I have spent the past few months working with the Community School-Based Behavioral Health (CSBBH) team at a local elementary school. My time with the team has been an incredible learning experience. Not only have I gained and strengthened my clinical skills, but I have also made wonderful memories with the team as we progressed through the Therapeutic Summer Program.
The most rewarding part of my internship was seeing the growth within the clients. By providing clients with psychoeducation, they can have a better understanding of their condition and work towards implementing effective coping strategies. Seeing clients build their confidence and achieve the goals they set for themselves makes the work meaningful. The attached photos show crafts the children created during the summer program.
The most challenging part of the internship was working with the complex interconnected system of the clients’ lives. The CSBBH program aims to assist youths dealing with problems that hinder their educational growth, function within their homes, and function within their community. This requires looking holistically at the clients and their environment to understand their behaviors and challenges better. To best serve the clients, it requires not only direct work with the clients but also the cooperation of those within their support network. My time with the clients has demonstrated the truth in the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”.
Working alongside the CSBBH team has allowed me to work directly with clients, assist in developing treatment plans, and learn more about the profession. I am beyond grateful to the team because they have given me plenty of opportunities to learn from their expertise. Lastly, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Roche Family Center for Career Development and the Psychology Department for granting me this opportunity.
My-Kim Dang, Psychology
My-Kim, it sounds like you had a great internship and learned a lot. It’s always great when you can also say you were able to make connections with your coworkers as well.
My-Kim,
I’m so glad you were a recipient of the Royal Psychology Experience this summer. It sounds like you learned and lot and gained many clinical skills and other competencies in your internship. Great job!
My-Kim,
It seems like you and the clients you dealt with had a really positive experience from your internship with the CSBBH team. It’s encouraging to learn how you enabled children to develop by giving them the knowledge and resources they required to overcome obstacles. Although it must have been challenging to work with the complex interconnected system of the clients’ lives, doing so certainly broadened your understanding of holistic treatment. Congratulations! I wish you luck on all of your next pursuits!
My-Kim,
Being able to help people gain confidence and offering ways to combat their challenges is a lifelong skill. I am glad you took on this internship to support so many clients who have been struggling all of their lives. Living with conditions that alter one’s way of life cannot be easy, but I am happy to see that there are resources available to guide these individuals.
My-Kim,
Your patients were so lucky to have you this summer! Watching the children grow and improve was my favorite part of my internship as well. It makes all of the challenges worth it! I am happy that you had such a rewarding experience, and I am sure that it will help you to continue to help others in your future career!
My-Kim, congratulations, this sounds like an amazing experience! It sounds like really being able to see a tangible difference in your patients’ growth and overall improvement must’ve been really rewarding and special. It definitely sounds like you were able to put your psychology skills to good use. Wishing you the best with everything going forward!