Internship Program

Types of internships and practicums Monarch offers include, but are not limited to:

• Outpatient Counseling
• MSW/BSW
• Enhanced Services such as Intensive in Home and ACTT
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• Medical Assisting
• Nursing/PNP
• Human Services

A typical internship program:

• Is a temporary, unpaid program that promotes academic, career, and personal development.
• Includes developing intentional learning objectives that are structured into the experience required by an academic program.
• Program will include learning objectives, observations, reflections, and evaluations as required for academic credit.
• Balances the intern’s learning goals with the organization’s needs.
• Length of internship may be dictated by academic requirement, typically no more than four months and may be full or part time.
• Involves industry related and soft skill development.
• Assigning administrative duties (filing, faxing, phone coverage, etc.) is acceptable, provided most of the work provides a meaningful learning experience.
• Provides adequate supervision in a reasonably safe environment with the necessary tools to perform the learning goals agreed upon for the duration of the internship.

An Internship is not:

• Free help.
• Meant to replace an employee.
• More than 20% busy work (filing, covering phone, errands).

Monarch will accept internship applications via our on-line profile. Internships will be posted on our website www.MonarchNC.org via the schedule below and the number accepted will depend on the established desire and need for interns.

Interns will follow the same or similar process as employees to be hired in the organization by applying online. Candidates must complete the following for their profile applications:

• Attach a current resume
• Attach a syllabus of internship requirements
• Complete the internship assessment that will automatically schedule when they apply

Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as intern space may be limited.

After the receipt of the application, the internship coordinator will review, screen, and forward to the appropriate site supervisor. The site supervisor will interview the intern applicant to determine if the intern is suitable for the internship.

An acceptance letter will be sent to interns who are selected for internship outlining their start date and orientation location.

If accepted students will provide:

• Signed Field Agreement
• Certificate of Liability Insurance
• Any other documentation required by the college or university

A rejection letter will be sent if students are not chosen or if there is no availability.

Monarch’s average internship is 3-4 months coinciding with a student’s typical semester. The proper length of an internship should allow the intern to get into the rhythm of the position and complete deliverables that are valuable to Monarch and the intern. If the internship requires less hours per week, Monarch may consider a longer term.

Monarch is excited to provide this opportunity to our communities and educational partners.

• Research the viability of a new program, campaign, or initiative; compile and present statistics.
• Complete a backburner project that has been bogging down regular staff.
• Propose solutions for a mid-level problem that no one has had time to address.
• Accompany employees to meetings as an observer. After leaving the meeting, ask for their input and ideas.
• Evaluate some area of technical functionality. Ask if they see ways to improve efficiency, streamline programs, or cut costs.
• Take responsibility for a regular task. One example is preparing and submitting the weekly supply order, it will demonstrate follow-through and an ability to take ownership.
• Prepare a budget.
• Create support materials, such as charts, graphs, or other visuals.
• Plan and coordinate an event or meeting.
• Generate a marketing plan, financial forecast, or other report.
• Produce a video or slide presentation.
• Perform a study or survey; analyze and present results.
• Write internal communications.
• Compile employee manuals or develop process directions for tasks with high employee turnover.
• Source goods or search for lower-cost sources for high-volume materials. • Clean up a database.
• Serve as a liaison between the company and clients or vendors, this will free up staff members to communicate on only more crucial issues.

Works in the Monarch’s Human Resource department and is the overall director of the internship program. The internship coordinator is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the internship program. Once the internship is established, the internship coordinator will assign interns to various departments and coordinate with site supervisors. This individual also acts as the liaison between the company and the educational institution (the student’s faculty sponsor, the school’s career center director, and/or career counselors). The internship coordinator will work with the various universities and colleges to ensure affiliate agreements and all intern activity forms are completed properly. The internship coordinator will work with the site supervisor to prepare a description of internship duties.

Directly supervises and interacts with the intern; therefore, if Monarch hosts multiple interns there may be multiple site supervisors, especially if interns are placed in different departments. (However, a single supervisor may manage more than one intern.) The site supervisor will provide the intern with appropriate workspace and supervision. An evaluation of the internship will be shared with the intern and the educational institution. It will be the responsibility of the site supervisor to ensure all required intern documentation is completed timely and accurately and submitted to the Human Resources Department.

Each year, Monarch’s HR department will work with field site supervisors to establish the need for interns, number desired, and skill sets they wish to see in an intern.

In general, Monarch uses the following DOL criteria when making this determination:

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern
5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship
6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship. 

Orientation

Interns – For students, an orientation serves as an information delivery meeting and a bonding experience to becoming acquainted with fellow interns and staff. Therefore, interns will attend the standard Monarch orientation. Orientation should be held on the students’ first day of work, and should not be an optional event. An orientation will get the interns off to a good start and help avoid misunderstandings during the work term. It allows the student to prepare for upcoming learning modules or workshops and will eliminate any confusion to the intern about the company’s deadlines that will be required from the intern.

Internship Coordinator – The Human Resources Department will schedule the intern’s orientation in alignment with the beginning of the Interns semester.

Site Supervisor – The site supervisor should conduct a tour of the facility to introduce the new member to individual staff, meet with the intern during orientation week or after the completion of orientation to discuss expectations and outcomes on both sides. The site manager should ensure that the intern has a desk and proper supplies so he/she can begin productive work immediately.

Performance Evaluations

It is the responsibility of the site supervisor to perform evaluations for their respective interns. The evaluation is an essential and critical component to the success of an internship program. The site supervisor will have consistent contact with the intern, either in groups or one-on-one, throughout their work term. The evaluation will help the internship coordinator improve and enhance the program and determine what works and what doesn’t. An evaluation is also the component that Monarch can rely on to assess interns and consider for regular, full-time employment. It is also important to remember that:

• Written evaluations most clearly communicate which areas of intern performance need adjustment.
• With informal, oral evaluations, interns may not remember everything the supervisor says; it is unlikely that interns will make the proper improvements if they can’t recall all the issues they are supposed to correct.
• Interns can keep the written progress reports and refer back to them periodically to make sure they’re working toward peak performance.
• Written evaluations provide proof of supervisors’ performance reviews. In the case of future disciplinary action—or if an intern is wondering why they were not invited back or offered fulltime employment—a written evaluation eliminates the intern’s ability to contend, “I was never told I needed to improve in that area.”
• Being an intern is receiving school credit for participation in the internship program, written evaluations are most often mandatory. Getting into the habit of providing written performance evaluations for all interns simply makes your program run smoother and ensures all interns are evaluated equally.