Department of Recreation
&
Leisure Studies
Internship Manual
2004
University of North
Carolina
at
Preface
At this moment, three individuals are about to begin an exciting experience that will result in mutual growth and fulfillment. This cooperative experience is called an internship or fieldwork. It is the bridge between the academic present and the professional future. The program offers students the opportunity to earn credits towards a degree while gaining professional work experience. The internship trio consists of the following:
The leader of this three-way partnership is the intern who will determine the framework and strive for a meaningful experience during the internship.
The second member is the leisure service professional who will serve as the agency supervisor and be the experiential guide and role model for the student.
The third individual is the faculty member who will serve as the academic internship supervisor and assists in establishing the philosophical basis of the internship.
This manual facilitates the three-way partnership. It is a composite of the efforts of former students, supervisors, and faculty who have shared the good and the bad experiences that contributed to their own internships. This Internship Manual is offered to assist the student, faculty advisor, and agency supervisor in the pre-internship preparation, internship assignment, and post-internship responsibilities. We look forward to working with you and serving as RECR Department contacts during this experience.
Deb Bialeschki, Ph.D., CPRP, Internship Coordinator
Recreation and Leisure Studies
CB# 3185, 203 Evergreen House
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3185
919-843-5088
919-962-1222
919-962-1223 FAX
www.unc.edu/depts/recreate
Table of Contents
Introduction and Definitions 4
Goals of the Internship Experience 5
General Internship Policies and Procedures 7
Eligibility Criteria 7
Enrollment and Grading 8
Duration 9
Areas of Experience 9
Agency Selection and Student Placement 10
Roles and Responsibilities 12
Student 12
RECR Department 14
Agency 16
Default of Internship 17
Liability Statement 17
OSHA Requirements 17
Appendices
A - Application for Internship 18
B - Writing Goals and Objectives 21
C - Internship Confirmation Form 23
D - Outline for Final Internship Report 26
E - Evaluation of Fieldwork Agency 29
F - Evaluation of Intern (Mid-term) 35
G- Evaluation of Intern (Final) 38
H - NCTRC Field Placement Standards 43
I - NCTRC Certification Information 46
J – NCTRC Job Analysis Study 58
K – Insurance Information 63
Internship Timeline Inside back cover
INTRODUCTION
An internship is an integral part of a student’s total educational preparation for a professional career. Through the internship, the student is provided with a supervised experience in a setting that offers recreation experiences as a direct or indirect service. The primary purpose of the internship is to provide opportunities for professional and personal educational growth for students through supervised, on-the-job experiences in recreation leadership and administration in settings such as hospitals, public park and recreation departments, and commercial enterprises. This internship manual is offered to assist the student, faculty advisor, and agency supervisor in the pre-internship preparation, internship assignment, and post-internship responsibilities.
The appropriate undergraduate sections of this manual are intended for use by majors enrolled in RECR 180-181.
The appropriate graduate sections of this manual are intended for Masters students enrolled in RECR 280-281.
DEFINITIONS
The field of Recreation and Leisure Studies offers many potential settings and opportunities for the internship experience. Throughout this manual, the term recreation profession (or professional) is interpreted broadly to include the many facets of the field including public recreation, therapeutic recreation, and private/commercial recreation. The following terms are defined to provide consistency in interpretation.
The Internship, also called Fieldwork, is the primary opportunity for students to experience practical application of leisure theories and concepts in the world of the professional practice.
The term Agency refers to one of a variety of organizations or institutions which offer programs and facilities to meet recreation and/or leisure needs. Included are: federal, state, county and municipal recreation and park departments; hospitals; mental health centers; vocational training centers; non-profit organizations; camps; churches; and commercial enterprises.
The Agency Supervisor (or Site Supervisor) is the specific staff member designated by the agency to provide direct supervision, orientation, guidance, and direction to the intern at that agency.
The Faculty Advisor is the RECR faculty member who is assigned to the specific internship student. She/he monitors the entire internship process in order to provide guidance and support to the student and the agency. She/he will also grade the final report submitted by the intern.
The Internship Coordinator is the faculty member who coordinates in general the internship program of all Recreation and Leisure Studies majors. She schedules monthly preparation meetings on campus for all potential interns and meets with ALL interns to aid in the internship site selection. The Internship Coordinator gives final approval of each internship experience.
Goals of the Internship Experience
While the major focus of the internship experience is on the operations of the agency at which the student accepts assignment, the total value of the internship takes other goals into account. By providing a vast array of learning experiences, the student, educator, and practitioner can work together to help student development as a recreation professional.
Goals for the Student Intern
For the student, the internship should:
1. Provide opportunities to engage in on-the-job application of classroom theories and techniques;
2. Offer activities that assist in the development of professional skills in the planning, organization, and leadership of a leisure service;
3. Provide challenging and stimulating tasks that entail a significant contribution to the quality of life for persons served by the agency;
4. Offer opportunities to identify strengths and weaknesses of student’s professional behavior;
5. Allow the student to experience many aspects of the professional world while under competent supervision and guidance;
6. Encourage interaction with professional practitioners in the student’s area of expertise;
7. Provide programming situations in which the student can investigate human interaction;
8. Offer opportunities to evaluate the field as a professional career;
9. Offer experiences in leading client/participant programs;
10. Provide an opportunity for administrative and supervisory experience
(Note: at the undergraduate level, this administrative experience can be observed while graduate interns should obtain direct experience)
Internship Goals Related to
the RECR Department
For the Department in Recreation and Leisure Studies, the internship experience should:
1. Provide a laboratory setting for the testing and application of theoretical models;
2. Strengthen the educational process of preparing future professionals;
3. Assist in the development of a cooperative working relationship between educators and practitioners;
4. Offer a means to assess the quality and relevance of classroom courses;
5. Provide an opportunity to evaluate the student’s needs, abilities, and progress in professional development;
6. Facilitate sharing of resources and the pursuit of common goals with professional agencies and institutions;
7. Provide the faculty with up-to-date information about issues, and innovations in recreation and leisure services; and
8. Emphasize the primary educational concern of the RECR Department as the preparation of students to advance within the realm of the profession.
Internship Goals Related to
the Agency
For the cooperating agency, the internship experience should:
1. Offer practitioners the chance to provide expertise related to theory and practice obtained in the classroom setting;
2. Provide the opportunity to improve in-service training for permanent employees;
3. Allow employers an opportunity to survey and evaluate prospective employees;
4. Provide an expanded ability to serve clientele through the contributions of the intern;
5. Establish opportunities for cooperative relationships which extend beyond the internship;
6. Provide a means for comparing in-class preparation of the intern with what is practiced by the agency; and
7. Offer an opportunity to be a partner in the professional
preparation of future recreation professionals.
GENERAL INTERNSHIP
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies is one of the few programs in the College of Arts and Sciences that offers its majors an experience-based learning opportunity. It reflects a philosophy interwoven throughout the various course offerings to provide practical experiences as a part of professional preparation courses. Consequently, the fieldwork program is not entirely new to many students. The major adjustment is to the concentrated expenditure of time and effort on the part of all participants - the students, the RECR Department, and the agency.
Eligibility Criteria
All
undergraduate interns must have satisfactorily completed RECR 10,
RECR 70, RECR 120, and RECR 130 before starting the internship. For students interested in therapeutic recreation, they must have completed RECR 175 and are encouraged to have also completed RECR 176 and RECR 177.
All graduate interns must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of one year of residency in the Master’s program (15-18 credits with at least half of the core requirements completed).
Approval for internship enrollment will be based on completion of the Application for Student Internship (page 19), the Internship Confirmation Form (page 24), Goals and Objectives (page 21), signed by the agency supervisor, and approval of the internship site by the Internship Coordinator. Potential interns (undergraduates and graduate students) are expected to take RECR 199 in the spring semester prior to interning.
Responsibility for meeting NCTRC requirements for the internship rests with the individual student. Students should read the NCTRC Candidate’s Bulletin for specific details regarding certifications of the agency supervisor, site criteria, and other pertinent information. A copy is available from NCTRC (www.nctrc.org).
Enrollment and Grading
The Internship is catalogued as RECR 180 and RECR 181 for undergraduate majors, and RECR 280 and RECR 281 for graduate students. The courses may be taken concurrently during the academic year or sequentially during the summer sessions.
The University requires that the intern be enrolled during the entire
duration of the internship. If you are
not registered by the first day of classes you will NOT be allowed to start
your internship. In addition, you must
finish BOTH RECR 180/280 and RECR 181/281 to get credit for either.
The courses result in a total of six semester credit hours (graduate students will enroll for four semester credits). The rationale for two separate courses rests mainly with the desire to evaluate fairly and accurately the student’s ability to translate acquired knowledge into practice at the operational level, and a written articulation of responsibilities and processes of the career recreation professional as well as a personal assessment of the experience.
RECR 180
and RECR 280 are evaluated on the agency supervisor’s input regarding the
student’s satisfactory completion of assigned tasks and responsibilities along
with the observations of the faculty advisor (when feasible). Undergraduates in RECR 180 are graded on a
pass/fail basis while graduate interns receive H, P, L, or F. RECR 181 and RECR 281 are evaluated on the
extent to which the student can comprehensively put into writing the
experiences from the internship. Grades
for both RECR 181 and RECR 281 are awarded according to the standard grading
scale. An Incomplete is recorded for
RECR 180 or 280 if the evaluation report from the agency supervisor does not
reach the RECR department office prior to the time grades must be reported as
designated by the University Office of Records and Registration. An Incomplete is also awarded in RECR 181 and
281 if the paper is not completed by the designated deadline. The grade will be changed when the requirements
are fulfilled. Students are urged to convey to the agency supervisor the importance of submitting the evaluation form
to the RECR Department within one week after
the end of the internship.
Duration
Undergraduate and graduate interns generally enroll for the internship during the summer between the junior and senior year, although many opt for the internship as the culminating experience. Note: Students interested in meeting certification eligibility requirements for therapeutic recreation must complete at least half of the major coursework before enrolling in their internship. The appropriate time to take the internship is decided after consultation between students and their designated academic advisors.
The undergraduate intern must work full-time for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive weeks and 400 on-the-job hours. Graduate interns work full-time for a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive weeks and 480 hours. Students engaged in the internship experience should not be enrolled in any other coursework. Occasionally, a student may need an exception to this rule. In that case, the student must submit a letter to the Internship Coordinator, along with written evidence of agency support, and a statement of the reasons for the exception. A decision will be made by the faculty. While the RECR Department has no control over outside work activities of students, interns are strongly encouraged not to be employed during their internship because of potential time and energy conflicts between the intern and work demands.
For those
students who will be applying for therapeutic recreation certification take
note: NCTRC requires a field placement
(i.e., internship) of a minimum of 480 hours over 12 consecutive weeks at one
agency site in therapeutic recreation program to be eligible for certification
under the academic path. When completing
NCTRC’s application for professional eligibility you
will be required to document and describe in your own words your internship responsibilities and
duties in relation to the NCTRC National Job Analysis (Appendix H-J). Prior to contracting for and during your
internship, be sure that your responsibilities include most of the duties
identified in the job analysis.
Internship Areas of Experience
The internship experience is intended to provide the student with a realistic perspective on the skills and responsibilities of the recreation professional. The following description of areas should serve as a guide to assist supervisors in developing quality internship experiences. The descriptions can be adapted to the characteristics of the agency or business, and supervisors should feel free to add other appropriate and useful information.
Content Areas
Management. The intern should study and observe in action the policies and practices of the agency. This content would include legal and legislative foundations of the agency, board relations, financial budgeting and record keeping procedures, personnel and supervisory practices, general staff relations, and customer service.
Program. The intern should help plan and implement a broad program of activities and services characteristic of the agency involved. The intern should prepare program/activity plans in a systematic manner and help to carry out various types of programs.
Areas and Facilities. The intern should gain theoretical as well as practical experience in physical facility planning and operation. This experience may include long range planning as well as lay-out and operation of various types of areas and facilities. Involvement related to maintenance, equipment, and supplies is essential.
Settings
Treatment/Clinical Experiences. The intern should gain experience/exposure in the therapeutic recreation process: assessment, treatment planning, implementation, and evaluation. Specific duties may include developing recreation therapy protocols, individualized treatment plans, in-services, charting procedures, and other matters pertaining to the treatment/care of individuals undergoing therapy. Involvement in staff meetings and team meetings, where appropriate, is strongly encouraged.
Public Leisure Service Settings. The student would gain experience in dealing with public relations, attend board/commission and other community meetings, work with committees, visit individuals in the agency and community, and receive broad agency/community experiences during the internship. The internship should help the student to understand the total concept through the discussion of actual problems and situations in the operation of the agency.
Not-For-Profit and For-Profit Organizations. The general criteria for the internship applies equally to public and profit/non-profit-oriented organizations. The student would gain experience in as many aspects of the business as possible. Since businesses are extremely diverse, it is difficult to detail the types of experiences that will best meet the needs of the student. However, the intern’s goals and objectives should specifically detail the experiences which the student will receive (i.e., marketing, food services, group sales, concessions, and operations).
AGENCY SELECTION AND STUDENT PLACEMENT
Agency selection is approved by the Internship Coordinator after consultation with the student. Students are strongly encouraged to locate the placement of their choice that meets the criteria for internship sites as soon as possible. To qualify as an internship site, the agency should meet the following criteria:
1. The agency should have a sound recreation and leisure professional philosophy which is applied in programs and services.
2. The agency should meet professional association standards for their area; meet appropriate national or state regulations for registration or certification; or have a full-time staff whose primary job responsibility is recreation services. Therapeutic Recreation students interested in certification by the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) must do their internship under the direct supervision of a currently certified therapeutic recreation specialist. Graduate interns should be supervised by professionals with advanced degrees or who have a minimum of 5 years of practical experience.
3. The agency should express a willingness and commitment to provide the student with a high quality internship by:
a. Assigning the student to a supervisor with appropriate training experience with the RECR professor who will supervise the intern for the duration of the internship experience;
b. Providing the assigned supervisor with appropriate time for the express purpose of supervising the student;
c. Approving specific goals and objectives for the individual intern prior to the start of the internship.
d. Providing a training program to meet the learning objectives of the student, agency, and RECR Department;
e. Supplying the student with agency materials appropriate to the internship including guidelines and a prearranged schedule of assignments; and
f. Agreeing to provide an evaluation of student involvement and performance at mid-term and at the completion of the internship.
4. If an agency uses a contract that has to be agreed upon by the University, the Agency is expected to initiate that process at the earliest possible time. Students are unable to confirm or begin an internship until the contract has been completely negotiated.
Students generally are not allowed to
complete an internship with an agency for whom they
have been employed. If the internship
responsibilities differ significantly from the previous work opportunities, a
student may submit a letter of exception to the faculty (with written support
from the agency) with details defining the differences. The faculty will make the final decision
regarding approval.
Agencies that have been utilized as internship sites or have indicated a willingness to take internship students, are retained in a collection of placement opportunities for internship students. These files, announcements, and computer listings can be found in the Evergreen House.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The internship program is a three-way relationship between the student, the University, and the agency. In order for the program to succeed, an atmosphere of coordination, cooperation, and communication must prevail among all three. To foster such an atmosphere, specific responsibilities of each of the participants are described below.
The Student
The student enrolled in an internship is declaring intent to become actively involved in an operational area of professional leisure services. By carefully selecting an agency suited to individual needs and interests, students can contribute to their professional growth and use this new knowledge when seeking permanent employment.
Students are required to enroll and pay all
tuition and fees assessed by the University for four (graduate) or six
(undergraduate) credit hours of class.
An additional $25 per course fee is assessed to all students when
enrolled in an internship.
Pre-internship
procedures for the student include:
1. Enroll in RECR 199, section 4 during the Spring Semester prior to the
the internship to prepare for the internship experience.
2. Establishing eligibility for enrolling in RECR 180-181 or RECR 280-181 internship courses;
a. Obtaining a copy of the RECR Internship Manual from the Internship Coordinator and completing the “Application for Student Internship” form in the semester prior to the start of the internship (see Appendix A). This completed questionnaire
will be helpful to the internship advisor when counseling the intern, and it will serve to activate the student’s internship file.
b. Making an appointment with the
Internship Coordinator to
begin discussing internship possibilities.
REMEMBER: NO INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE WILL BE ALLOWED FOR CREDIT WITHOUT PRIOR DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR!
c. Notifying the Internship Coordinator of your decision on the internship site and other pertinent information.
3. Identifying, contacting, and confirming any agency affiliation and notifying the Internship Coordinator of any contract negotiations needed;
4. Completing a resume and all internship forms within the
designated time period;
5. Developing and submitting to the University and agency supervisor a formal, typewritten statement of goals and objectives, signed by your agency supervisor, to be met during the internship prior to initiation of the internship.
6. Acquiring any necessary immunizations (Hepatitis B, TB, etc.), training, or insurance required by the agency and
7. Accepting responsibility for meeting the certification requirements if interested in pursuing professional certification upon graduation.
8. Register and pay for both RECR 180/280 and RECR 181/281.
During the
internship, the student should:
1. Exhibit conduct exemplary of a member of the agency, within the policies and expectations of that agency;
2. Exhibit professional and personable conduct at all times while in contact with staff and clientele;
3. Strive towards higher levels of personal and professional growth and fulfillment;
4. Keep in close contact with the agency supervisor for decisions and actions relating to agency operations,
5. Select a project (with guidance from the agency supervisor) for which total responsibility is assumed. The project provides the intern with an opportunity to demonstrate problem-solving and communication skills, and provides the agency with a useable finished product. Examples
of
projects might include: developing a
sensory nature trail, designing an agency policy manual, evaluating a leisure
program, developing a resource file, etc.
Contact your RECR internship
advisor to get approval prior to beginning your project.
6. Complete an assessment of your own performance at mid-term
and final points and discuss it at the time of your evaluation with the agency supervisor (see Appendix F for mid-term and Appendix G for final).
7. Keep a personal journal to help compile information for the written internship paper. Throughout the internship experience, collect required materials concerning goals of the agency, structure, facilities, etc. as required for the final paper (see Appendix D).
8. Submit weekly reports (preferably through email) on the topics stipulated in Appendix D.
Additional graduate student requirements:
9. Within the restrictions and limitations of the agency, graduate interns should initiate and conduct a simple research project that will be beneficial to the intern and the agency. Examples include types of program evaluation, case studies, needs assessments, descriptive studies, and simple experimental design studies.
10. Prepare an in-service proposal with the approval of the site supervisor on some aspect of recreation and present it to individuals either within the agency or within the community that the agency serves.
Post-internship
procedures for the student include:
1. Write a comprehensive paper that will serve as a written synthesis of the internship experience (see criteria - Appendix D),
2. Make sure the agency submits its final evaluation of the intern within one week after the internship ends, and
3. Complete an evaluation of the internship experience and site
(see Appendix E).
The RECR Department
The RECR Department is firm in its conviction that practical fieldwork is essential to students who want to enter the field of leisure services as a profession. Therefore, the role of the RECR Department is as a facilitator and stimulator of processes needed to insure that the internship is a positive experience for all recreation majors. The policy and practice of the RECR Department is to provide a communication flow between itself and the agency that will encourage a strong working relationship. When possible, an on-site visit will be made by the Faculty Advisor. If a visit cannot be arranged (due to distance), telephone and email communication with the student and the agency supervisor will be established.
The responsibilities of the RECR Department, the Internship Coordinator, and the Internship Advisor are to:
1. Determine a varied listing of internship sites to assist students in locating an agency;
2. Assist the student in focusing on professional and career interests;
3. Assist the student in setting realistic goals and objectives;
4. Assist in the placement of the student in an agency where goals may be achieved;
5. Arrange for all forms to be distributed early enough to allow for their return prior to any deadlines;
6. Provide the agency with information concerning its responsibilities as a participant in the internship program (each agency receives a copy of the Internship Manual);
7. Designate an RECR faculty member to advise the intern during the internship experience (if in-state, the Faculty Advisor will visit the intern on-site at least once during the experience; if out-of-state, phone calls will be made to the student and agency supervisor);
8. Maintain a communication line with the agency to monitor the student’s progress (agency supervisors need to contact the Faculty Advisor in problematic situations in order to take appropriate action);
9. Remove the student from an agency when either the agency or the intern is not suited to the program;
10. Confer with the students at the termination of the internship experience to review the program including student, agency, and university roles, and to determine the student’s perception of the total program;
11. Submit permanent grades for the internship experience.
The Agency
It is essential that students be placed in agencies with well-organized,
professionally-administered programs where they can be exposed to various facets of agency services and personnel functions. Agencies should recognize that acceptance of a student intern denotes an obligation to provide the best possible environment for working and learning for the intern.
Further, the agency should:
1. Assign a person to supervise the internship student with a specific time allotment given for discharge of this duty. The supervisor will:
a. Design with the student the learning experiences and assignments, agree on the specific goals and objectives, and negotiate a special project that will be the student’s responsibility;
b. Evaluate, in writing, the student’s work and performance, and submit these evaluations (mid-term and final) to the Faculty Advisor (see Appendix F for mid-term evaluation and Appendix G for final).
c. Assume shared responsibility with the Faculty Advisor for relationships between the RECR Department and the agency in regard to the internship; and,
d. Confer with the student periodically as to her/his progress and interpret for the student the content of the final evaluation that will be sent to the Faculty Advisor;
2. Assist the student in achieving the stated goals and objectives through full mobilization and utilization of the agency’s resources to provide for the student’s progressive responsibilities;
3. Provide the student with challenging professional experiences that will allow the intern to discover personal strengths and weaknesses as a professional practitioner;
4. Assist in the development of the student’s understanding of human relations that will enhance abilities to interact with people;
5. Provide consistent, frequent feedback to the student regarding the agency’s expectations and the students performance;
6. Provide an opportunity for the student to practice methods and techniques of direct leadership;
7. Meet the agency objectives established by the RECR Department; and
8. Provide negotiation assistance with institutionally required contracts and assure the student will not begin their internship until the contract has been successfully negotiated.
DEFAULT OF INTERNSHIP
If the successful completion of the
internship experience is problematic, the agency supervisor must notify the
student and the Faculty Advisor IMMEDIATELY.
This notification should be done in writing to both parties and, when possible,
include a conference with the student, the faculty advisor, and agency
supervisor in order to identify the extent of the problem. Documentation of problem areas and strategies
for change should be in evidence and shared with all three parties prior to the
actual dismissal. Final removal of a
student from an internship experience is the responsibility of the RECR
Department.
LIABILITY STATEMENT
The University assumes no responsibility for the student’s personal liability. Agencies normally have liability insurance plans covering both staff and clients. Internship students should inquire of the agency whether liability insurance is carried or required and, if so, who is covered. The Internship Coordinator can inform the student of a low-cost insurance through the University that covers student teachers and interns. Students are responsible for making arrangements for their own insurance. (Appendix F)
While accidents and lawsuits are rare, no one is immune to liability suits. All interns are held personally accountable for their acts. Therefore, internship students are advised to become knowledgeable about legal liability.
The University accepts no responsibility for worker’s compensation nor payment of the student for services rendered. If an agency wishes to compensate the student for services, it is a matter between the agency and the students.
OSHA REQUIREMENTS
All students are held responsible for meeting any agency demands regarding training/education about applicable OSHA requirements. All interns will be encouraged to receive the Hepatitis B series of vaccinations (UNC Student Health provides these shots) and are encouraged to learn about blood-borne pathogens. A web-based training module is available at http://ehs.unc.edu/training/self_study/bbp.htm. Agencies are expected to notify the student of any related requirements and assist them in meeting the expectations.
APPENDIX A
Application
for Student Internship
Complete this application and ATTACH A CURRENT RESUME!
Return it to the RECR Internship Coordinator by:
(PLEASE PRINT)
Date
Name PID Number
Local Address
Local Phone Number
Email Address
Permanent Address
Phone No.
Prerequisite Courses for
Internship (Undergrads)
Course Completed In Progress
RECR 10 ________ _________
RECR 70 ________ _________
RECR 120 ________ _________
RECR 130 ________ _________
RECR 175 ________ _________ (Required TR concentration course)
RECR 176 __ _________
RECR 177 ________ _________
Note: Graduate Students must have one half of their coursework
completed prior to their internship.
Internship Semester and
Year:
Fall Spring Summer
Anticipated Graduation Date (Month & Year)
Internship Wish List (preferred agency, location,
or job)
1.
2.
3.
Intern’s
Signature Date
APPENDIX B
Writing Goals
and Objectives
A formal typed statement of goals and objectives must be negotiated by the intern and the agency supervisor. The finalized goals and objectives must be signed by BOTH the intern and the agency supervisor and serve as the guiding framework for the internship experience. These goals and objectives must be submitted to the Internship Coordinator PRIOR to the start of the internship experience.
Goals
A goal is a general statement of the performance expectations from your duties at the agency. A goal indicates ultimate outcomes and is general in nature. The first step in defining a performance goal is to state the general behavior you expect to exhibit in the performance of your duties. These behaviors should be those exhibited by you (the student), not your supervisor or program participants. They should be stated in terms of products (outcomes) desired, not as processes to be undertaken. There can be any number of goals stated for a given internship, but practically, determining between 3 to 7 goals is sufficient for the internship.
General Objectives
An objective is a precise statement that defines a specific behavior expected to be exhibited in the performance of duties. Objectives should be specified and should clearly define the desired behavior. Successfully meeting several objectives indicates goal accomplishment. Therefore, objectives should be viewed as a partial sample of the objectives that could have been selected as indicators of goal accomplishment. Students should identify several objectives for each goal and write very specific behavioral objectives that will describe observable, measurable behaviors related to particular duties of the internship.
Sources of Goals
The student may wish to examine four areas as possible sources of goals:
1. Demonstration of a noted deficiency - deficiencies in the student’s professional preparation noted from class work, previous field experience, or personal feelings may be specifically emphasized in goal development.
2. Agency performance expectations - the tasks and responsibilities that the agency expects you to do competently as a function of the internship.
3. Field-based skills or performance standards - areas of expertise possessed by professionals that you will need to acquire as a part of your professional development.
4. Skills or knowledge you wish to acquire.
Examples of
Internship Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
1.
To become knowledgeable about personnel policies as they relate to part
time and contractual staff
Objectives: a. By the end of the internship experience, I will be able to articulate agency policies related to personnel matters
b. I will interview all potential applicants and select
a qualified staff
c. I will develop a three-month personnel budget
for part time and contractual staff
Strategies: a. Review agency policies and EEOC and ADA standards
b. Observe and discuss interviews conducted by other agency staff
c. Develop interview questions that comply with policies
d. Conduct a minimum of three interviews with supervisor
e. Review agency budget and outline staff budget
2.
To become knowledgeable about psychiatric diagnoses
Objectives: a. By internship completion, I will outline core diagnostic criteria of a minimum of three psychiatric dx
b. By mid-evaluation, I will identify a minimum of three implications of selected dx for TR services
c. By the 3rd week, I will identify 5 frequently used medications for selected dx for TR services
Strategies: a. Attend available agency in-service
b. Review DSMIV and discuss with supervisor
c. Review of selected treatment plans by all team disciplines
d. Review of ATRA pharmacology text and discuss with supervisor
e. Interview at least one client with each of the selected dx
APPENDIX C
Internship
Confirmation Form
The following information is to confirm a cooperative educational experience between the agency, the RECR Department, and the student.
(PLEASE PRINT OR
TYPE))
Student
Agency
Agency’s Address