Volunteer & Internships

• PSY 309 Volunteer Experience in Psychology
• PSY 450 Fieldwork Experience in Psychology: Undergraduate Internship
• CEI 450 Cooperative Education and Internship
• CYC 450 Internship in Child/Youth Care

*Please be aware that there are mandatory class meetings (2-6) associated with PSY 309, PSY 450, CYC 450, and CEI 450.

Step 1: Decide on the type of experience/credit you wish to obtain PSY 309; PSY 450; CEI 450; or CYC 450. Use this comparison chart to help make the right choice.

Step 2: If you decide on PSY 309 (prereqs: PSY 100, PSY 212; PSY Milestone #1) - enroll in the course during regular registration. Juniors are encouraged to take PSY 309 prior to a 450 internship. 

Step 3: If you decide on an internship, be sure you meet the prerequisites:

• PSY 450:PSY 100 and 210; cum GPA of 2.30; junior standing; PSY major; consent of instructor; If CYC minor, same prereqs as PSY 450 plus CYC 301.
• CEI 450:Junior standing; cum GPA of 2.25; consent of instructor. If CYC minor, same prereqs as PSY 450 plus CYC 301.
• CYC 450:CYC 301; junior standing; cum GPA of 2.25; consent of instructor.

Step 4: Students should begin the internship process the semester before taking internship for course credit. This includes applying for internship positions and consulting with the Psychology Volunteer/Internship Coordinator.

Step 5: Placement begins with you, the student, by logging into Handshake at uwlax.joinhandshake.com. This account is connected to your other UWL login; click on the "University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Login" link to begin.

Step 6: If you haven’t already done so, you will need to set up your profile and you can search for internship sites if you so choose. For specific questions regarding Handshake or the internship search, please contact Aiyana Dettmann (adettmann@uwlax.edu) or Karen Durnin (lkdurnin@uwlax.edu) in Career Services in 1140 Centennial Hall or 608.785.8514.

Step 7: After you find a site, interviewed and secured your internship, you will need to click on “Career Center” on Handshake and click “Experiences”, then click “Request an Experience”. Please complete the form in its entirety and this will begin the approval process.

While completing this “Request an Experience”,  please indicate you would like to take PSY/CYC 450 for course credit from the drop-down menu.  

Step 8: A part of the Handshake approval process, at the end, you will need to attach a 1-2 page essay regarding your placement. In this essay, please elaborate on:

• How the work you will be doing in your internship is directly related to the field of psychology. If you are submitting a CYC 450 internship (or PSY 450 and you are CYC minor), please emphasize how the placement is directly related to at-risk children/families.
  
  
• Any relationship you already have or have had with your site supervisor and/or other employees within this particular site. Include the length of time you have known them, what relationship you have, and describe if the relationship is professional, personal or both. If you do not have a previous relationship with your site supervisor, please indicate this in your essay.
  
  
• ***DUE TO COVID-19 and the uncertainty of additional quarantine time, ALL students requesting approval and course credit for internships in Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 will need to submit in addition to the paper mentioned above a detailed back-up plan if for some reason interns cannot longer complete their internship requirement at the agency for which they are requesting approval. This detailed plan must be discussed and approved by your on-site supervisor, and submitted as part of the application process on HANDSHAKE. YOU MUST HAVE a detailed back-up plan that is feasible, prior to any approval. Click here to see two sample backup plans.
  

Step 9: Once you have submitted your “Request for Experience”, Career Services and the Psychology Volunteer/Internship Coordinator will review prerequisites, determine if it is acceptable, and if approved, Career Services will register you for the course. Please allow a minimum of two (2) weeks for the course to appear on your class schedule after the final approval.

* Please send questions regarding internships or volunteer experiences to the Psychology Volunteer/Internship Coordinator at psyinterncoord@uwlax.edu.

The following is a list of several La Crosse area sites where our majors have interned. They are in alphabetical order and are provided to give you a sense of what kinds of opportunities are available. 

Aptiv (formerly Riverfront)  - Intern  

Working individuals with developmental, physical and mental disabilities with the goal of providing accessibility and opportunities for people with varying levels of abilities and interests. Various activities will encourage cooperation and self-expression, build trust in others and confidence in self, develop new skills and emotional responses and foster understanding between people of varying life experiences, abilities, disabilities, ages and ethnicities. Activities include acting as an appropriate role model, maintaining professional relationships with participants and Riverfront team members.  

At-Risk Youth Intern – Hamilton Early Learning Center

 Interns will have the opportunity to work with at-risk children; addressing relationship interaction skills, structure of the activity/environment, dealing with emotional regulation/bullying and oppositional behaviors with children. Interns may work with individual students in mentoring activities to develop social skills (friendship, conflict resolution, etc.). In small group settings interns may work with groups of students with similar needs (bullying prevention, peer regulation, etc.). Interns may help facilitate family nights, as family education is a component of our school. 

Community Teen Center – YMCA & Gundersen Lutheran  

Internship duties include working with the Teen Center Director in overall operations of the Community Teen Center. Recruitment of youth and volunteers, interaction with youth, planning activities and events for at- risk youth may be included in responsibilities. 

Coulee Youth Centers  

Some of the internships available include: Visitation Monitors transport children to designated visit sites with parents and document events that occur during the visit; Counselors often work on confrontation and problem-solving skills with youth clients; Juvenile Trackers make check-in visits to delinquents at their assigned curfew time; Home Detention interns monitor home behavioral charts for progress. 

Domestic Violence Intervention Project

DVIP assists individuals experiencing abuse or the threat of abuse in their family. The intern gains experience with the criminal justice system and community agency coordination. Interns may also attend Men's Abuse Program staff meetings.  

Family and Children's Center Teacher's Assistant/Program Assistant 

Interns work with chemically dependent, delinquent, truant, aggressive, and runaway adolescents. Interns working with the Leadership School provide basic education and counseling for at-risk adolescents.  

Great Rivers 2-1-1 (Formerly First Call For Help)

Interns assist the professional staff at the telephone helping service in crisis intervention or telephone counseling. An extensive training period is required.

New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Centers Children's Program

Interns participate in planning and leading children's weekly group sessions, research funding sources, and collecting resource materials, and participate in speaking engagements whenever possible. 

Wisconsin State Public Defender 

Interns interview clients to determine their eligibility for a state-appointed attorney. Other possible projects may include:  testifying in or sitting in on court hearings, and gathering information from crime scenes.   

YWCA of the Coulee Region - Excessive Absences Program (EAP) Intern   

The Excessive Absences Program works with youth, their families and area schools to improve school attendance. This program addresses lateness, truancy and excessive "excused" absences; and recognizes that school absences have negative academic and social consequences and are linked to drug and alcohol use, crime and early sexual activity and works to keep kids in school. The Excessive Absences Program is supported by area schools, the La Crosse County Department of Human Services, and Truancy Courts.