The Mindfulness Center

The Mindfulness Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing mindfulness to all dimensions of life. Mindfulness includes meditation, mindfulness in health, lifestyle and community, and mindfulness in sustainable living on the earth. Through research, education and practice, we strive to promote optimal well-being and a sustainable lifestyle. In this mission, we know true joy in life.


The Mindfulness Center typically takes 4 interns per semester to help work with their older adult population. Mindfulness based approaches are a hot topic in psychology and this internship would provide American University psychology students with first-hand experience. Intern responsibilities are divided up between 50% administrative, reception and paper work, and 50% project work specific to interns area of interest. 


As an intern, you are allowed to take classes for FREE and will received 20% discount off services and are eligible for discounts on workshop and teacher trainings.


To Apply: Send a cover letter stating interest and resume, by e-mail to Jacqueline Norris, Jacqueline@TheMindfulnessCenter.org 

Location: 4963 Elm Street, #100 Bethesda, MD, 20814. In downtown Bethesda, by Bethesda Row, about 5 blocks from the Metro. 

Children's Program at Community Connections

The Children's Program at Community Connections is child-centered, family-focused, and community based. Community Support Specialists meet the child/youth and family in their community locales, learn the values and perspectives of the family and joining with them in affirming skills, abilities, talents and hopes. Problems are recognized in context and addressed through collaborative partnerships with the families and their support networks. Children are seen as often as necessary to achieve their stated goals and objectives.

Community Connections usually do not take more than 1 student per year. Community Connections asks that applicants be seriously committed to the job, and asks that interns be responsible and follow through with the determined time commitment. Interns work with child and families with mental health issues who are from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Intern responsibilities include gathering and organizing data and supplies, as well as organizing and helping with support groups. These activities give interns a lot of exposure to what Community Connections does.

Community Connections works very close to the margin and with people who live close to the margin. They are interested in working with students who are a very good match for us and passionate about and comfortable with mental health issues, children with serious emotional disturbances, and interacting with marginalized populations.

To apply: Application process is being reviewed, but Lori Beyer is in charge of the internship programs. Community Connections is interested in working with carefully selected students. Only serious applicants should apply.

• Main office contact number: 202-546-1512

Location: 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Suite 201 Washington DC 20003-2152 (right next to the Eastern Market Metro stop)

The American Association of Suicidology is an organization for those involved in suicide prevention and intervention. AAS is a leader in the advancement of scientific and programmatic efforts in suicide prevention through research, education and training, the development of standards and resources, and survivor support services. Interns work on research project and administrative tasks related to the operation of a small membership organization. All incoming interns will create learning goals, to be revied at the mid-point and close of the internship. If an intern wants, s/he may choose a research project of his or her own that relates to suicide prevention, postvention, research, awareness, or edcation. The following is a list of areas in which interns could be asked to work:

Administrative - Scoring evaluations of workshops, mailings, filing, answering telephones, marketing, conference preparation, and general office functions.

Research - Contribute to the research projects such as psychological autopsies, investigation of suicide clusters, prevalemnce of suicide among certain populations or in specivic geographical areas.

Membership Marketing - Combine marketing and psychology to support the Association.  Assist in the development of a membership recruitment initiaitve, create mailings to organziations and individuals to let them know about AAS membership.

Program Development - Seek information potential research topics and seach for funding. Draft grant proposals.

Youth Suicide Prevention - Support the Director of the National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide at AAS, carrying out research and writing tasks.

Interns must work for a minimum of ten hours per week. AAS works with students who must meet academic requirements for hours and/or assignments. Starting in Fall 2015, AAS will give priority to students who commit to two consecutive semesters working between 10 and 24 hours per week, and students who are able to obtain credit for their AAS internship. For more information, you can go the http://www.suicidology.org/students/become-an-intern-at-aas.

To Apply: Send a resume and cover letter to Andrea Price at aprice@suicidology.org.

Location: 5221 Wisconsin Ave, NW., Washington, DC 20015.

The office entrance is located in Friendship Heights at the rear of 5221 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The building is a white townhouse. Liberty Travel faces Wisconsin Avenue on the lower level in the front. AAS is in the back of this building. AAS is across the street from the Jenifer exit at the Friendship Heights Metro Station on the Red Line. There is two-hour parking available on Ingomar and Jenifer Streets and throughout the neighborhood behind AAS.

The Donald Delaney Eating Disorders Clinic is dedicated to the specialized care of preadolescent and adolescent patients age 10-21 years with suspected eating disorders. Typically, one undergraduate extern is taken each year. A year long commitment is preferred, but a one semester internship will be accepted if the candidate is the strongest. Typical extern responsibilities include:

• attending the weekly Eating Disorders Team meeting where patients are discussed
• maintaining the patient Excel database
• scoring the patient self-report questionnaires on new patients (a depression scale and the Eating Disorders Inventory)
• helping to write a monthly newsletter, The Healthy Student Body, mailed to over 600 local pediatricians and school guidance counselors
• possibly helping with lectures and Powerpoint presentations on the topic of eating disorders
• various other duties such as photocopying, filing, etc…

Training is provided at the start and the range of extern responsibilities is tailored to the number of hours the extern has available to work. The externship is unpaid, but it may be possible to arrange to get independent study credit for this experience.

To Apply: Send a resume/vita and cover letter to Darlene M. Atkins, Ph.D. to datkins@cnmc.org.

Location: 4900 Massachusetts Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20016

Office is less than one mile from American University, and bus accessible.

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children, Inc (CSAAC) is a private, non-profit agency that provides direct services to children and adults diagnosed with autism across their lifespan. They typically employ 20-30 technicians, many of whom are interns. The number of interns they are able to accommodate at a given time varies. Interns work directly with young children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The children range in age from 2 years old to 11 years old. Interns are trained to work as technicians implementing ABA-based programs. Once they are fully trained they are responsible for implementing a child’s treatment plan during one-to-one sessions at the child’s home or school. Interns also attend a regularly scheduled clinic meeting with each child’s treatment team and the psychologist in order to review progress and advance the child’s program. Interns are paid, even during training. The rate is $10 per hour during training, and then it increases. Given the lengthy training program, CSAAC asks for a commitment of at least 9 months. They are usually able to work around interns’ class schedules. Interns work between 6 and 18 hours per week depending on availability.

To Apply: Contact Eric Valenstein at evalenstein@csaac.org to apply.

Location:

Headquarters

8615 East Village Avenue

Montgomery Village, MD 20886

However, most or all services occur in each child’s home and/or school. Most locations are not metro accessible, and based off of previous student experiences, a car is necessary for this position.