Contact Community Services is Syracuse-area non-profit agency dedicated to supporting the social, emotional, behavioral and mental health of our community.
CONTACT INTERN OVERVIEW
Interns play an important role in supporting our agency’s staff and volunteers as they respond to needs in our community. TeleCare is a free telephone reassurance program which provides a regular connection to isolated and vulnerable members of our community. Interns make outbound calls to enrolled clients and provide medication reminders, welfare checks, and social visits. Once trained on TeleCare, interns then have the opportunity to cross train on the The Contact Hotline. The Contact Hotline is a safe place to talk. It provides free, confidential, 24-hour service for anyone who is depressed, in crisis, going through a hard time, thinking about suicide, or just needs to hear a caring voice. Most calls are not suicide-related.
Our training and experience is well-regarded in the community and it is a strong addition to any resume. *All intern training and work is completed in our East Syracuse office* Former interns have told us that interning with us was crucial to landing jobs in the field and helped strengthen their college and graduate school applications. This is a great setting to build core skills and to gain hands-on experience in the field.
Other reasons to intern at Contact
-Earn college credit
-Receive free training and mentorship (letters of recommendation and/or professional references)
-Learn to appreciate the importance of self-care
-Learn about yourself and find out if you can work with a certain demographic
-Take advantage of flexible hours
-Network and learn about job opportunities in the community
-Change lives and have a positive impact
INTERN FUNCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Essential intern functions
-Support clients by exhibiting strong active listening skills
-Maintain client and colleague confidentiality
-Attended required basic and advanced trainings
-Participate in other continuing education opportunities as offered
Intern requirements
-Age 18+
-Must be reliable and have a sincere desire to help others
-Must show respect and compassion for people affected by mental health conditions and life challenges
-Comfort using a computer and telephone
-Willing to commit to a minimum of 100 hours of service
-There are no specific education requirements, however, coursework in Human Services, Counseling, Social Work, or other health-related field, including Gerontology, Psychology, or Health Sciences may be helpful
Other expectations
-Provide class schedule, syllabus, and internship advisor contact information
-Be on time for shifts and trainings, and promptly respond to voicemails and emails
-Professional conduct, both in person and through any written or phone communications
-Prepare for meetings (bring calendar/planner and training materials) and take notes
-Keep track of training, meeting, and shift hours
INTERN TRAINING
TeleCare training
Training to make TeleCare calls is 4-hours and can be done in a single day. It includes shadowing, one-on-one instruction to gain familiarity with active listening and the computer and phone, and making calls under the guidance of a trainer. Once ready to take calls, interns continue to be supported by staff during their shifts.
Hotline training
After an intern is comfortable with TeleCare, they can choose to be cross trained on the Hotline. Our 40 hour Hotline training curriculum instills the skills and confidence needed to successfully support clients who present with a wide range of life challenges and issues.
Components of Hotline basic training include
-Orientation
-Observation
-Self-guided training modules
-Individualized or small group instruction and role plays
-Apprenticing