Internship - East African Responsive Day Treatment

***Accepting Applications for Fall of 2025 and Spring of 2026

AGENCY AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

St. David's Developmental & Therapeutic Services is a regional leader in child and family development. We offer therapeutic, educational, and support services, including mental health and pediatric therapies, autism treatment, home visiting, an inclusive preschool, and disability services. Over 4,000 children and families access these services at our three early intervention centers in Minneapolis and Minnetonka, more than 30 partner sites, and hundreds of homes across the community.

We provide a continuum of relationship-based mental health services for nearly 2,000 children ages birth to adolescence and their families, including those impacted by trauma and early adversity, engaging them at home, in the community, and in center-based treatment programs.

Our East African Responsive Day Treatment Program, located on our Minneapolis Campus, is a culturally responsive, intensive, early intervention day treatment service for children (ages 1-6) diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, aimed at improving social communication, emotional regulation, and interpersonal interaction. This East African responsive program was established as a response to the high prevalence of autism in the East African community and serves many clients who identify as East African. Clients attend the program daily to receive relationship-based group therapy, as well as speech and occupational therapy. Mental health therapists utilize the SCERTS treatment framework as well as the Greenspan Floortime intervention model. Families in the program receive a variety of family support services, including, for example, observations of their child in the day treatment setting and family support groups.

Our East African Responsive Day Treatment Program services are provided in a culturally specific manner. Most program staff are from East African countries, and they each bring their rich cultural background (e.g., spoken language and nonverbal communication, traditional foods, eating practices, clothing, caregiving practices, patterns of expressing and regulating emotions, beliefs, values, music, traditions, etc.) to every aspect of their work with children and families and the overall program. Everything from the treatment space to routines and social interactions throughout the day to the provision of specific treatment interventions creates a treatment experience that honors and centers clients' cultural backgrounds while supporting and addressing their unique developmental needs.

Interning with our East African Responsive Day Treatment Program provides a unique learning experience. Interns will not only learn about the provision of autism day treatment services in a culturally specific manner and the richness of East African culture, but they will also learn about autism and mental health across cultures. They will experience working on a very diverse team where teamwork is essential. They will learn about the role of community - both near and far - in supporting children and their families.

Because of the number of very young children diagnosed with both autism and trauma, we also offer day treatment classrooms on our Minneapolis Campus that focus specifically on these two diagnoses. For students who are interested in both autism and trauma, placement in one of these classrooms may be a good fit.

We love to hire our successful interns! St. David's has a long tradition of investing in the professional development of our mental health employees, starting with the interns we hire. All post-graduate clinical trainees receive free licensure supervision as part of our benefit package and evidence of our investment in professional development.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:

In our East African Responsive Day Treatment Program, internships are offered for the following placement cycles:

• Spring-Summer (approx. January-August)
• Summer Block (approx. May-August)
• Summer-Fall (approx. May-December)
• Fall-Spring/Academic Year (approx. September-May)

Availability varies by placement cycle. Please follow the application process detailed below if you are interested.

Interns are required to be present within the day treatment classroom for either a minimum of three partial days per week in one day treatment classroom (either morning or afternoon shift) OR two full days per week in two different day treatment classrooms (both morning and afternoon shift).

Morning shift is from 7:30am to 12:30pm. Afternoon shift is from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

Foundation and Clinical Students will:

• Work alongside a multidisciplinary team of professionals.
• Learn to support, then plan, then facilitate a treatment day.
• Learn therapeutic interventions that target social and emotional development.
• Observe family therapy sessions.
• Create individualized treatment plans and complete daily and weekly documentation.
• Observe and learn about extended DC:0-5 diagnostic assessments.
• Attend and observe family support groups.
• Observe and learn about St. David's partnership with a special needs center in Hargeisa, Somalia.

In addition, Clinical Students will have the opportunity to:

• Participate in extended DC: 0-5 diagnostic assessments with the program supervisor.
• Collaborate on the development and implementation of individualized treatment plans.
• Observe, then co-facilitate, then independently facilitate individual skills sessions.
• Learn standard outcome measurement tools (e.g., ECSII, CBCL).
• Learn treatment models such as SCERTS and Greenspan Floortime.

Multidisciplinary learning opportunities for Foundation and Clinical Students may also include:

• Observing occupational and speech therapy sessions.
• Observing outpatient mental health diagnostic assessments.
• Observing typical child development in our Early Childhood Education Program.
• Observing other mental health services in the agency (school-based mental health treatment, Family Place Preschool Mental Health Day Treatment, etc).
• Opportunity for DEI focused work, such as BIPOC reflective practice group participation, DEI panels and meetings, etc.

SUPERVISION AND TRAINING:

Students will receive individual reflective supervision every week and will participate in weekly clinical consultation meetings and weekly therapeutic day treatment curriculum planning meetings with the team. In addition, students will have the opportunity to participate in program and agency trainings on a wide variety of relevant topics. Students are encouraged to bring in and integrate readings and assignments from their academic courses.

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

Master's Level:

• Must be enrolled in a Master's Degree Program for Social Work, Clinical Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy.

Bachelor's Level:

• Must be enrolled in a Bachelor's Degree Program in a related field.

STUDENT QUALITIES DESIRED FOR EFFECTIVE WORK IN THIS PROGRAM:

• Work or life experience with children.
• Ability to take direction and work as a team member.
• Strong communication and written skills.
• Ability to establish positive, respectful working relationships with a diverse population of adults and children.
• Flexibility, creativity, and the ability to think on your feet and problem solve.
• Must be able to participate in a fast-paced, physically active classroom setting.

PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR EAST AFRICAN RESPONSIVE DAY TREATMENT:

• Placement requirements: In Person

• Field hours availability: Daytime hours: Monday - Friday

• Specific hours or days: Interns are required to be present within the day treatment classroom for either a minimum of three partial days per week in one day treatment classroom (either morning or afternoon shift) OR two full days per week in two different day treatment classrooms (both morning and afternoon shift). Morning shift is from 7:30am to 12:30pm. Afternoon shift is from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

• Car required? No. Our Minneapolis Campus is located on multiple bus lines. For those driving, we offer daily free parking in an underground parking ramp on our Minneapolis Campus.

• Required orientation? All interns are required to attend a New Employee Orientation before beginning their internship. They are held 2x/month on Monday mornings from 8:45am-12:15pm on our Minneapolis Campus with free parking available; exact date will be determined based on student start date.

• Background check required? Yes. Agency will cover the cost.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• If you are participating in the Minnesota MSW Metro Collaborative Interview and Match Process:

• Please send your cover letter and resume to: Hannah Krueger, MSW, LICSW (hkrueger@stdavidscenter.org). Do not apply online until you have been matched with our agency.

• If you are NOT participating in the Minnesota MSW Metro Collaborative Interview and Match Process:

• Please apply online for this internship opportunity: Career Opportunities - St. Davids Center for Child & Family Development careers
  • Use the "APPLY" link in the posting.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE CONTACT:

Hannah Krueger, MSW, LICSW (hkrueger@stdavidscenter.org)

FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH INTERNSHIPS AT ST. DAVID'S, PLEASE CONTACT:

Sarah Ahlfs-Dunn, PhD, LP (sahlfs-dunn@stdavidscenter.org)