Therapeutic internships or practicum experiences are available for those in programs for Master of Social Work, Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, or a combination of Art Therapy and other clinical licensure. Placements provide students the opportunity to explore the therapy role in an inpatient unit (child/adolescent), partial hospitalization program (all ages) or intensive outpatient programming (all ages) depending on site and placement. Internships or practicum experiences focus on assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of psychosocial services for patients. Students work directly with their supervisor to provide group, family, and individual therapy for assigned patients. Students have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team that may include therapists, psychiatrists/APRN’s, nurses, social workers, and psychiatric technicians. Students may also have the opportunity to attend case consultations led by a psychoanalytically trained therapist and attend PrairieCare education series.

• All internship and practicums follow a typical school year calendar, beginning in the fall and ending in the spring
• Resumes and cover letters are accepted and reviewed January-March
• Interviews take place in April with selections and offers made in May
• Students are allowed to work no more than 19 hours per week
• PrairieCare currently contracts or affiliates with specific schools. We are not able to expand contacts or add affiliates at this time due to the limited number of placements available

Please contact Susan Gatto, LICSW for further information.

763.762.8860 sgatto@prairie-care.com

Internships in Recreation Therapy and Occupational Therapy are available at our inpatient hospital in Brooklyn Park, working with patients from ages 5-18. The prospective intern must be studying Therapeutic Recreation and in their final semester of their undergrad program. The Recreation Therapy and Occupational Therapy (RTOT) department consists of CTRS, COTA, and Group Facilitators. Students have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team that may include occupational therapists, social workers, therapists, psychiatrists/APRN’s, nursing and psychiatric technicians. Students work directly with the Recreation Therapy team to gain experience and expertise in all NCTRC task domains. Upon completion of the internship program, students are equipped with skills to sit for the NCTRC exam.

• All internships occur during academic semester timelines. We accept during Spring, Summer and Fall.
• PrairieCare is limited to 2 interns per semester.
• PrairieCare currently contracts or affiliates with: University of Wisconsin La-Crosse, Winona State University, MSU-Mankato, and University of Iowa, but open to other accredited programs.

Please contact Beth Vance, CTRS-BH for further information.

evance@prairie-care.com

PrairieCare and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing have a collaboratory to facilitate working together to improve nursing practice, education, and patient outcomes as it relates to mental health care.

The collaboratory will serve as a nursing think tank and incubator for creativity and innovation that will engage faculty, staff and students in the development of strategies to enhance education, research and practice.

“Amazing things happen when two organizations of excellence join forces to make a difference,” says Mandy Dageford MSN, CENP, chief nursing officer of PrairieCare. “PrairieCare is excited to partner with the University of Minnesota School of Nursing to create innovative strategies that will enhance and uplift the profession of nursing within the mental health field and positively impact our patients and our communities.”

Contact Mandy Dageford, MSN, RN-BC for more information at mdageford@prairie-care.com.

Schools we partner with to offer clinical opportunities:

• Bethel University Nursing Program
• Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education – Metro State

PrairieCare provides a new graduate RN Transition to Practice Program’s goal is to assist in the transition to independent nursing skills. This will be a rolling 12 month program and will include a monthly 3 hour session that each participant would be scheduled into. This session will include cohort meetings in allow for reflection, community building and connection; a monthly education topic relating to Inpatient Psychiatric Nursing, simulations of restraints/seclusions, suicide/self harm conversations, etc. and a 3 month medication education program.

For more information, contact Rachel Jeffries, RN at rpatil@prairie-care.com.

Foundation and clinical internship experiences are available for those in school for their Master of Social Work. Placements provide students the opportunity to explore the social work role in an inpatient unit (child/adolescent), partial hospitalization program (all ages), or intensive outpatient programming (all ages) depending on site and placement. Students have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team that may include therapists, psychiatrists/APRN’s, nursing and psychiatric technicians. Students work directly with their supervisor to participate in the intake/admissions process, work with patients to develop areas of focus within treatment, write master treatment plans, facilitate psych-education or skills groups, facilitate a weekly team meeting, and coordinate discharge planning and crisis intervention. Students may also have the opportunity to attend case consultations led by a psychoanalytically trained therapist and attend PrairieCare education series.  

• All internships follow a typical school year calendar, beginning in the fall and ending in the spring 
• PrairieCare participates in a spring match process for internships with 5 universities across the Twin Cities
• PrairieCare sites in the Twin Cities are unable to offer placements outside of this match process
• PrairieCare sites in Southern Minnesota occasionally accept students outside of this match process based on contracts with specific schools
• PrairieCare currently contracts or affiliates with specific schools. We are not able to expand contacts or add affiliates at this time due to the limited number of placements available 
• Students are allowed to work no more than 19 hours per week 

Please contact Susan Gatto, LICSW for further information.  

763.762.8860 sgatto@prairie-care.com