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NEPHTC Student Internship Program
Administrator’s Handbook
2014-2015
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under UB6HP27877 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program” for $825,634.00 with 0% financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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Welcome!
This handbook is intended to be a guide for the New England Public Health Training Center (NEPHTC) Student Internship Program administrators. As the Regional Center for New England, Boston University School of Public Health will being leading the administration of this program, with support from
individuals from each of the six states in the region, including: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The goals of the NEPHTC Student Internship Program are to:
1. Establish or strengthen field placements for students in public or nonprofit private health agencies or organizations, and to
2. Involve faculty members and students in collaborative projects to enhance public health services to medically underserved communities.
These placements are to provide structured opportunities and experiences for students, as they apply their acquired knowledge and skills in a public health practice setting.
Thank you in advance for all of the time and energy that you will be giving for this program, as we work together to create meaningful practice opportunities for students of public health in New England. If you have any questions about the Student Internship Program, please contact me at any time, and I look forward to collaborating with you!
Sincerely,
Katie Boss
NEPHTC Internship Coordinator [email protected]
617-638-4994
BU School of Public Health 715 Albany Street
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Table of Contents
General Program Information……….4
Internship Categories……….5
Field Placements……….5
Faculty-Student Collaborative Projects………..5
Student Eligibility Criteria………..5
Student Deliverables……….6
Role of Internship Participants………..6
Local Performance Sites (or affiliated School/University)……….6
Site Supervisor……….7
Faculty Advisor………7
Internship Program Process Map……….8
Recommendations for Awarding Internships………..9
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General Program Information
Up to 20 NEPHTC student internship opportunities are available across New England, for the program year ending on August 31, 2015. Each participating student will receive a $1,500.00 stipend upon completion of the internship.
In general, we intend to provide three (in some cases, four) internships to students in each of the six New England states by the end of this program year, regardless of internship category (Field Placement or Faculty-Student CollaborativeProject).
Though most students will conduct the field placement at an agency within the New England states, it is possible, especially for Schools with an on-line degree program (e.g., University of New England), for a student to conduct activities at a public health agency in another state.
The NEPHTC student internships can fall into two categories, as described in the table below:
Field Placements
Faculty Student Collaborative Projects
Structured opportunities and/or experiences for students as they apply their acquired knowledge and skills in a public health practice setting.
Research projects or community
interventions identified by a governmental public health agency or other public health service entity where students and faculty advisors collaborate with the agency to:
Enhance public health services to medically underserved communities
Address specific public health issues among a specified target population Projects can range from three to six months and must have a deliverable.
Must take an interdisciplinary approach to public health education.
Must have an interdisciplinary component.
Students must complete their internship in order to receive their NEPHTC stipend. Completion of the internship will be determined by whether or not the student successfully completes their deliverables, as described at the beginning of their internship. The NEPHTC Internship Coordinator (Katie Boss, BUSPH) will confirm completion of the internship with each student’s Site Supervisor.
All data collection forms and communication with students, Site Supervisors, Faculty Advisors, and LPSs regarding the NEPHTC Internship Program will be managed by the NEPHTC Internship Coordinator.
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Internship Categories
Field Placements
Field Placements are expected to contribute to the mastery of public health competencies, with a focus on balancing the educational and practice needs of the students with the needs of the community. There is no specific length of time, or minimum number of hours that students must complete for a Field Placement. However, it is expected that the work will of sufficient duration and sufficiently robust to meet with the spirit of the program and to warrant the stipend awarded.
There is no funding available for the faculty who will be advising students for Field Placements or for the Site Supervisor at the organization where the internship is taking place.
Faculty-Student Collaborative Projects
Faculty-Student Collaborative Projects can include research projects or community interventions identified by a governmental public health agency or other public health service entity. The students and faculty advisors collaborate with the agency to address specific public health issues among a specified target population, and work together to develop the methodology and plan of approach. Faculty student collaborative projects can range from three to six months, depending on the project. The student must have a deliverable associated with the project.
Goals of a collaborative project will contribute to the achievement of public health competencies in specific areas of public health expertise and the development of leadership skills for the student. There is no funding available for the faculty involved in these collaborative projects or for the Site Supervisor at the organization where the internship is taking place.
Student Eligibility Criteria
Students are eligible to participate in the NEPHTC Student Internship Program if they meet the following criteria:
Enrolled in a graduate program (masters or doctoral degree) in public health (program is not required to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)).
Full-time or part-time enrollment
Citizen of the United States, a non-citizen U.S. national, or a foreign national having in his or her possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States
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Student Deliverables
Students will be required to complete the following documents, as participants in the NEPHTC Internship Program:
Agreement Form
Student Demographic Survey
Learning Contract
Final Evaluation
One-Year Follow-Up Survey
These deliverables are required of all students, regardless of internship category (Field Placement or Faculty-Student Collaborative Project).
The NEPHTC Internship Coordinator will reach out to students throughout their internship experience to provide to them each form as needed, and to get approval by the Site Supervisor on the Agreement Form and Learning Contract. The Coordinator will also check in with students on their internship progress and anticipated end-date, and will collect student payment information at the end of the internship.
Students will be expected to complete the internship deliverables as laid out in their Learning Contract in order to receive their NEPHTC stipend. If changes to the contract are required, or deliverables are significantly adjusted, the student must inform the NEPHTC Internship Coordinator as soon as these changes are made.
If students are using the NEPHTC internship to fulfill their degree program’s practicum/internship requirement (if applicable), it is their responsibility to ensure that they meet their program’s graduation requirements.
Roles of Internship Participants
Local Performance Sites (or affiliated School/University)
The role of the LPS or affiliated School/University is to identify students for field placements and/or faculty-student collaborative projects and identify public or non-profit health agencies or organizations in which the students will work. These agencies should serve underserved areas and populations, especially local, regional, or state health departments.
The LPS is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of the students chosen to receive a NEPHTC stipend. The eligibility criteria are listed on page 5.
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Site Supervisor
The Site Supervisor is an individual who will serve as an advisor for the student, at the organization where the internship is taking place. The Site Supervisor will be selected at the outset of the internship. The role of the Site Supervisor is to guide and support students throughout the internship experience. He or she is involved in determining the content of the internship, the student’s deliverables, and to serve as a continuous point of contact for the student.
The Site Supervisor will work with the student to complete the student’s Agreement Form and Learning Contract, so that both parties have the same expectations for the internship from the start. The Site Supervisor will be asked to approve both documents once the student submits them.
At the end of the internship, the Site Supervisor will be asked to complete an evaluation of the student’s performance and to give feedback on the NEPHTC Student Internship Program.
Faculty Advisor
Each student must designate a faculty member at the home School/University with which they will work during the internship. The student must choose their faculty member as required by their
School/University for their required practicum/internship (if applicable). The student will designate a Faculty Advisor on the Internship Agreement Form.
Role of Faculty Advisor for Field Placements:
The Faculty Advisor should be available to advise the student on the internship’s applicability to their degree program and career goals, be available for general guidance during the internship (if needed) and approve the student’s Agreement Form and Learning Contract. The Faculty Advisor may monitor student progress throughout the internship or communicate any need for intervention to either the LPS (or affiliated school) or the Regional Office/NEPHTC Internship Coordinator.
Role of Faculty Advisor for Faculty-Student Collaborative Projects:
The Faculty Advisor for a Faculty-Student Collaborative Project has the same responsibilities as those listed above, and additionally they will collaborate extensively with the student on the internship project. They will play an active role in the work conducted, and will be consistently in contact with the student.
The exact nature of the role will vary based on the project selected, and the Regional Office/NEPHTC Internship Coordinator will help to determine roles for each specific collaborative project opportunity.
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Internship Program Process Map
This process map is intended to clarify each action that occurs over the course of the student internship, and identify the person responsible for each action.
Start of Internship
LPS is responsible for identifying eligible internship placements, and ensuring the eligibility of the students that they choose to award a NEPHTC internship. The placement may involve a student at the LPS’s University (e.g., UMass Amherst, BUSPH, Yale University, University of New England, Dartmouth College) or an affiliated school or program (e.g., University of Vermont or Brown University). However, the LPS or affiliated school may identify another school/program in its state that will identify a student placement opportunity.
LPS ensures that the internship experience meets the standards of the NEPHTC requirements (as outlined on page 4).
LPS will ensure that if an international student is selected for an internship, that their visa status meets the NEPHTC eligibility requirements (as outlined on page 5).
LPS will send the NEPHTC Internship Coordinator (Katie Boss, BUSPH) the name, email address, and phone number for both the student and Site Supervisor.
Internship Coordinator will send the student, Site Supervisor, and Faculty Advisor information about the NEPHTC Internship Program, detailing the expectations for each person.
Internship Coordinator will send the student the Agreement Form and Student Demographic Survey to complete.
Internship Coordinator will send the Site Supervisor and Faculty Advisor the completed Agreement Form for approval.
Internship Coordinator will send LPS a copy of the approved Agreement Form, for record-keeping purposes.
During Internship
Internship Coordinator will send the student the Learning Contract, which must be completed in conjunction with the Site Supervisor and Faculty Advisor within two weeks after starting the internship.
Internship Coordinator will send the submitted Learning Contract to the Site Supervisor and Faculty Advisor for approval.
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Toward the end of the internship, the Internship Coordinator will contact the student to inquire about the progress of the internship and confirm the anticipated end date, and will also remind the student about the final evaluation and the one year post-internship survey.
The NEPHTC Program Coordinator will contact the student’s home School/University to gather demographic data for the entire student body needed for reporting purposes.
Internship Coordinator will serve as the point person for all students, Site Supervisors, Faculty Advisors, and LPSs throughout the course of the internship, and is available to answer questions at any time.
End of Internship
Students must notify the Internship Coordinator when they have completed their internship.
Internship Coordinator will send students the final evaluation to complete.
Internship Coordinator will send the Site Supervisor a final evaluation to complete.
LPS will be provided final copies of both evaluations, for record-keeping purposes.
NEPHTC Fiscal Manager (Heatherly Mitch, BUSPH) will reach out to student for payment information once both final evaluations have been received.
Student will receive NEPHTC Internship stipend. One Year Post-Internship
Internship Coordinator will send the student the one year post-internship survey to complete online.
Recommendations for Awarding NEPHTC Internships
The recommended approach for awarding NEPHTC Internships is for the Local Performance Site (or affiliated School/University) to look for opportunities in public or nonprofit health agencies or organizations, particularly those serving underserved areas and populations. The NEPHTC
internship/stipend can then be associated with the opportunity and be awarded to the appropriate student hired for the position.
It is strongly recommended that students be placed in internship positions that would otherwise be unpaid, if not for the NEPHTC student stipend.
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NEPHTC Regional Office Contact Information
Katie Boss
Internship Coordinator [email protected] 617-638-4994
Sharon Ravid
Assistant Program Coordinator [email protected] 617-414-8426 Heatherly Mitch Fiscal Manager [email protected] 617-414-8423
