Wellness and Student Support InternAt — Los Angeles County Office of Education
The Undergraduate Student Wellness and Student Support Intern will participate in a supervised field-based learning experience within the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District's student wellness and mental health support system.
NLMUSD's multidisciplinary team of School Social Workers, Mental Health Professionals, Wellness Specialists, and District Wellness Coordinators provides social-emotional learning, mental health, prevention, early intervention, family engagement, and student support services designed to promote academic success and overall student well-being.
The internship provides a California State University, Fullerton undergraduate student with opportunities to observe and participate in school-based student support services while applying knowledge gained through university coursework to an educational setting.
The intern will work approximately 15 hours per week (average) under direct supervision and will participate only in activities appropriate for an undergraduate student intern. The intern will not independently provide psychotherapy, diagnose mental health conditions, conduct clinical assessments, or assume responsibilities requiring professional licensure or a Pupil Personnel Services Credential.
Tasks:
The student will perform the following professional duties under the supervision of Reina Flores, Project Director, LACOE, and designated NLMUSD School Social Workers, Wellness Clinicians, Wellness Specialists, District Wellness Coordinators, and other qualified professionals:
• Job shadow and observe school-based student support professionals
• Observe multidisciplinary student support meetings, professional team meetings, and school-based collaboration
• Research evidence-informed practices and resources
• Develop and adapt student and family educational resources
• Assist with the planning and implementation of supervised social-emotional learning, wellness, prevention, and student engagement activities in collaboration with NLMUSD professional staff
• Examine barriers that may affect student success
• Assist with outreach and resource-development projects
• Participate in professional development, trainings, workshops, and staff meetings
• Apply CSU Fullerton coursework to field experiences
• Maintain reflective documentation of internship experiences and professional growth, including observations, learning reflections, identification of professional competencies, and progress toward established internship learning outcomes
• Meet regularly with supervisors for mentoring and professional feedback
Training:
The student will receive an initial orientation to NLMUSD, including workplace expectations, school-site procedures, confidentiality, student privacy, professional boundaries, mandated reporting responsibilities, safety protocols, and the appropriate role and limitations of an undergraduate intern.
The student will participate in regularly scheduled supervision and mentoring with the assigned NLMUSD School Social Worker, Wellness Clinician, Wellness Specialist, District Wellness Coordinator, or other designated professional. Supervision will include review and contextualization of assigned tasks, discussion of learning goals, feedback on performance, reflection on field experiences, and connections between internship activities and CSU Fullerton coursework.
Training will also include job shadowing and guided observation of school-based student support professionals; orientation to social-emotional learning, student wellness, trauma-informed practices, cultural responsiveness, school climate, attendance and engagement strategies, family engagement, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Before completing assigned projects, the student will receive examples, resources, work samples, and instructions appropriate to the activity. The student may also participate in relevant NLMUSD professional development, workshops, staff meetings, and skills-based training opportunities. All student-facing activities will be conducted under appropriate supervision, with increasing responsibility provided as the student demonstrates readiness and competence.
Learning Outcome
Learning Outcomes by the conclusion of the internship, the student should be able to:
Describe the role of School Social Workers, Wellness Clinicians, Wellness Specialists, and other student-support professionals within a K–12 educational system.
Explain how social-emotional learning and student wellness contribute to academic achievement, attendance, engagement, behavior, and school connectedness.
Identify school-based strategies used to support students experiencing academic, social, emotional, behavioral, attendance, or family-related barriers.
Demonstrate an understanding of prevention, early intervention, and tiered student-support systems.
Describe how schools collaborate with families, community organizations, and multidisciplinary teams to support students.
Apply principles of professionalism, cultural responsiveness, confidentiality, ethical conduct, and trauma-informed practice in an educational environment.
Develop professional communication, collaboration, organization, observation, and reflective-practice skills.
Connect CSU Fullerton coursework and academic concepts to authentic student-support practices within a public-school system.
Identify professional career pathways in school counseling, social work, mental health, education, student services, and related fields.