The Opportunity Alliance Agency and Program Profile for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Intern Placement: Edgewood
Internship available for academic year 2012-2013:Yes
Summer placement available for 2012:Yes
General Information
Name:The Opportunity Alliance
Address:50 Lydia Lane, South Portland, Maine 04106
Telephone:(207) 874-1175
Website:
Contact:Patty Mann
Human Resources Generalist
(207) 523-5019 or
Agency Administration
Michael TarpinianPresident
Joe EverettChief Operating Officer
Tara KosmaVice President, Community Initiatives
Kane LoukasVice President, Children and Family Services
Louise MarsdenVice President, Child and Family Services
Pat McKenzieVice President, Adult Mental Health Services
Andrea PaulVice President, Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives
Agency Description
In 2011, PROP (People’s Regional Opportunity Alliance) and Youth Alternatives Ingraham merged to form The Opportunity Alliance. Our new organization is comprised of 50 integrated community based and clinical programs serving more than 20,000 people annually. For more than 40 years, The Opportunity Alliance has provided early education and child care, nutrition programming, advocacy, information and referral, mental health and substance abuse treatment, as well as basic needs for the people of Maine. All of our programs attempt to serve families from a whole child/whole family approach that assures an increased use of best practices from all disciplines. To that end, wecontinually seek ways of integrating our programs into a seamless continuum of care.
The Opportunity Alliance serves children, youth, adults, and seniors; individuals, families, and communities. We work with people to build better lives and stronger communities. We provide advocacy, leadership, and support to identify and address individual, family, and community needs and goals. We advocate for and with people living in poverty by helping them to access childcare and early education, healthcare, housing, and nutrition. We support families in need of reunification by offering parenting education and coaching, case management, and family mediation. We offer a seamless continuum of services and supports to people living with persistent and chronic mental illness whereby they can access our services through multiple channels, yet need only tell their story once.
Internship Opportunity
General Information
Name and location of program:Edgewood
50 Lydia Lane, South Portland ME 04106
Contact:Patty Mann
Human Resources Generalist
(207) 523-5019 or
Field Instructor:Mia Yaron, LCSW
Field Instructor telephone number: (207) 883-0709
Field Instructor email address:
Intern positions available:1
Adequate space for student:Yes
Type of placement: MSW Concentration year only, LCPC
Summer placement available:Yes
Evening /weekend hours allowed:Yes
Staff meeting required:Yes
Wednesdays 11-2
Car required:No but desired.
Mileage reimbursable:Yes when used for agency business.
Handicapped accessible:Yes
Agency requirements:Background checks, Immunizations, MANDT, CPR, First Aid and other program specific requirements in accordance with state licensing regulations.
Program and Placement Description
Population served:Edgewood is a residential treatment program of Youth Alternatives Ingraham licensed as a 6 bed, co-ed facility providing comprehensive integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment services to youth ages 16-21 who, due to severe emotional and behavioral disturbance, are in need of quality active treatment provided in a residential treatmentsetting and for whom alternative, less restrictive forms of treatment have been unsuccessful or are not medically indicated.
The Edgewood program is designed to offer intensive, focused treatment and rehabilitative services to promote a successful return of the youth/young adult to family or community and self sufficiency. Focus is on improvement of clients’ symptoms through the use of strength- and evidence-based trauma informed strategies such as TF-CBT, DBT, individual therapy and group therapy, behavior management, medication management, monitoring as needed and active family engagement. It includes milieu therapy, family therapy, family skills development, psycho-education, and partnerships with other service providers that offer treatment and supports in the community.
The program encourages family participation in the treatment planning and implementation processes, timely discharge planning and aftercare. Specific permanency outcomes of the services include the resident returning to his/her family or to other less restrictive community living situations, as soon as clinically possible and when this level of residential treatment is no longer medically necessary.
SERVICES PROVIDED:
Services are delivered in a structured, therapeutic milieu community under the direction of a team of licensed clinical social workers, certified mental health rehabilitation technicians and other agency and community partners.
The service activities of Edgewood’s Residential Treatment include:
• Diagnostic and assessment services;
• Development of a treatment plan;
• Psychiatric services;
• Medication management;
- Nurse educator services;
• Evidenced-based treatment interventions;
• Individual therapy;
• Family therapy;
• Group therapy;
- Milieu therapy;
• Individual and group interventions that focus on integrated dual-diagnosis treatment of mental health and addiction and harmful use/abuse issues and relapse prevention, if indicated;
• Substance abuse education; Random drug testing
• Rehabilitative services/activities that support the development of age-appropriate daily living skills, positive behavior management/support, self sufficiency and achievement of their goals;
• Trauma informed psycho-education services and activities that support and encourages the primary caregivers/ parents’ ability to re-integrate the child into the home or community;
• Crisis intervention
• Consultation with other professionals including licensed alcohol and drug counselors, case managers, primary care professionals, community support workers, school staff, vocational specialists and others;
• Educational and Vocational activities; and
• Medical and non-medical transportation services as needed to accomplish treatment objectives.
Treatment Focused
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (two full-time clinicians trained in this evidence-based clinical model): ~Psychoeducation ~Affect regulation ~Cognitive coping ~Safety & Self care ~Trauma Narrative with In Vivo Mastery Integration
- DBT – Individual and group approaches. Skill building: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness
- Integrated Family Therapy – Addressing ongoing issues and establishing healthy boundaries, connections, and communication.
- Integrated Individual and Milieu Therapy – Facilitating positive peer interactions development of interpersonal skills. On-going coaching/ reminders of skills. Motivational Interviewing strategies (rolling with resistance). Experiential therapy programming.
- Groups
- DBT and Cognitive Behavioral Skills – mastering the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviors
- Experiential therapy - Utilizing a range of models including Positive Youth Development, Life Skills, Circle of Courage, Positive Peer Culture
- Healthy Relationships – conflict resolution skills, building trust, healthy communication
- House Meeting - in the spirit of a Participatory Democracy – the residents work to solve their own problems and build a sense of leadership and responsibility for their household and relationships with each other
- Health and wellness: Nutrition, Outdoor activities/initiatives
Community integration – Preparing for a less restrictive environment – Building confidence and competence in range of rehabilitative skills
- Self-directed life plans and Casey Life Skills Curriculum
- Building or enhancing a solid natural and community support network (family, Vocational Rehabilitation, case management, mentors, and other needed supports)
- Assess needs for more self-sufficient living (apply for SSI, Section 8, ACT team and aftercare supporters) and begin to create a solid preparation and detailed discharge plan with necessary supports in place
- Self-discipline – developing a personal practice or routine that is specific to the client that supports emotional and daily stability.
- Skills building: Observing, practicing, leading: communication skills, money management (managing a personal budget with short term and long terms savings and spending money), household management (chores, menu planning, grocery shopping and preparing meals), making appointments, time-management, medication management, planning and decision making
- Building job experience through employment or volunteering and utilizing community volunteers to work with residents to build skills such as gardening, carpentry and driving
- Outdoor and community recreation (Hiking, bowling, program outings and camping)
Creative and Integrative After Care Solutions If indicated, Edgewood clinician follows the client after discharge to support, coach and maintain progress made through the transition to less structured environments
Size of staff:10
Therapeutic model or practice:Multidisciplinary; Strengths based generalist; Biopsychosocial
Characteristics desired in intern: Ability to recognize appropriate boundaries. Ability to keep client information confidential. Desire to be a part of a multidisciplinary team. Interest in running groups (engaging teenagers with enthusiasm around skill building), individual therapy, family work, learning clinical documentation. Must be consistent with their schedule.
Would a student who needs a highly structured learning environment do well in this placement? Perhaps..Other comments: Intern will have ample guidance, but will need to be self-directed in implementing such guidance
What intern will learn:
- Learn suicide assessment and crisis intervention skills.
- Gain knowledge of community resources.
- Participate in treatment planning.
- Facilitate psychoeducational groups.
- Working in a multidisiplinary team setting
- Develop advocacy skills.
- Support clients with goal attainment and connection to appropriate community resources.
- Appropriate modalities and interventions for working with this population. These include TF-CBT, DBT, Trauma First Aid, milieu intervention, voc rehab, safety-planning, experiencial therapy.
- Develop clinical documentation skills. Formalize psychosocial assessment and treatment plan in accordance with DHHS regulations.
- Gain first hand experience is working with individuals living with mental illness, substance abuse, and/or childhood trauma.
- Learn the role of the milieu in psychosocial rehabilitation.
- Individual counseling and family work - MSW, LCPC interns only.