Clinical Mental Health Intern


 Vibrant Emotional Health

Mental Health Internship Program

Fall 2026-Spring 2027

Internship Overview:

Vibrant Emotional Health is offering a year-long mental health counseling internship program for up to 8 Masters level Interns from Mental Health Counseling and Social Work programs. The interns will be placed for 5-month rotations within our Adolescent Skills Centers, Family Youth and Peer Support Services, and optional 2-month rotations through Direct Service Community Based teams. The overall clinical focus of our internship is to integrate clinical supports in community based, peer friendly programs. Most New Yorkers most in need of mental health supports are hindered by insurance, long waitlists, and laborious intake procedures to access services. Our model infuses mental health and clinically informed practices in innovative community centered models. The hope is that we can provide services that prevent the need for ongoing traditional psychiatric support. The model offers supports to youth and families, who are dealing with emotional, social concerns and are challenged by traditional systems. Our goal is to provide psychoeducation and access to supports, and where able to integrate more clinical supports where access is limited.

Clinical interns will learn to work holistically with families dealing with mental health challenges. Interns will be placed at one of our Adolescent Skills Center sites to learn unique approaches to educational and vocational supports for youth between the ages of 16-22, who are looking to get additional training and education to accomplish their own goals. Interns will rotate to our Family Youth Peer Support programs, where the focus is empowering families and caregivers of these children to better understand mental health systems and concurrent supports available. The focus of this rotation is to support families dealing with the difficulties inherent in advocating for services for their youth across a variety of clinical presentations. All interns are also eligible for optional 2-month rotations with Direct service teams, a Child and Family Treatment Support Service, and a Child and Adolescent Care Coordination Team. These programs provide direct therapeutic services in the community, where interns will shadow services with families and learn about diagnosis and development of interventions for families in the community.

The internship program is based on a 16-20 hour week at minimum. Individual supervision, group supervision, and didactics will be offered on a weekly basis by the shared faculty present at all sites and additional colleagues’ representative of the wide array of programs offered at Vibrant. The internship will begin in September and will end by August.

Community Program Rotations Overview:

Adolescent Skills Center

975 Kelly Street, STE 302

Bronx, NY 10459

Description

The Adolescent Skills Center offers a comprehensive vocational training program and provides a High School Equivalency Diploma educational program through the ReStart Academy and the NYC Dept. of Education. The ASC program is for youth ages 16-22 who have emotional and behavioral challenges that interfere with school or finding and keeping a job. Youth must reside in one of the five boroughs of NYC (Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens) to enroll.

Youth admitted into the program will have an opportunity to participate in the following components:

☐ TASC Preparation through the ReStart Academy and NYC Dept. of Education (ages 17-21)

☐ Vocational Assessment and Evaluation (ages 16-21)

☐ Career Exposure (ages 16-21)

☐ Vocational and Educational Remediation (ages 16-21)

☐ Placement and Social-Emotional Support Services (ages 16-21)

The program is funded through a contract with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Service Components

Education

Youth, aged 17-21, who qualify for the ReStart Academy can attend TASC Preparation classes.

The ReStart Academy (Bronx/Queens only) requires a sixth grade reading and math level for enrollment. All youth interested in the ReStart Academy will be scheduled for a TABE exam to measure math and reading levels.

Classes are run according to the NYC Dept. of Education school year calendar and are held Monday through Friday, 8:35AM until 2:57PM.

Tutoring is available to all youth enrolled in the program.

College and trade school exploration and assistance with the application process for youth who have earned their HS Diploma or equivalent.

Vocational

Youth, aged 16-21, are assisted in attaining their vocational goals through individual and group sessions.

Youth can develop skills in completing applications, job interviewing, resume/cover letter writing, and will complete an individual vocational plan with our Job Developers.

Volunteer positions and Internships are available for youth with an opportunity to earn paid stipends for their time and gain experience.

Career Club for DOE and Vocational Students – Resume Building, Career Mapping, Mock Interviewing, Professionalism, Continuing Education, Budgeting, Understanding Pay Check, Taxes

Social – Emotional

Youth receive assistance in attaining their social and emotional goals through ongoing therapeutic support from Case Managers and Clinical Interns.

Short term mental health counseling and referrals to long-term therapy are provided.

Personal growth is encouraged through attending our psychoeducational groups. Group topics include: finance and budgeting, coping skills, sexual health and relationships, LGBTQ topics, current events, know your rights, mental health education, alcohol and substance abuse, peer support & advocacy, and more.

Internship Guidelines:

2 internship slots are available to work within each of our 3 Adolescent Skills Center sites. Qualified interns must be enrolled in a Masters Level Mental Health Counseling Program, and be in good educational standing to dedicate at minimum 16-20 hours per week on site. Schedules are determined with collaboration with site coordinators. Interns will be responsible for a rotating 5-10 youth caseload. Interns will assist in initial intakes, and working with the staff on supporting the student toward achieving their identified goals. Case conferences, psychological assessment, and brief supportive counseling are hallmarks of this experiences.

Family & Youth Peer Support Services

367 East 149th Street, 7th Floor

Bronx, NY 10455

Description

The Family Youth and Peer Support Services offers peer-led support to families and caregivers who support youth, who are facing challenges in child serving systems, such as educational settings or in the community. Most youth are in need of services due to concerns over their well-being, be it medical/mental health supports, linkage to resources, or advocacy in educational systems. Families often need psychoeducation on services in the community, mental health concerns, and their rights. Clinical interns take an active role in providing psychoeducation to families, who often have mistrust of a number of systems. A key component of this rotation is the importance of collaboration with Peer Advocates, staff with lived experience, and their abilities in engaging families outside of a traditional treatment model. Interns will gain experience in co facilitating groups, meeting with families and youth to provide knowledge and education about services and mental health concerns. Interns will also be able to engage in outreach and community events to provide services in the community.

Optional 2-Month Community Based Team Rotation

Youth and Family Wellness Team (YFWS)

Child Adolescent Collaborative Team (CACT)

Description

The Youth Wellness and Family Service is an OMH Licensed Child and Family Treatment Support Service (CFTSS) team. The program is a Medicaid billable service where clinicians intake referred individuals, and then set up ongoing visits in the home or school to pr