The Field Experience in Psychology course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply coursework and theory to the real world. Virtually all jobs and graduate programs in the field of mental health require prior hands on experience, because some skills are better learned by doing.
Through this course, students earn college credit for a psychology-related internship experience at a site of their choosing. Many local sites are available, but internships can also take place at agencies around Oregon, throughout the U.S., or around the world. Although the vast majority of your time will be spent in clinically-related activities at your internship site, the course also involves regular reading and writing assignments to help you make the transition to a professional role and establish a connection between research and practice.
Because clinical work requires intensive training, students enrolled in PSY 410/406 concrurrently are required to spend between 20 and 40 hours per week at their internship site. This intensive exposure ensures that students will have sufficient time to develop the skills required to engage in meaningful clinical work at their internship site.
This website contains all of the information and forms you need to find an internship site, sign up for the class, and determine whether PSY 410/406 is a good fit for your educational needs. If you have questions, contact the internship instructor, Rachel Dilts, MA, ABD, at rachel.dilts@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-1374. Email is usually the quickest mode of contact, as she is not in the office everyday.
Contact agencies of interest to see if they have a half-time to full-time internship position available for the term you wish to work, and determine the procedures for applying. Internship spots are often competitive, and agencies are not obligated to accept you as an intern. Application procedures at agencies range from informal to highly structured. You may be asked to provide a resume, references, transcript, and criminal background information, and to complete an in-person interview. Acceptance by an agency, and hence your ability to enroll in the class based on that placement, is at the discretion of the agency.
The PSY 410/406 internship agreement must be completed in order to enroll in the class. This agreement (details expectations for students, the internship site, and the internship coordinator, and is designed to ensure that the internship will provide a meaningful learning experience. This agreement should be filled out in consultation with your agency supervisor, and must be signed by you and your supervisor.
Agencies often require a criminal background check. Some agencies offer to facilitate this process for you; however, if the agency requires you to obtain a copy of your criminal background check on your own and you have questions about the process, follow the directions here. OSU is not responsible for this process, nor do we facilitate this process.
Bring the completed internship agreement to the internship coordinator. Within three business days, the psychology department will enter an over-ride into the registration system that will allow you to register for the course online.You will not be able to register until you have turned in the agreement.
Print and read a copy of the course syllabus, which lists all required assignments and deadlines. Because students are scattered around the state, country, and world, the course is web-based. If you will not have internet access during your internship, please contact the internship instructor to make special arrangements. Of course, students are always free to e-mail, call, or meet with the internship instructor.
ABC House - Linn County Child Victim Assessment Center
P.O. Box 68; Albany, OR 97321
(541) 926-2203
Provides services for victims of child abuse (medical examinations, videotaped forensic disclosure interview, mental health services, and advocacy).
The Arc of Benton County
1885 NW 9th Street; Corvallis, Oregon 97330
(541) 753-1711
http://www.arcbenton.org/
Provides recreational and activity programs for teens and adults with developmental disabilities.
Benco
Numerous locations
(541) 753-5040
Provides group homes for developmentally disabled individuals.
Benton County Community Corrections
180 NW 5th Street
(541) 766-6228
http://www.co.benton.or.us/admin/hr/jobs.php
Assists in rehabilitation of adult criminal offenders on parole or probation. Occasionally has paid positions available for student intern aides (up to $11.25/hour).
Benton County Juvenile Department
4185 SW Research Way, Suite 100; Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 766-6064
Works to prevent and control juvenile delinquency.
Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV)
4786 Philomath Blvd.; Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 758-0219
http://www.cardv.peak.org/
Provides immediate assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence and works to change societal conditions that cause violence.
Children's Farm Home
4455 NE Highway 20; Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 758-5918
Provides residential treatment for youth with emotional and behavioral problems.
Community Outreach, Inc.
865 NW Reiman Ave.; Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 758-3000
http://www.communityoutreachinc.org/
Provide emergency social services to individuals and families facing crises, such as homelessness and poverty.
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center Mental Health Program
3509 NW Samaritan Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 768-5118
www.samhealth.org/regional_health_services/mental_health/
Provides short-term inpatient psychiatric care for adults with serious mental health problems, including mood and psychotic disorders.
Home Life, Inc
754 NW 25th St., Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 754-6163 ext. 22
http://homelifeinc.org
Provides services for adults with developmental disabilities.
Jackson Street Youth Shelter, Inc.
555 NW Jackson; Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 754-2404
http://www.jsysi.peak.org/
Provides a safe, temporary, emergency shelter for homeless and runaway children and adolescents.
Milestones
306 SW 8th St.; Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 766-6713
http://milestonesrecovery.com
Provides residential drug and alcohol treatment for women who are pregnant or have children.
Old Mill Center
4515 SW Country Club Dr., Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 757-8068
http://www.omill.org/
Works to address the needs of young children with mental and physical disabilities.
Parent Enhancement Program
421 NW 4th Street, Suite A, Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 758-8292
http://pep.peak.org/
Provides educational and support services for at-risk young parents
Lifeworks NW Young Child Day Treatment Program
3900 SW Murray Blvd, Suite 100 Beaverton, OR
(503) 352-0045
A day treatment program for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children aged three to seven.
Harkins House Shelter Evaluation Program
244 W. Main St. Hillsboro, OR 97124
(503) 846-8766
A short-term, residential facility for delinquent adolescents.
Juliette's House Child Abuse Assessment Center
1075 Cedarwood Ave., McMinnville, OR 97128
(503) 435-1550
contact Lynette at familysupport@julietteshouse.com
Provides specialty child abuse evaluations. Their recruitment flyer is available here.
Multnomah County Juvenile Services
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 250, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 988-5634
www.co.multnomah.or.us/dcj/jcj.shtml
Provides rehabilitative services for delinquent adolescents
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Program
State University of New York at Buffalo
(Branch sites across CO, OH, PA, NY, and SC).
http://wings.buffalo.edu/psychology/adhd
An intensive summer intervention for children with ADHD. Typically, a great deal of research happens on site and interns are asked to adhere closely to a specified intervention plan in their work with a group of 10-12 children. Hours are 7:30 am to 7:30 pm five days a week for eight weeks. Admission to the internship program is competitive, and positions typically fill by early spring. A limited number of $2500 stipends are available.
Camp Opportunity
P.O. Box 1051; Vancouver, WA 98666
(360) 254-9460
A summer camp for abused and neglected children aged 8-12.
Camp Ramapo
P.O. Box 266; Rinebeck, NY 12572
(854) 876-8403
http://www.ramapoanchorage.org
Camp serving children with emotional and learning problems. Offers room, board, salary, and travel reimbursement.
Wediko Children's Services Summer Residential Program
11 Bobcat Boulevard
Windsor, NH 03244
(603) 478-5236
http://www.wediko.org
A summer residential program for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems. This was the first clinical job I had, and offers a tremendous learning experience. The eight-week position offers room, board, salary, and extensive training. Applications for summer work are reviewed on a rolling basis, with positions typically filled by April. Workdays are long (you wake up with the kids, spend the day with them, and then get supervision once they go to bed).
The OSU Human Development and Family Sciences Internship program maintains a list of local and Oregon sites that are popular internship sites for students.
The Provider Resource Network for Benton County is a 27 page list of agencies providing virtually every type of human service you can imagine - hospice care, hotlines, children's programs, detention centers, substance abuse treatment, access to food and shelter, family respite, and so on.
Volunteer Information Services for Linn and Benton Counties provides a list of volunteer opportunities by type of work and location. LBvision: Volunteer Information Services for Linn and Benton Counties.
If you're looking for an internship in a particular city, one option is to start with a list of non-profit organizations. Since many non-profits work with the United Way, using the national site to link to the site for the region in which you want to work is a good first step. The national United Way website has links to all local United Way websites. Another good way to identify non-profit, social service agencies in a particular part of the country is to check out the Americorps website.
Job listings geared toward social service jobs and internships
www.nonprofitcareer.com
Job and volunteer resources
www.socialservice.com
A quick search found over 100 jobs for college level students.
www.idealist.org
Has information about 33,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 165 countries
internships.wetfeet.com
Allows you to search for psychology internships and non-profit agencies
www.kidscamps.com
Provides links to specialty camps around the country for children with emotional, behavioral, or physical problems
Although most of the positions on these job search sites below are permant, all include some seasonal and internship opportunities.
http://www.collegejobboard.com/cjb/index.cfm
www.jobs.net
www.monstertrak.com
http://www.studentjobs.gov/
www.emp.state.or.us/EMPLSVCS (Oregon State Employment Division)
http://www.dop.wa.gov/ (Washington State Personnel Department)
The internship agreement must be completed by you and your internship supervisor before you will be given permission to enroll. You may find this if you click here.
Directions and forms for the criminal background check are available here, along with a list of frequently asked questions about the process. If your agency requires a criminal background check, that requirement must be completed and noted on your agreement before you will be given permission to enroll.
A copy of the syllabus, which details all course assignments and requirements, is available. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the information in this document before you begin your internship. Because the second half of the course requires students to select readings related to their internship placement, if you will not have access to a library during your internship, you should plan ahead to take readings with you. You may click here to open a copy of the regular syllabus, depending on enrollment an alternate syllabus may be available, as well as if you have a psychology related internship site other than human services. Internship Site Evaluation
You will complete the internship evaluation form during the last week of the quarter. To download this form click here.
Download the form for your supervisor's evaluation of your work. This form must be completed by your supervisor once you have finished all the hours you've identified on your Internship Agreement form. In order to pass PSY410, your supervisor must confirm that you completed the required number of hours, and give you an average rating of 3 or above on all evaluative items. Please click here to download this form.
Our experience has shown that students working less than half-time do not have the same sorts of clinical opportunities as those committing to a half-time or full-time position. Allowing three credit internships would also increase the number of students interested in taking the course well beyond our course capacity. In order for this to remain a meaningful learning experience, the course is limited to students enrolling for a minimum of 6 credits over the summer, and a minimum of 7 credits during the academic year.
The internship instructor may make special arrangements for these types of circumstances. Contact your intern instructor before enrolling to discuss your situation. PSY 410/406 allows a maximum of 15 credits per student during their years at OSU. But it is possible and students have taken more than one internship in the past.
Although most agencies will not have paid positions available, compensated students are permitted to earn course credit for relevant psychology-related positions, as long as the job provides a meaningful clinical experience and regular supervision. Check with the internship instructor to discuss your situation and ensure that your position is acceptable.
Currently 3 credits of 410 and 3 credits of 406 can be applied to your major. You may have no more than 6 credits from 401-410 applied to the Major. But the extra credits will be applied as upper division credits towards your degree.
You should check with OSU academic regulations to determine the number of pass/no-pass credits a student may take and you will need to receive approval by your academic advisor before considering this.
No. This would be earning double credit for your work, and is against academic guidelines. However, the Psychology Department is willing to allow you to split your credits across departments, which would require you to enroll for 7 credits of PSY 410/406. Consult with your advisor in HDFS to determine the feasibility of this plan.
Internship sites are the sole responsibility of the student and are not assigned by OSU. Participants in PSY 410/406 are responsible for finding their own internship site, using the resources suggested here. The internship coordinator will lend advice, suggest options, and try to boost your confidence if you're having a difficult time. Finding your own internship is actually an integral part of the class, and will help prepare you for job seeking in the future.
Although signing up for PSY 410/406 and doing an 8 to 10 week internship may help you in applying to graduate school, the requirements of graduate programs vary significantly. Typically, graduate programs and employing agencies seek individuals with more hands-on experience than one might get during a single term. You are encouraged to get as much applied experience as you can. However, we are only able to offer college credit for your experiences during an 8-week (summer) or 10-week (academic year) term. If you are interested in getting more experience or would like to do a second internship please contact the intern instructor about your ability to do this.
You may only sign up for PSY 510, with the approval of the internship instructor, if you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at OSU.