Internship - Youth Mental Health & Community Prevention

Youth Mental Health & Community Prevention Internship Help support youth well-being through community engagement, education, and prevention. Oaklawn is seeking a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health administration, psychology, social work, criminal justice, or a related field. This internship focuses on community-level approaches to youth mental health, with opportunities to support initiatives that build awareness, strengthen connections to resources, and promote early support for youth and families.

Who We Are Oaklawn provides comprehensive mental health and addictions services for children, adolescents, adults and seniors in St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties in Northern Indiana. Intensive services have become Oaklawn's trademark—what we are known for and where much of our expertise lies. Sponsored by Mennonite Health Services Alliance, it is our philosophy at Oaklawn to treat the whole person—mind, body and spirit.

This commitment, along with our faith-based heritage, our excellent staff of 875, our therapeutic environment, and our innovative treatment programs, provide a unique foundation for healing and hope.

What We Offer

We offer mission-driven staff, a supportive, flexible, engaging workplace that encourages collaborative, meaningful work, within a trauma-informed framework. We continuously strive to create a workplace that nurtures therapeutic relationships, supports evidence-based practices, and grapples with the forces that lead to inequities and disparities in treatment, services, and outcomes.

Robust training A supportive and collaborative team-based approach Expert clinical leadership Numerous opportunities for professional growth Opportunities for creative and flexible engagement in the office and in the community What You’ll Do Assist with planning and coordinating youth mental health awareness and prevention activities.

Support community outreach and collaboration with schools, community organizations, and other partners. Research and help maintain information about community resources for youth and families. Help prepare educational materials, presentations, and outreach communications for staff review. Assist with program logistics, meeting preparation, and community events.

Support collection and organization of program feedback and non-identifying data to help assess outreach efforts. Participate in supervision and team meetings while following confidentiality requirements and organizational policies. What You’ll Gain Practical experience supporting community-level youth mental health prevention efforts.

Exposure to program coordination, community partnerships, and resource navigation. Opportunities to strengthen research, communication, and project organization skills. Guidance from a designated supervisor and learning goals aligned with the internship’s scope and applicable academic requirements. Internship Scope What You’ll Bring Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in health administration, psychology, social work, criminal justice, or a related field.

An interest in youth mental health, prevention, and community-based services. Strong communication, organization, and collaboration skills. A willingness to learn, ask questions, and use feedback. A respectful, professional approach to working with people from varied backgrounds and experiences. Basic proficiency with email, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tools.

Ability to protect confidential information and maintain appropriate professional boundaries. This is a supervised undergraduate learning experience focused on prevention and community support, not independent clinical practice. Interns will not independently diagnose, provide therapy, or manage crises. Assigned activities will reflect the student’s training, program requirements, and organizational policies.