Bridge Communities, Inc.
505 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn IL 60137
Description of internship (duties, hours, population served): *
Hours of operations: 9a-5p M-F; Service population: Homeless families Bridge Communities Transitional Housing Program provides housing and a stable, supportive environment for at-risk families who are working on improving or developing the skills necessary to live independently. Bridge Communities partners with local faith-based and community organizations that provide volunteer mentors and essential financial support. The strength of the Bridge Communities program is in the positive relationship that develops between the mentors and the families they are supporting. Bridge Communities also provides the following services to its clients: • Housing: Clean, safe apartments scattered throughout DuPage County. A security deposit may be required. • Mentors: Volunteer mentors who meet regularly with the families to provide ongoing support with budgeting, goal setting, and other family needs. • Case Management: Ongoing support for mentors/families and links to community resources. • Educational Services: Manager of Education Services and tutors to assist in the needs of school-aged children, as well as parents. • Employment Services: Employment Director to assist clients in the process of finding appropriate work. • Children Services: The Director of Children’s Programs assists clients with the needs of children in these areas: physical health, emotional/behavioral health, and educational needs.
Applicants should contact (Name): *
Kristin Sabatino
kristin.sabatino@bridgecommunities.org
Is there anything else you would want a student to know about this internship opportunity?
Tasks: • Assessments, case write-ups, case presentations o The supervisee’s primary work will be with intake services. The supervisee will assist in the completion of regular phone screenings for eligible applicants to the program. The supervisee will encounter child abuse, active domestic violence, mental health, and homelessness concerns and will have to navigate these issues. o Once the supervisee has worked for a period of time, he or she will complete in-person interviews and trauma and behavior assessments with potential clients. These interviews are comprehensive psychosocial assessments, which further assess domestic violence, substance use, mental health, and trauma history. Additionally, the supervisee will utilize the MoCA, ICI, ACE, CD-RISC, and other psychological assessments. The interviews examine client’s support system, protective factors, and insight. After the interview, the student will be required to create a case write-up and present the information to the program team. • Resources and referrals o The supervisee will have to become familiar with resources and service providers in the DuPage County area to which to refer families. Additionally, the supervisee will need to network with these organizations to further assess referrals for potential clients from these agencies. • Case management shadow o The supervisee will have the opportunity to shadow case managers in their day-to-day activities. If a supervisee has interest in this area, he or she can further explore this opportunity with case managers. • Work with employment and educational services o The supervisee will also have the opportunity to work with Employment and Education services, which focus on helping clients find better employment and pursue further education. This opportunity can be explored with the supervisee and the Manager of Employment Services. • Work with children’s services o The supervisee will also have the opportunity to work with children’s services, which focuses on helping children who are behind get to their age expectations and those who are at age expectation get further ahead. This opportunity can be explored with the supervisee and Director of Children’s Services. Training: • The supervisee will be required to participate in the training completed by all mentors to help the supervisee understand Bridge Communities and its program. Approach to supervision (frequency, individual, group, etc.) and theoretical approach (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral, psycho-educational, etc.)