Internship & Practicum Opportunities
Therapeutic Services Agency, Inc has a long history of providing students Internship or Practicum experiences. Individuals enrolled in Bachelor degree programs, Master’s degree programs, PhD and PsyD programs studying Social Work, Community Counseling, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy or a related field are welcome to contact us to discuss interest in internship opportunities at Therapeutic Services Agency, Inc.
TSA is committed to supporting exceptional learning experiences for individuals and will tailor the internship to best meet the needs of the student. We believe in helping the student further their knowledge base and practice important professional skills while we also attend to the personal well-being of the individual student and their overall professional development. In addition, TSA routinely looks to hire interns who have successfully completed their internship hours and who's internship experience was mutually beneficial to the intern and the agency.
At TSA, internship or practicum students can expect to:
- Receive the amount of individual supervision required by their school
- Participate in monthly intern-specific group supervision, lead by a Mental Health Professional
- Engage in group supervision with professionals in their work group
- Attend monthly topic-specific training provided by a licensed mental health professional. Past topics have included Narrative Therapy, Understanding Addiction and Recovery, Trauma Informed Care, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Assessment and Treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Disordered (thy name is teenager), ADHD/Executive Functioning Deficits, Anger Management and Motivational Interviewing. Past interns have noted this additional training as being highly valuable to their internship experience.
- Experience personal professional development (learning more about self, use of self in professional work with clients, colleagues and professional field, increasing professional knowledge base and professional helper skills)
- Be treated respectfully as a valued member of a client's treatment team
Therapeutic Services Agency offers internships in the following programs:
- Day Treatment for Children and Adolescents in North Branch and Pine City
- In-Home Family Based Services Program in the metro and East Central Minnesota communities
- School-linked Behavioral Health Services at various schools throughout East Central Minnesota
- Outpatient Mental Health Services in Pine City, Cambridge, Coon Rapids and North Branch
- Community Based Skills Groups in Pine City
Day Treatment Program for Children and Adolescents
Please visit the Day Treatment program page to learn more about program philosophy, clients served, and services offered through this program. *This internship is site based in North Branch or Pine City. An internship with Day Treatment in Pine City is paired with the Community Based Skills Program..
Day Treatment interns first have the opportunity to shadow the mental health practitioners and professionals extensively to learn what they do and establish relationships with the youth in programming. As an intern’s experience and confidence grow, their role will expand to include co-leading groups with either group skills or group therapy leaders, generating treatment plans, completing clinical notes, and being involved in collateral contact with parents, schools and social workers. In addition, interns have the opportunity to participate in weekly clinical meetings and group work planning meetings. Other available opportunities include observing/co-facilitating individual and family therapy sessions, intake meetings and progress meetings. Day Treatment takes a team approach in working with clients in the program and interns serve a valuable role on the team. The Day Treatment programs welcome bachelor, master and doctorate level interns.
In-Home Family Based Services
Please visit the In-Home Family Based Services page for details about services offered.
As an intern with In-Home Family Based Services (FBS), you will be paired with a FBS mentor. At first, you will shadow your mentor extensively, traveling with them as they travel between client residences. As your supervisor and mentor see fit, you will begin to take a more active role in sessions and contribute to treatment planning, clinical notes and collaboration with other service providers. Eventually, you will develop your own small caseload and begin seeing your own clients as well. Interning with the FBS program provides excellent opportunity for clinical skill development. In-Home Family Based Services welcomes master and doctorate level interns.
Mental Health Services in Schools
Please visit the Mental Health Services in Schools page for information about services offered. 
As an intern with School-linked Behavioral Health Services (SLBH) or School Based Mental Health Services (SBMH), you are paired with a TSA staff/mentor who is hosted in one or two school setting(s). The intern will begin by shadowing their mentor and integrating into the host school(s). Gradually, the intern will begin to take a more active role in service provision, including diagnostic assessments, therapy – both individual and family, and skills training. Interns begin seeing their own clients as well. Additional responsibilities include contributing to treatment planning, case notes, and collateral contact with teachers and other school staff. Mental Health Services in Schools welcomes master and doctorate level interns.
Outpatient Services
Please visit the Outpatient Services page for additional details and specific services offered.
Outpatient interns will be paired with a mental health professional mentor who they will shadow extensively at the beginning of their internship. As an intern’s mentor and supervisor see fit, the intern will begin to take a more active role in sessions and contribute to treatment plans and clinical notes. In addition, there are opportunities to gain experience observing and completing Diagnostic Assessments. Pending approval by both their mentor and supervisor, outpatient interns will carry a small caseload of their own by the end of their internship experience. Interns are assigned to outpatient services based on availability, past work experience and advanced education. Outpatient services welcomes doctorate level interns and master level interns with past experience providing mental health services.
Community Based Skills Groups
Please visit the Community Based Skills Groups page for additional information about this service. 
Community Based Skills Groups interns will support the mental health practitioner or professional in planning group content, preparing materials, developing client treatment goals, running group, coordinating with other TSA service providers and communicating with parents/guardians about youth's progress. In addition, interns will assist with overseeing the therapeutic milieu, which includes preparing snack, engaging with youth, and encouraging youth to practice newly learned skills. Community Based Skills Groups welcome bachelor or master level interns.
Many interns join TSA later as employees!
Included below is a sampling of some intern-turned-employees at TSA (click on their name to read their bio):
When asked about their internship experience with TSA, past interns have said:
"I am really grateful to have found such a welcoming and supportive agency for my internship and to have the opportunity to stay on now, post-graduation. I've learned so much since beginning my practicum and I'm excited to learn even more as I enter the next stage of my career."
- Jasmine
"I am happy to be with such an amazing crew of people! I loathed leaving TSA at the end of my internship, so it really is a blessing that I was hired on. Working for the SLMH program will be a really good experience and after meeting everyone at training, I know I am in good hands."
- Bethany
"I can't say enough good things about how welcomed, cared for and supported I felt by the staff at TSA. Every staff member clearly cared about my growth and success - they pushed me out of my comfort zone, but were there each step of the way. I have grown so much this year and I credit a lot of that to them. I think the biggest lesson I learned from this internship is confidence in myself. I learned that I can work well with kids and teens who have mental health issues."
- Nikki
“I don’t think I have the words to describe my internship with Therapeutic Services Agency. The amount that I have learned and the skills that I have acquired through the support of my mentors, supervisors, and peers cannot be measured. Their care and guidance surpassed any expectations I had. I am taking away so much from this experience. While I am confident in my learning, I so wish I could stay to learn and grow even more.” -And guess what? Sally was hired at TSA as a Mental Health Therapist/Clinical Trainee providing Mental Health Services in the East Central School District!!!
- Sally
"In this internship placement, I have had limitless opportunities to further my learning experience and have uncovered previously unknown areas of interest. This internship continued to push me out of my comfort zone to ensure a well-rounded and worthwhile learning experience surrounded by a great team whose mission of helping others was exactly what I was hoping for.”
- Krista
"I didn't expect that this experience was going to be such a lesson in self-discovery and self-awareness. I feel that the learning curve, although steep, has been important to personal and professional growth."
- Scott
"TSA was an exceptional internship where I experienced unwavering support and acceptance in every level of the organization. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and the relationships I formed with staff and clients."
- Conor
“My experience as an intern at TSA has been phenomenal. As I think about the skills I have learned and refined as well as the depth of knowledge I have gained, I find it incredible how much I have grown as a practitioner from September to May. On my very first day as a Day Treatment Intern, I remember how nervous I was, but it didn’t take long for me to feel a part of the TSA family. The staff members were welcoming, and there was always someone around to answer a question if I needed help. This is one of the many reasons I am glad I chose TSA as my internship site.”
- Jessica
"All of the staff I worked with or encountered were very friendly and helpful. They made me feel at ease and responded quickly if I had a question. My overall experience with TSA was incredible, from which I learned so much. I was able to do so much hands on work and experienced things first hand which is how I learn best. I am very grateful for the time I spent with TSA."
- Debbie
"While I was able to directly interact with clients on my very first day, I also felt that I was given ample time and opportunities to watch and support experienced staff interact with clients and learned a great deal from these observations. I also found supervision incredibly valuable as it allowed me to process what I was learning and helped me feel supported, as I was brand new to working in the field of mental health. Overall, my internship experience at TSA challenged me in unexpected ways, kept me busy and helped me grow both professionally and personally. I feel fortunate to have begun my social work career surrounded by such caring, competent and good people."
- Leah
For more information about our internship program or to apply, contact: Molly McHugh, Internship Coordinator at mmchugh@tsapc.net
