Samaki Buford
Internship
Senior seminar
Brief description of internship
The program that I interned for is a non profit organization, Progress foundation was founded in 1969 amidst the de-institutionalization movement, and has been run by Executive Director Steve Fields ever since. This reform effort sought to move people from state psychiatric hospitals back into the community. However, local treatment systems weren't able to support individuals with mental illness. For the next three decades, Progress Foundation developed supportive, community-based programs to support these clients and keep them from returning to institutions or correctional facilities.
Week 1
When I started interning at Progress Foundation I was super scared. I came in with no experience dealing with any mental health issues and patience that are unfortunate enough to lack culpability to provide for the children as they should. But I came in with the passion to learn and to experience different situations. On the the first week, the program director had me speculate and observe my surroundings before actually taking action. Monika Morgan is the assistant program director, when she's around it makes everything feels so easy, she helped me with things I didn't understand like answering the phone (because there was a certain button to push before you pick up the phone.). Other than that the first week was exciting and I basically just observed and listened to everything that the staff was informing me.
Week 2
The second week was so fun because I got to do hands-on things that really made me excited in the inside (I'm still answering the phone) . So This week I got to attend staff meetings where they allowed me to express how I was feeling about what I've been seeing like different activities and the reaction of the patients. But overall this week has been really interesting i actually saw someone go 50/50 or however they say it, I was so scared I almost peed on myself the whole
Week 3
The third week of interning was scary!!!!! Because there was an altercation between patients, i was so scared! But on the other hand this was a chance for the program director to teach me how I would diffuse the situation. (BTW I didn't solve it) but it was pretty easy. She told me in order for them the patients to be able to talk the problem out, they need time and someone to be there for them but she said "don't baby them because they're not baby's and were not here to treat them like any either, we're here to guide them, help them by teaching techniques and tools in order for them to go back into the real world"
Week 4
Hey! This is the 4th week and i just had an epiphany because the same steps and rules that I learned in my psychology class, I'm so glad I paid attention in that class because I have more information to fall back on. This week has been really interesting because I'm learning so much like how to listen and pay attention to details in order to understand the patients and their needs. (I wasn't actually able to use those techniques until the end of the week)
Closing report
This whole experience was amazing! This I can say “shaped me as a better person” because I did things that I thought I would never do. This project is a great way to have students explores in their career paths or different career paths because it gives them/me the opportunity to consider my career goals. This also teaches me how to be more understanding and more caring because the people that are in these type of programs are still humans with flaws just like us. This taught me how to be a better listener and overall a better person, I said this before but I’m just going to reiterate that this shaped me because I saw things that shouldn't be happening to people but it does and this program and other programs like this helps a lot, "this helped me live, I wouldn't be sh - - - without this! it saved me" says Jana Payne (a patient at the program) This is very touching, some people don't make it. This program is amazing because it gives people another chance, the whole project was so fun because I learned so much and this very beneficial to ones future. I also think that the techniques that i gained from this experience can help me encourage others to keep doing them regardless what people say about them. Furthermore I enjoyed this project and I really think that this beneficial in many ways.
Internship
Senior seminar
Brief description of internship
The program that I interned for is a non profit organization, Progress foundation was founded in 1969 amidst the de-institutionalization movement, and has been run by Executive Director Steve Fields ever since. This reform effort sought to move people from state psychiatric hospitals back into the community. However, local treatment systems weren't able to support individuals with mental illness. For the next three decades, Progress Foundation developed supportive, community-based programs to support these clients and keep them from returning to institutions or correctional facilities.
Week 1
When I started interning at Progress Foundation I was super scared. I came in with no experience dealing with any mental health issues and patience that are unfortunate enough to lack culpability to provide for the children as they should. But I came in with the passion to learn and to experience different situations. On the the first week, the program director had me speculate and observe my surroundings before actually taking action. Monika Morgan is the assistant program director, when she's around it makes everything feels so easy, she helped me with things I didn't understand like answering the phone (because there was a certain button to push before you pick up the phone.). Other than that the first week was exciting and I basically just observed and listened to everything that the staff was informing me.
Week 2
The second week was so fun because I got to do hands-on things that really made me excited in the inside (I'm still answering the phone) . So This week I got to attend staff meetings where they allowed me to express how I was feeling about what I've been seeing like different activities and the reaction of the patients. But overall this week has been really interesting i actually saw someone go 50/50 or however they say it, I was so scared I almost peed on myself the whole
Week 3
The third week of interning was scary!!!!! Because there was an altercation between patients, i was so scared! But on the other hand this was a chance for the program director to teach me how I would diffuse the situation. (BTW I didn't solve it) but it was pretty easy. She told me in order for them the patients to be able to talk the problem out, they need time and someone to be there for them but she said "don't baby them because they're not baby's and were not here to treat them like any either, we're here to guide them, help them by teaching techniques and tools in order for them to go back into the real world"
Week 4
Hey! This is the 4th week and i just had an epiphany because the same steps and rules that I learned in my psychology class, I'm so glad I paid attention in that class because I have more information to fall back on. This week has been really interesting because I'm learning so much like how to listen and pay attention to details in order to understand the patients and their needs. (I wasn't actually able to use those techniques until the end of the week)
Closing report
This whole experience was amazing! This I can say “shaped me as a better person” because I did things that I thought I would never do. This project is a great way to have students explores in their career paths or different career paths because it gives them/me the opportunity to consider my career goals. This also teaches me how to be more understanding and more caring because the people that are in these type of programs are still humans with flaws just like us. This taught me how to be a better listener and overall a better person, I said this before but I’m just going to reiterate that this shaped me because I saw things that shouldn't be happening to people but it does and this program and other programs like this helps a lot, "this helped me live, I wouldn't be sh - - - without this! it saved me" says Jana Payne (a patient at the program) This is very touching, some people don't make it. This program is amazing because it gives people another chance, the whole project was so fun because I learned so much and this very beneficial to ones future. I also think that the techniques that i gained from this experience can help me encourage others to keep doing them regardless what people say about them. Furthermore I enjoyed this project and I really think that this beneficial in many ways.