The Arthur Project: An opportunity to practice anti-oppressive clinical skills in a school and community-based organization
The Arthur Project is a non-profit that serves students by matching them with therapeutic mentors who support them throughout their middle school years.
The Arthur Project was founded under the belief that at the heart of most successful youth interventions lies a quality relationship with a caring, equipped adult. Cohorts of dedicated Social Work interns are placed as therapeutic mentors in middle schools where they work with students for the duration of the child’s academic year. Working one-on-one and in groups, mentor and mentee engage in an experience-driven framework targeting five key areas of a child’s life.
Internship Description
We are seeking social work students who are passionate about helping young people enact their individual and collective power. Our ideal mentors are sensitive to the challenges our students face while also believing in the child’s ability to thrive in the face of these challenges. We encourage students to apply who are excited about practicing anti-oppressive skills in a variety of settings.
At The Arthur Project, social work students collaborate with mentees to develop and achieve individualized goals along five dimensions:
- School and Career
- Health and Wellness
- Family, Friends, and Relationships
- Finance
- Community and Culture
Students work toward their goals in their individual counseling sessions, in afterschool groups, and in community-based Saturday activities. We accept interns who want to complete field hours from Monday through Saturday.
Training & Professional Development
On a weekly basis, interns will collaborate closely with The Arthur Project team and the school staff to ensure that each mentee stays on track with their individual goals. To help support interns in being effective as therapeutic mentors, there is an intensive orientation at the beginning of the school year. In addition to providing weekly individual supervision with a SIFI certified Field Instructor, The Arthur Project also facilitates monthly seminars to support the professional development of interns. These seminars will focus on specific clinical techniques, modalities, and theories, including the development of trauma-informed practices through an anti-oppressive lens.
Potential assignments
The field placement will be composed of the following assignments, the combination of which would be specific to the individual intern’s interests and experience. We welcome clinical, community organizing, and administrative students as interns at The Arthur Project.
- Individual, therapeutic mentoring relationship: Holding individual therapeutic counseling sessions; participating in parent/guardian engagement; collaborating with school/teachers; assessing and referring for additional services.
- Group work: Planning and implementing group work including curriculum development, outreach, and facilitation (approximately 8-10 students per group).
- Family Work: Supporting Family Advocacy program by providing intake, case management and therapeutic services.
- Planning and implementing events for the entire Arthur Project community: Planning trips, activities, parties, and community-building retreats.
- Planning and implementing opportunities for student-led civic engagement/political advocacy: Planning short and long-term community-focused projects, school-based campaigns, lobby days, letter-writing campaigns, and demonstrations.
- Data and evaluation: Gathering, tracking and analyzing data, writing reports and communicating with funders.
