*The Human Services Internship (Chapter 10)

Wilbert Roberson, Jr. Wilmington University The Human Services Internship: Getting the most from your experience. Ending Your Internship As your internship ends, what do you most appreciate about your internship experience? What I appreciate most about my internship is the knowledge I have gained. Sitting in on sessions at Legislative Hall was truly a memorable experience. Listening first-hand to Attorney General Joseph Biden, III and his staff was most interesting. Hearing from the Child Predator Task Force, Crime Strategic Unit, Bail Reform, and other concerns regarding better technology regarding predators has prompted me to become more involved with community and state legislation regarding victims and victim advocates. What regrets do you have about your internship? I discovered there are times I may look for decisions or policies to be made at a higher level when the correct and appropriate answer resides within my own area of responsibility. My site supervisor, Ms. Mariann Kenville-Moore was always available to provide guidance and direction but also allowed me the autonomy to do what I was assigned to do as an intern. However, there were times that I felt like an intrusion but Ms. Kenville-Moore assured me that my priority is to get as much from her as possible. I got as much as I could and utilized my time wisely. Regretsthe weather was not very cooperative at times but flexibility was key to getting my required hours. I guess I have no regrets about my internship...I tend to look at everything as a learning opportunity. What are your feelings, wants, and needs as you leave your internship? How do I know if youre ready to lead in the non-profit sector? There is no checklist, manual, or book of instructions to provide me step-by-step instructions to be an effective leader. But what I can do is prepare myself. To prepare myself to be a leader, I have to develop a game plan. My game plan is designed around attending Wilmington University and achieving a Master of Science in Human Services. My internship provided me with firsthand knowledge of a non-profit human services field work. I will take away the knowledge and importance of quality supervision, workplace dignity and respect, professionalism and punctuality, and teamwork and having a positive work environment. What do you feel you need to do for your continued personal and professional growth?

The first thing is remembering the standardsintegrity, service before self, and excellence. The question is how I maximize the opportunities to deliberately develop personally and professionally. I need to own it. I need to own my actions, my decisions, own my processes, responsibilities, and stay in my lane of traffic.

References Kiser, P. (2012). The Human Services Internship: Getting the most from your experience. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.