Behavioral Health Internship Program
ABOUT TEPEYAC:
Tepeyac Community Health Center (TCHC) has a rich history in Denver Metro, particularly within the Latinx community; opened doors almost 30 years ago by our very own Jim Garcia who is still our CEO today. Jim identified a need for affordable health care services in the Spanish-speaking community and, therefore converted a church-owned home into a 2-patient room clinic--built by 100 local volunteers. 28 years later, in February 2023, we moved in to our newly built 24,500 sq. ft. clinic where we’ll have the capacity for 37,000 visits a year.
TCHC provides affordable care to insured, uninsured, and undocumented patients. No patient is denied health services based on their inability to pay. We use an income-based sliding fee scale; patients can receive full comprehensive medical visits for as low as $25; most pay between $25-$40 a visit. 90% of our clients cared for are Latinx, Spanish speaking. TCHC takes pride in being a culturally responsive center where all staff who have patient interaction are Bilingual-speak both English and Spanish. TCHC is doing such important work for vulnerable communities that would otherwise not be able to afford health care, some individuals even driving two hours to receive care at our facility. Many of our patients have unique financial and cultural barriers to accessing resources or services, including healthcare and education. 95% of our patients identify as Latino and are better served in a language other than English.
We are looking for student learners who desire to learn about Behavioral Health Integrated Care and Psychotherapy at our medical clinic and outpatient therapy setting.
Estámos buscando estudiantes que desean aprender sobre el Cuidado de Salud Mental Integrado y Psicoterapia en nuestra clínica y oficina de consejería.
THIS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE BILINGUAL (SPANISH/ENGLISH) AND DESIRE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOTHERAPY EXPERIENCE.
MINIMUM HOURS: 20 HOURS/WEEKLY
INTERNSHIP POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Behavioral Health Internship Program (BHIP) accepts Master and Doctoral level student learners from various graduate programs. As part of the experience, student learners shadow experienced behavioral health providers (BHP), and begin to evolve their own therapeutic style. BHIP utilizes a collaborative model that supports students in strengthening the skills and talents they already have while developing their clinical abilities and theoretical rationale in new ways. We explore how a student’s life experiences and personal values influence their role as a provider, and promote discussions regarding transference and countertransference.
BHPs use various modalities uniquely tailored to the need of the individual. Some of the most common integrated care interventions include mindfulness practices (diaphragmic deep breathing, grounding, and progressive muscle relaxation exercises); strength-based identification; cognitive behavioral interventions; and motivational interviewing. BHPs routinely provide psychoeducation on the mind-body connection and the importance of daily self-care (exercise, diet, and sleep hygiene). Evidence-based screening tools are regularly utilized to support the assessment of the client’s mental health. Patients receive comprehensive services as TCHC transdisciplinary teamwork seeks to offer high-quality integrated health care.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Behavioral Health (BH) interns learn to offer ongoing support to individuals and families struggling with mental health-related issues including, but not limited to: addiction, depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, behavioral concerns with children and teenagers, and acculturation issues. Interns will learn how to administer and utilize screeners to assess depression, anxiety, and trauma while providing integrated health care within the medical clinic model. Over time our interns develop a therapeutic caseload within our outpatient mental health program where they have the opportunity to offer our patients individual psychotherapy, individual short-term solution-focused therapeutic care, family therapy, group therapy, and/or couple’s therapy. Supervisors work with interns learning edge and comfortability level, always keeping in mind our interns are learners, not staff.
Duties of BH student intern:
Clinic hours: M, W, F: 8:00 am- 5pm, Tues 8am-7pm, Thur 8am-6pm and Saturdays 8am-12pm. Must speak Spanish. Must commit to 20 hours per week for a minimum of two semesters. Do psychoeducation, brief introductions to therapy, and brief interventions. Over time, develops a caseload which may include clients receiving individual and/or family and couples therapy
Supervision and training format: Individual, and Group In Service/Didactic Programming
Ratio of supervision to clinical hours: One (1) hour of individual supervision per week per intern; 1.5 hours of Group Supervision
Number of hours/week trainee works: Minimum of 20 hours on-site per week
Student intern qualifications needed: Must speak Spanish, and desire to do therapy in Spanish.
For masters students: Completed one year of graduate studies, within second+ year of graduate program.
For doctoral students: Second and Third-year student is acceptable, preferably with some experience in the health, medical field, or human services such as case management.
Pay: Currently unpaid; working on obtaining grant funding for a yearly stiped (TBD)
Special Note. Tepeyac is refining its approach to providing an integrated health and behavioral health format of service delivery. We also offer individual, group and family therapy.