Psychology students at UVM are making a difference in the lives of people dealing with a range of mental-health concerns, from teens in crisis to neurodivergent students in need of life coaching to migrant workers in need of aid, just to name a few. Through the Mentored Clinical Internship (MCI), these students are finding their footing out in the field and having a positive impact on the agencies they work with and the greater community. 

Part of CAS’s Communities of Practice program, which enables students to build skills by working alongside professionals in their field, the MCI requires students to commit to two semesters, typically during their senior year. “Psychology majors, and some minors, apply in the spring,” says Judith Christensen, Ph.D., senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Sciences, who teaches the class. 

Students are then matched with organizations such as the Howard Center (the mental-health center for Chittenden County), after-school programs such as Head Start, and advocacy organizations such as Migrant Justice, among others. “We try to match the students based on their interest areas,” Christensen says. “It’s a process. Sometimes the students are very clear about what they’re after and it’s not too difficult to match them with a placement.” When students aren’t sure what they want to do, Christensen works with them before they begin their internship—sometimes all summer after they’re accepted in the spring—to help them clarify their interests and get them where they want to go.

MCI students are required to work 10 hours a week at their placement, and they also attend a seminar once a week. They must record their hours and write a reflection on their experience every week, and there are some other writing assignments. Their biggest project is the capstone project, which involves providing research to their placement organization in the form of program evaluations. 

“In mental health,” Christensen says, “there’s never enough money or time, so the students are adding people power to their placement.” This can be a substantial aid to organizations that often have limited staff, making it a bit easier for them to provide their valuable services to the community.

Carolyn Griffin, a junior who is currently enrolled in the MCI, says she was looking for an internship and was uncertain about how to get connected with agencies in Burlington. “I knew I wanted to work for an organization that was making an impact on diverse populations of people,” she says. After she was accepted to the MCI, Griffin was matched with Mansfield Hall, a residential and non-residential facility for neurodivergent college-age students in the Burlington area that provides coaching on life skills, academics, and volunteerism. 

As part of her internship, Griffin started a fitness program at the YMCA across the street for the Mansfield students. “I take them twice a week to do weight-lifting workouts,” she says. “Also, I have planned events such as the annual Halloween party and a de-stress calendar of events during finals week.” She also is working on setting up opportunities for students interested in advocating for neurodivergence to visit local high schools and middle schools to speak about their experiences.

Anoushka Carass, a senior who completed the internship last year, is now working as a teaching assistant (TA) for the MCI program. She applied for the internship because she wanted the opportunity to explore the field of psychology and apply what she had learned from her extensive coursework. Additionally, Carass wanted to expand her knowledge of child development. “While I have experience working with children from pre-K to 5th grade, I was particularly interested in gaining insights into working with slightly older populations,” she says. 

Carass was matched with the Sara Holbrook Community Center (SHCC), which shut down in the summer of 2024. It was a nonprofit organization that, among other things, provided after-school activities and programming for Hunt Middle School students in Burlington. Carass worked in the SHCC Teen Center, where students came in on Mondays and Fridays to eat, play games in the gym, enjoy board games, or engage in arts and crafts. 

“In addition, I participated in after-school structured club programming at the school, where kids could join clubs such as drama, sports, skiing, games, and art,” Carass says. She also assisted in a program specifically targeting students struggling with truancy issues. 

Carass’s experience varied from day to day. “Some weeks felt quite routine,” she says, “and although I didn’t always perceive my impact on the teens, I noticed small skills developing because of my involvement. For instance, I helped students learn the importance of setting boundaries with others.” 

By modeling behaviors that promote boundaries and acting as a positive adult role model, Carass cultivated a supportive environment for the teens, many of whom faced such challenges as food insecurity, neglectful parents, and housing instability. “In my role, I focused on ensuring they felt safe and secure enough to talk about what was happening in their lives,” she says. “Providing this sense of security allowed many students to be their authentic selves.”

Griffin feels she is helping make a difference through the program as well. She has been able to coach students in an environment outside Mansfield Hall, focus on social cue development, and promote the importance of regular exercise. She adds that MCI has given her the opportunity to learn extensively about neurodivergent populations and educate others who may be unaware.

The most rewarding part of the class for Griffin has been the progression in her clinical skills. “Seeing the improvement in how I handle adversity, connect with students, give and receive feedback, and build confidence in my coaching has been really empowering,” she says. She adds that MCI has allowed her to apply what she’s learned in her classes to make a real impact while also giving her a preview of the kind of career she envisions for herself.

Carass says that being a TA this year has been especially rewarding for her. One of the students in her group has been assigned to the same place she worked last year (Hunt Middle School). “It brings me great joy to hear about the changes and progress occurring with the students and the site,” she says. 

Christensen adds that MCI students come away from the internship with something substantial that they can use to apply to grad school or for jobs. What’s more, the organizations they work with, many of which have been connected with the program since it began a decade ago, truly appreciate what they do to help them and the community. “Through their work, the students leave behind something that they can be really proud of,” she says.