"I would absolutely recommend this facility to other students. It really becomes somewhat like a home. You get to know everyone and grow closer and closer to members and staff. Also, you learn a lot about the mental health system and how people live with their various mental disorders."
Peoples Oakland
3433 Bates Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-683-7140 x 225A
https://www.peoplesoakland.org/
www.facebook.com/peoplesoakland
Contact Person: Jennifer Lallemand, jenniferR@peoplesoakland.org
Areas of Interest: Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Social Work
Description of Site: Peoples Oakland has been a cornerstone of holistic health and wellness within the Pittsburgh and surrounding communities for over 50- years. Based in an easily accessible location, Peoples Oakland provides comprehensive recovery and strengths-based psychiatric, social and re-entry rehabilitation services for Allegheny County adults with severe and persistent mental illness and co-occurring disorders. Within our array of services, this field placement is based in our social center component. We practice compassionate examination of everyday life experiences. We encourage responsible action towards treatment goals. We maximize the benefits and outcomes of natural peer interactions. We provide guidance, support, and community resources to respond to individual needs. All of our work is rooted in our established core values: Hope, Integrity, Respect, Empathy, Humility. These guiding principles build a culture of encompassing acceptance and love, and they promote programs where everyone can feel like they genuinely belong.
Duties of Students:
- Direct-care interactions with Members – conversations, games, walks, miscellaneous activities and events, targeted outreach calls to Members and treatment teams to reinforce social skills development
- Co-facilitation of individual and group supportive counseling sessions to build positive coping strategies
- Monitoring Social Center – responding proactively to address and de-escalate issues or conflict and maintain safety and stability
- Attend outings and field trips to encourage community integration
- Assist with program needs – will include cleaning, cooking, organizing supplies, preparation for special events, other building upkeep as needed to maintain and improve program services delivery
- Work with Site Supervisor, Program Staff Members and other Student Interns to develop and strengthen team work approaches in the professional setting
Additional Site Requirements:
- Students must be passionate about and interested in mental health counseling, social work, or psychology.
- Students must conduct themselves professionally and appropriately.
- Interested students can email a resume and short letter of interest to jenniferR@peoplesoakland.org
Additional Information:
Terms offered:
Fall: Mid-August - Mid-December
Spring: Mid-January - Mid-April
Summer: Mid-May - Mid-August
Shifts Offered:
- Shifts will be assigned on a first-requested basis. Once shifts are assigned, it is not a guarantee that changes can be accommodated.
- Monday through Friday shifts from either 8:30am-12:30 pm or noon- 4pm. *12:00-12:30pm intended for training, cross-communications, debriefing, planning, and team-building
Please note: Because we are a small agency, we must prioritize current for-credit Student Interns and do not normally extend field placements. In addition, depending on Site Supervisor availability and Member attendance ratios, we must prioritize for-credit Student Interns over experience-only Student Volunteers for placement. If we are able to accommodate Student Volunteers, they will have the same pre-placement documentation and on-site performance expectations as for-credit Student Interns.
Number of Students: depending on Site Supervisor availability, Membership attendance ratios, and shift-coverage needs