foundation and Clinical students may also include:

·Observing occupational and speech therapy sessions.

·Observing outpatient diagnostic assessments.

·Observing typical child development in our Early Childhood Education Program.

·Observing treatment in other programs in the agency (school-based treatment, Autism Day Treatment, etc).

·Opportunity for DEI focused work, such as BIPOC reflective group participation, DEI panels and meetings, etc

SUPERVISION AND TRAINING:

Students will receive individual reflective supervision every week and will participate in weekly clinical consultation meetings and therapeutic day treatment curriculum planning meetings with the team. In addition, students will have the opportunity to participate in program and agency trainings on a wide variety of relevant topics. Students are encouraged to bring in and integrate readings and assignments from their academic courses.

STUDENT QUALITIES FOR EFFECTIVE WORK IN THIS PROGRAM:

Must be enrolled in a Master's Degree Program for Social Work, Clinical Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy.

Work or life experience with children. Ability to take direction and work as a team member, strong communication and written skills, ability to establish positive, respectful working relationships with a diverse population of adults and children. Flexibility, creativity and the ability to think on your feet and problem-solve. Interns must be able to participate in a fast-paced, physically active classroom setting.

FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE CONTACT: 

Minneapolis: Melissa Williams, LICSW (MWilliams@stdavidscenter.org)

Minnetonka: Dawn Gunter, LMFT (dgunter@stdavidscenter.org)

***To Apply For This Opportunity, Please Apply Via the "Apply" link.