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Internship Experiences

PSY 4949 Internship in Psychology

Credit is earned by completing a paid or unpaid internship with a community agency approved by the department. Students work 50 hours per credit earned. A minimum of 50 work hours is required for students enrolling for 0 credits.

  • Prerequisite: 12 semester credits of psychology.
  • Credits Per Semester: 0-3
  • Maximum Enrollment: 4 credits
  • Grading Scheme: S/U
  • Enrollment form: PSY 4949 Registration Request Form.

Across all IW classes (PSY4905, PSY 4911, PSY4970, PSY4940, and PSY4949), a maximum total of 9 credits can be taken, and these 9 credits can count toward the 36 PSY credits required for the major. You cannot exceed 9 credits of IW under any circumstances.

More Information on Psychology Internship Opportunities

Students interested in the applied fields in psychology are well served by gaining experience working with special needs populations. Work in this area might involve helping at-risk minority children with schoolwork and social skills training, assisting mentally ill patients with their transition to community living, tutoring adolescents who are incarcerated, working in a homeless shelter, or working in a hospital. In addition to gaining knowledge about the needs of a specific population, students involved in such work learn invaluable lessons in diverse areas like communication, networking, and conflict mediation.

Approved Internship Sites
Behavior Analysis - Animal Behavior
Marineland Dolphin Adventure

LOOKING FOR CAREER TRAINING WITH MARINE MAMMALS AT AN ACCREDITED FACILITY, USING A SYSTEMATIC BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION APPROACH? LOOK NO FURTHER! REQUIREMENTS:  Age 18 or older  Proof of U.S. citizenship, current green card or student/work visa  Satisfactory completion of a background check  Positive attitude, good work ethic, and an eagerness to learn  Ability to work long periods outside in all weather conditions  Willingness to follow the policies and procedures of Marineland  Ability to attend all training courses and commit to determined session duration  All internships are unpaid and interns are responsible for their food, housing, and transportation.

Contact Julie Wendt, at 904-460-1326 or jwendt@marineland.net.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Animal Behavior and Wellness Research Internship

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (JZG) invites applicants for an animal behavior and wellness research internship in the Zoo’s Wellness Department. We have 2-3 internships available every semester.
Background:
The wellness lab at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and the Animalia lab at the University of Florida are collaborating to investigate ways to improve the welfare and wellness of animals in our care with an emphasis on animal’s preferences and choices.

  • Goals
  1. Support Animal Programs staff by conducting behavior observations of varying levels of difficulty and providing appropriate documentation.
  2. Develop a catalog of generic and specialized ethograms as references for observation, research, and education.
  3. Assist in developing research studies based on keeper-directed questions relating to either welfare or wellness.
  4. Collect, organize, and analyze data to be used to inform animal care staff at our institution and possibly share findings with other zoological institutions.

Intern Requirement

  1. At least 18 years of age
  2. Sophomore, Junior, or Senior in college
  3. Major in biology, zoology, animal sciences, behavior analysis, psychology, or a related field
  4. Excellent observation skills, attention to detail, and punctuality
  5. Able to multitask, and work independently, and as part of a group.
  6. Able to commit to a set weekly schedule, with flexibility and availability to assist with zoo events (e.g., Conservation or Wellness speaker events.)
  7. Reliable method of transportation.
  8. Must follow directions and adhere to safety regulations to ensure the safety of animals, self, and peers.
  9. Tolerant of occasional adverse environmental conditions (e.g., heat, cold, light rain, smells in animal areas, mosquitos, etc.)
  10. Ability to meet deadlines, and maintain professional behavior in email correspondence, in-person guest interactions, and with JZG staff.
  11. Must be fluent in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  12. *If receiving school credit, it’s the responsibility of the students to arrange for the credit.
  13. Would prefer a candidate who is experienced with operationalizing behavior, constructing ethograms, maintaining data sets, graphing, brief report writing, statistics, and creating posters, papers, and presentations.

Responsibilities/tasks can include:

Potential interns may not have experience or skills in all of the following areas. We hope that:

The intern will be able to develop or improve upon the following skills. Each intern will be assessed

and assigned to tasks most appropriate for their skill set, training level, schedule, and physical

abilities.

1. Animal behavior observation

2. Conducting literature reviews

3. Operationalizing behavior, constructing ethograms, maintaining data sets, graphing, brief

report writing, statistics, creating posters, papers, and presentations.

4. Inter-observer reliability testing

5. Attend meetings and training

6. Zoo guest interaction/ education

7. Work in collaboration with Wellness and Animal Programs staff

Please note that this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and that the requirements of the internship are subject to change as required.

To Apply:

To apply for this internship please email your cover letter, resume, and the intern information sheet

(below) to Valerie Segura at segurav@jacksonvillezoo.org and copy volunteer@jacksonvillezoo.org.

If selected for an internship candidates must adhere to reference checks, level 2 background fingerprints, drug screen, and pay the $50 intern fee (this fee covers your fingerprints and drug screen). A current tetanus vaccine is recommended.

Behavior Analysis - Developmental Disabilities
Behavioral Learning Systems

Behavioral Learning Systems provides Applied Behavior Analysis to persons with developmental delays using empirically validated treatments based on available research in learning and motivation. Students receive training in ABA, complete reading on ABA and research, observation of therapists, and video reviews of therapy sessions.

Contact Janice Pulcini, behaviorlearn.office@gmail.com.

Positive Behavior Supports Corp.

PBS is committed to the application of Positive Behavior Support, an approach of Applied Behavior Analysis, to improve the quality of life for the individuals we serve, their families, and others who support them.  We provide individualized ABA Therapy for those with Autism and related disabilities to assist with decreasing challenging behaviors and increasing appropriate behaviors and skill deficits. Our programs are designed to empower caregivers and others involved in the individuals’ lives to support them within their natural routines so they can be successful and self-sufficient.  Our vision is focused both on the families we serve and the team members we develop. PBS Corporation provides free supervision to students as well as free participation in PBS’ Mentor Program, which includes weekly meetings on topics of importance in the field with PBS’ Regional Clinical Training Coordinator, assignment and review of behavior analytic activities for unrestricted certification hours, and BCBA/BCaBA exam preparatory study sessions. We are searching for those looking to make lasting changes in families’ lives. If you want to work with a team that supports you, offers you professional development and growth, and directs focus on our families first, PBS is the team for you!

Contact:

Fran Echeverria, MA, BCBA
Regional Director
Fecheverria@teampbs.com
(855)832-6727 ext. 1076 
Children
A. Quinn Jones Center

The A. Quinn Jones Center provides a therapeutic environment for severely emotionally disturbed students. Their mission is to improve every student’s moral and emotional development so they can meet the social demands placed on each citizen in the community. Volunteers can assist in a variety of ways. Contact the school directly for details.

Contact Robert Ramirez, at 955-6840, or ramirerg@gm.sbac.edu.

Baby Gator

Baby Gator is a child development center offering high-quality care to children ages 6 weeks to five years. Baby Gator’s mission is to address the needs of all children and foster growth in social, behavioral, cognitive, physical, and literacy skills. Volunteers read, play, talk, and assist in the classroom, on the playground, and during meals, snacks, and rest time.

Baby Gator Diamond Village – Contact Jorge Ruiz, 392-2243 or jorgeruiz@ufl.edu

Baby Gator Newell Drive – Contact Tracie Faulkner, 352-273-8000 or tfaulkner@ufl.edu

Children Beyond Our Borders

Children Beyond Our Borders is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide opportunities for children and youth affected by armed conflict and social injustice to find peace, prosperity, and well-being through education and empowerment. Volunteers can assist resident Psychologists in developing educational curricula and workshop lessons for learners based in Columbia. Counseling will also be taught to volunteers to aid them while they mentor children who suffer from a variety of psychological issues, including drug or domestic abuse, family issues, and financial struggles.

Contact Andrea Ortega, at 786-486-5689 or info@chbob.org.

Children's Home Society

The Children’s Home Society offers protection, guidance, and love to abused, abandoned, and forgotten children. Their mission is to embrace and inspire children’s lives. Volunteers can assist in a variety of areas.

Contact Jason Holthus, at 334-0955 or jason.holthus@chsfl.org

Girl's Place

Girl’s Place, Inc. is a non-profit service organization that encourages girls ages 5-18 to GROW through the After School Sports and Recreation Camp, athletics, specialty classes, and Summer day camp. Volunteers can: (1) observe children in educational situations and recreational play (2) engage in one-on-one relationships providing hands-on assistance to children in need of specific attention (3) aid in program planning and development and (4) develop lasting friendships with influential and educational implications. For more information about volunteering visit www.girlsplaceinc.com/volunteer.htm

Contact

Tiffani Smith, 373-4475 or volunteer@girlsplace.net.

Micanopy Tutoring

Micanopy Tutoring is a unique after-school program that has the goal of enabling each student to attain their full educational potential. We believe that each child wants to succeed. We feel that when given the proper environment to thrive, each child can achieve to the best of his or her abilities and become happier and more successful.

352-234-5095 or mceetutoring@gmail.com

Norton Elementary

Norton Elementary School provides volunteers with a meaningful educational experience in all areas of the school, including, but not limited to, the classrooms and after-school enrichment programs. The Extended Day Enrichment Program employees must receive 10 hours of CEUs within the first 90 days of each school year (part of child development and child discipline). Volunteers will assist the Activity Leader in group directions, and discussions follow through with Sunshine State Standards activities conducted during rotation times, and tutor or assist students one-on-one during homework time while the Activity Leader is overseeing the group.

352-955-7350 or baiopa@gm.sbac.edu

PACE Center for Girls Alachua

Pace Alachua is dedicated to serving at-promise girls by helping them find their voice and providing tools to help them reach their full potential. Most girls come to us at a very critical time in their lives. A time when they are faced with challenging decisions and life circumstances that could shape the course of their future. We in turn provide our girls with the support and resources they need to position them for a better future through education, counseling, training, and advocacy.

Contact Natalya Bannister, 352-374-8799, natalya.bannister@pacecenter.org

Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central Florida

Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central Florida. (CPANCF) is dedicated to providing psychological care at a doctoral level by individuals trained in Clinical Psychology and Counseling programs approved by the American Psychological Association.

Contact Dr. Ernest J. Bordini, 352-336-2888

Developmental Disabilities
Tacachale Center

Tacachale is the oldest and largest community for the developmentally disabled in Florida. It is a progressive community dedicated to offering its residents the opportunities and services that respect and encourage their personal choices, enhance their quality of life, and maximize their potential.

Contact Paula Hawkins, at 955-5958 or paula.hawkins@apdcares.org.

Domestic Abuse
Alachua County Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center

Caring and compassionate people looking to make a difference in our community and the lives of those hurt by sexual violence can volunteer with the Alachua County Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center. Our program has two volunteer tracks to pursue – serve as a Helpline Counselor, answering our 24/7 rape crisis helpline, or a Community Ambassador, promoting awareness at community events.​​

Contact Laura Kalt, 352-264-6760 or lkalt@alachuacounty.us.

Child Advocacy Center

The Child Advocacy Center is a community-based, child-focused center that facilitates a compassionate, multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention, identification, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse. Their mission is to meet the needs of abused children in the community. Volunteers can assist in a variety of realms, including greeting children when they arrive at the center, transporting children and family members to therapy sessions, fundraising, clerical support, data entry, building and ground maintenance, and participating on ‘friend’ committees.

Contact Zoie Herman, 352-376-9161 or Zoie@cacgainesville.org

Peaceful Paths Violence Abuse Network

Peaceful Paths is a certified domestic abuse network that serves survivors of domestic violence in Alachua, Bradford, and Union counties. Their mission is to stop domestic violence and encourage people in our communities to make informed and healthy choices. Volunteers will have the opportunity to become involved in a cause that empowers women who need support in making a change in their lives. There are various volunteer opportunities.

Contact Nandy Ferguson or Cassie Gaspard (Child and Youth Program), 377-5690, nandyf@peacefulpaths.org or cassieg@peacefulpaths.org.

Health and Support Services
Gainesville Opportunity Center

With mental illness, you often lose the ability for self-care, and your activity levels drop. You may see a psychiatrist once a month and take medication to get control of symptoms, but you need a life. At our center, staff and members work side by side to run our office. Our goal is to help people show themselves what they are capable of to return them to the workforce and to be a vital part of our community.

Contact Brett Buell, (352) 224-5523 or brett@goclubhouse.org.

Health Disparities and Health Promotion (HDHP) Research Internship

This internship involves assisting in the conduct of culturally sensitive, intervention-focused, community-based participatory research (CBPR) and patient-centered research aimed at (a) reducing physical and mental health disparities that have a disproportionately negative impact in minority, low-income, and/or medically underserved communities, and (b) promoting health and wellness/wellbeing in these communities. The student interns who participate in this internship will learn how to conduct the aforementioned research through readings, virtual discussions, and learning activities as well as through the implementation of virtual interventions targeting individuals living in minority, low-income, and/or medically underserved communities.

Note: This internship is remote for Fall 2020.

Contact Dr. Carolyn M. Tucker, at (352) 273-2167 or cmtucker@ufl.edu

Legal Issues
North Florida Evaluation & Treatment Center

North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center is a maximum-security mental health hospital in NE Gainesville. The center works with people who have been convicted of felonies and whom the court has called incompetent to stand trial or not guilty because of insanity. The center’s job is to restore them to competency.

Contact Heather Davis, 352-264-8176, Heather.Davis@myflfamilies.com

Psychology Interviewing Internship at the Office of the Public Defender

This is a yearlong, 20-hour/week, unpaid internship opportunity at the Office of the Public Defender in Gainesville, Florida. There will be 4 positions for this internship. The internship will start on May 1st, 2019, and end on May 1st, 2020, The Office of the Public Defender provides legal representation to low-income clients facing criminal charges in Alachua County. This opportunity will provide exposure to clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges. The majority of clients are housed at the Alachua County Jail, however on occasion, clients are out on bail awaiting trial and complete interviews at the office. Students will need access to reliable transportation for this internship. Keep in mind you will be working on real cases that have drastic effects on people’s lives so take this very seriously.

Contact Dr. Brian Cahill, at 352-273-2175 or brian.cahill@ufl.edu.

How do I get involved in internship work in applied psychological settings?
Step 1: Identify an internship site where you would like to gain your experience. Step 2: Contact your preferred site and set up a schedule.

Once you have identified places in which you are interested in working, it is your responsibility to contact them, establish their need for interns in that particular semester, and set up a schedule for working with them.

Step 3: Arrange course credit.

Students interested in earning Internship credits can register for PSY 4949 (Internship in Psychology), a pass/fail course, after arranging a (paid or unpaid) work placement. As an internship student, you will interact with an instructor via Canvas to complete weekly professional development activities and receive feedback. Your agency supervisor will also interact with the instructor to verify your work hours and evaluate your performance. To enroll, you must first arrange to take this course with an approved agency. You and your agency supervisor will need to complete this PSY 4949 Registration Request Form. You may (a) scan the completed form and email the digital copy to Dr. Shani Kerr at s.kerr@ufl.edu, who will then submit an electronic copy to the Psychology Advising office. You can take a maximum of 4 credits of PSY 4949. A maximum of 9 hours from PSY 4949 and other individual work classes (PSY 4911/PCO 4911/PSY 3912/CLP 3911, PSY 4905, PSY 4940, PSY 4970) can count toward the 36-hour minimum requirement.

For PSY 4949, students can take 0-3 credit hours per semester, to be determined in conjunction with your work site.  For each credit taken, you must complete 50 hours of work during the semester and accrue enough points in the Canvas course to earn a satisfactory grade. This translates into approximately 3.5 hours per week during the Spring and Fall semesters, 4.5 hours per week during Summer C, and 8.5 hours per week during Summer A or Summer B (for each credit taken).

Credit approval depends on both the agency’s willingness to work with students who are earning credit and the department’s approval of the activity. As with any course, credit for these courses cannot be awarded retroactively, so if you want to earn credit, make sure to register for the internship course in the semester that you plan to work.

BEFORE ENROLLING FOR INTERNSHIP COURSE CREDIT, YOU MUST COMPLETE TWO TRAINING MODULES ONLINE: Click here for instructions.

What if I am interested in a site that is not pre-approved?

Students may also gain internship experience at agencies that are not on the list of pre-approved local sites, but you will first need to get prior approval from the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Shani Kerr ( s.kerr@ufl.edu). In selecting a site, make sure that the agency will give you initial orientation and training, in-service training, supervision and monitoring, and direction by competent professionals. To qualify for course credit, it is expected that work performed by students will enhance their understanding of psychology in applied settings.

To apply for approval, have the agency fill out the site approval form completely (click here). Once completed, send this form, via email, for review and approval to the Psychology Internship Coordinator, Dr. Shani Kerr: s.kerr@ufl.edu.

Critical components for being approved include:

  •  It must have direct psychological relevance.
  • Student internship tasks must clearly illustrate relevance.
    • The agency will need to provide significant detail about which aspects of the work are related to psychology, how they are related, and whether those aspects make up the majority of the work in which the student will be involved.

Note: Site approval can take approximately a week; therefore, plan to submit a site approval request at least 1-2 weeks before drop/add of the intended semester student plans to enroll. The Internship Coordinator will then notify the agency as to whether it has been approved or not. 

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure documentation is sent promptly to avoid late registration fees (Academic Deadlines and Calendars). Students are responsible for clearing all registration holds before application submission. 

Need assistance?

Students who are looking to obtain internship credit in Psychology will work directly with the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Shani Kerr. Please email s.kerr@ufl.edu.