Human Services Intern \u2013 Clinical ServicesAt — New Leaf Detox and Treatment

The Human Services Intern – Clinical Services will gain supervised, hands-on experience in substance use disorder (SUD) counseling and co-occurring behavioral health treatment. The intern will work closely with therapists, case managers, and other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team to develop practical counseling, case management, and client-engagement skills within a structured treatment environment.

Under appropriate supervision, the intern will observe, assist with, and participate in individual client support and counseling activities, psychoeducational and process-oriented groups, treatment planning, case conceptualization, progress documentation, discharge and aftercare planning, and coordination of client services. The intern will have opportunities to observe licensed therapists and experienced SUD professionals and develop an understanding of therapeutic interventions, counseling techniques, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, coping-skills development, and effective client engagement.

The intern will collaborate with case managers to assist clients in identifying treatment needs, addressing barriers to recovery, accessing community resources, developing recovery-support systems, and preparing for successful transitions between levels of care. The intern will also participate in treatment team meetings and case consultations with therapists, case managers, and other treatment professionals to develop an understanding of interdisciplinary behavioral healthcare.

The internship will emphasize the development of professional counseling skills, therapeutic communication, ethical decision-making, professional boundaries, confidentiality, cultural responsiveness, clinical documentation, and recognition of client safety and crisis concerns.

All client-facing and counseling-related activities will be performed under appropriate supervision and in accordance with the student's education and training, organizational policies, academic internship requirements, and applicable scope-of-practice standards.

Tasks:

The intern's duties may include:

Shadow and collaborate with therapists, case managers, SUD counselors, and other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team.
Observe individual counseling and case management sessions when clinically appropriate and authorized.
Assist with client engagement, recovery-focused counseling activities, and identification of treatment needs and barriers to recovery.
Observe, assist with, and progressively co-facilitate psychoeducational and counseling groups under appropriate supervision.
Participate in treatment planning, treatment plan reviews, case conceptualization, and discharge and aftercare planning.
Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings and case consultations.
Assist with clinical and case management documentation and receive feedback regarding documentation quality and professional standards.
Develop and practice therapeutic communication, motivational interviewing, relapse-prevention, coping-skills, and client-engagement techniques.
Assist clients with identifying community resources, recovery supports, continuing-care services, and other resources relevant to successful discharge and ongoing recovery.
Observe and learn appropriate responses to client safety concerns, behavioral concerns, crisis situations, and changes in clinical presentation.
Participate in regular supervision, case review, professional development, and performance feedback.
Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries, ethical standards, and compliance with organizational policies and applicable scope-of-practice requirements.

All duties will be assigned according to the intern's demonstrated competency, level of training, academic requirements, and applicable scope of practice and will be performed under appropriate supervision.

Training:

The intern will receive an initial orientation covering organizational policies, confidentiality and HIPAA requirements, professional boundaries, ethical standards, documentation expectations, client safety, emergency procedures, and the structure of substance use disorder and co-occurring behavioral health treatment.

The intern will receive ongoing supervision and mentorship from the designated supervisor, including scheduled weekly one-on-one supervision to review professional development, client interactions, counseling skills, documentation, ethical considerations, and areas for continued growth.

Training will include job shadowing and direct observation of therapists, case managers, SUD counselors, and other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team. The intern will observe individual counseling sessions when clinically appropriate and authorized, treatment planning, case management sessions, treatment team meetings, case consultations, discharge planning, and group counseling.

The intern will receive instruction and guided practice in client engagement, therapeutic communication, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, coping-skills development, group facilitation, treatment planning, case management, clinical documentation, resource coordination, and continuity of care.

As competency develops, the intern may participate in and co-facilitate appropriate client services under supervision. Supervisors and members of the clinical team will provide ongoing feedback, consultation, debriefing, and review of assigned work throughout the internship.

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to:

Demonstrate foundational counseling skills by utilizing effective client engagement, therapeutic communication, active listening, motivational interviewing, and other evidence-informed techniques appropriate to substance use disorder and co-occurring behavioral health treatment.
Demonstrate an understanding of the treatment process by participating in treatment planning, identifying client needs, recognizing barriers to recovery, and contributing to appropriate recovery, discharge, and continuing-care planning.
Develop group counseling and facilitation skills through observation, participation, and supervised co-facilitation of psychoeducational and counseling groups, including the ability to engage clients and appropriately respond to group dynamics.
Demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration by working alongside therapists, case managers, SUD counselors, and other treatment professionals and effectively participating in treatment team meetings, case consultations, and coordination of client care.
Apply professional and ethical standards in a behavioral health setting by demonstrating appropriate documentation, confidentiality, professional boundaries, cultural responsiveness, ethical decision-making, and recognition and reporting of client safety or crisis concerns.