Internships are a great way to gain work experience and enhance your resume. Here are some exciting internships you should consider.

Please contact the Webmaster if you have any Intership opennings we can post here.

Copper Hills Youth Center

Contact: Bernadette Smith - (801) 561-3377 x273
Location: West Jordan, UT

Copper Hills Youth Center, 5899 West New Bingham Highway, West Jordan, UT 84088 is looking for Spring and Summer interns. Copper Hills is a Residential Treatment Center serving 100-110 boys and girls ages 12-18. Copper Hills is a locked facility with clientele that includes sex offenders, drug and alcohol users, other psychiatric disorders. There are 6 units in which they offer each unit 5 PE's, 3 groups and 2 outings per week. Regular programming includes Art, Healthy Lifestyles and Leisure Education, climbing wall, low ropes course. Other programming includes skiing/snowboarding, equine therapy, snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter and river rafting and canoeing in the summer Large and small internships accepted all year round. There is a stipend for Large interns. Contact Bernadette Smith at 561-3377 ext 273 or at bsmith@kidsbh.com

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center & Behavioral Health Center

Contact: Kristen Sargis, CTRS - (208) 227-2300
Location: Idaho Falls, ID

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Behavioral Health Center P.O. Box 2077, Idaho Falls, ID 83404 (208)227-2300. An internship at the Behavioral Health Center is a great experience for anyone interested in the use of Therapeutic Recreation in a psychiatric setting. Students completing an internship at the Behavioral Health Center will gain experience with both acute and residential psychiatric patients. We have both adult and adolescent acute units and a residential unit for adolescents. The interns will gain knowledge through experience with assessment administration, planning of interventions, implementation of programming, and evaluation of services provided. They will be an integral part of our interdisciplinary treatment team. In addition to our hospital services, our recreation therapy department facilitates community groups on our on-campus challenge course. Though community groups are more regular during the summer and fall months, the challenge course is an regular part of hospital programming as well. Students will be trained in the use of both low and high elements. Students will gain experience in the following areas:* Interviewing techniques* Creating goals and objectives based on information gained from assessments & observations* Program planning* Program implementation and evaluation* Documentation Contact Information: Internship Coordinators: Kristen Sargis, CTRS Employed at the BHC since January 2001.

Kostopulos Dream Foundation-Camp Kostopulos

Contact: Kristin Warren, TRS, CTRS - (801) 582-0700
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

A year-round agency providing recreation and leisure activities for people with disabilities. Camp Kostopulos is located in Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake City, Utah. The facilities include: main lodge, five cabins, heated swimming pool, horses, high and low ropes course, fishing pond. Programs include leisure education programs for all ages, skill building courses, and residential summer camp/ trip camps. Interns will assess participant's skill/ability level, plan, implement, and evaluate programs. Interns will also assist with any special events and outreach programs and complete a major project. Small and large Internships are available Fall, Winter, and Summer. Housing and stipend available. Please visit our website www.campk.org http://www.campk.org/ for more details and contact Kristin Warren, TRS, CTRS at (801) 582-0700 or kjones@campk.org.

National Ability Center

Contact: Tracy Riddleberger-Meier, CTRS - (435) 649-3991 x605
Location: Park City, UT
The National Ability Center is committed to the development of lifetime skills for people of all ages and abilities by providing affordable outdoor sports and recreational experiences in a nurturing environment. The objective of these experiences is to build self-esteem, confidence and physical development, thereby enhancing active participation in all aspects of community life. As a national role model, the Center promotes the concept of ability through integration, public awareness and education. Our motto is "If I can do this, I can do anything." The National Ability Center offers a wide variety of year-round activities, which include alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, swimming, cycling, water skiing, horseback riding, rafting and camping trips, challenge course activities, leadership development training, and more. Last year, nearly 3,500 individuals participated in more than 10,500 lessons and outings! Because safety is the first priority, instruction is provided by professional, certified instructors and complemented by volunteer assistants who contribute over 13,000 hours annually. Many of the instructors are also individuals with disabilities and serve as role models for our participants.The intern's role in this organization is to assist in all aspects of programs and administration. He/she will be supervised by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, while performing various job tasks as outlined by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. Based on experience, the intern may also serve in a leadership role, as an activity/program leader or project/committee head. The intern will also provide information on current trends in therapeutic recreation services, through projects, presentations, and staff in-services. Internship highlights include:
  • Hands-on experience in adaptive recreation programs
  • Exposure to a wide range of disabilities
  • Exposure to all aspects of the therapeutic process
  • Exposure to all aspects of recreation administration
  • Preparation for the NCTRC Exam
  • $200/month stipend
  • Supervision by a CTRS
  • FUN!!
Tracy Riddleberger-Meier, CTRS
Intern Supervisor
tracym@discovernac.org
www.discovernac.org
435-649-3991 x. 605

Provo Canyon School

Contact: Ashley Anderson TRS, CTRS - (801) 227-2099
Location: Provo, UT

Provo Canyon School offers year round large internships. Provo Canyon School is a residential treatment center for youth, ages 12-17. Our rec. therapy department focus is to provide therapeutic experiential adventure programming within our clinical environment. All of our RT staff are nationally certified, CTRS, and have a Utah State licensed, TRS. There are two different campuses; one is for the boy's and the other for the girl's. There is a rotation system so that interns have a chance to work with both populations, including the boy's pre-adolescent unit. The majority of our groups are co-facilitated with therapists that we work with. This is a unique experience as we have twenty-six therapists (MSW, MFT, LSW, etc.) on board. As per requests, the therapists also include us in family and individual therapy sessions. Our groups consist of both on-campus and off-campus activities. Rock climbing, rappelling, caving, canoeing, cross-country skiing is to mention a few. As you participate in these groups, you are provided with a fantastic opportunity to develop and/or better your existing processing skills. As an intern, our goal is to have you gain efficient charting skills (i.e.: assessments, progress noting, etc.), put into practice and become an effective group facilitator, become familiar with ropes course practices, and more. Overall, we want to help you become well prepared for any work environment as your internship comes to a close. Please, refer to our website for a more complete review of our program: www.provocanyon.com . On the main page click on "Rec. Therapy." If you are interested in an internship with Provo Canyon School, please contact: Ashley Anderson TRS, CTRS (Lead Recreation Therapist @ Boys Campus) by Phone: 801.227.2099 or email: ashley.anderson@uhsinc.com or contact: Sadie Knudsen TRS, CTRS (Lead Recreation Thearpist @ Girls Campus) Phone: 801-227-2160 or email: sadie.knudsen@uhsinc.com Rec. Therapist Provo Canyon School, 4501 N. University Ave, Provo, UT 84602 Fax: 801.227.2095

Sun Valley Adaptive Sports

Contact: Shauna Smith, TRS, CTRS - (208) 720-9343
Location: Ketchum, ID

AWESOME Therapeutic Recreation internship!

Come enjoy the beautiful mountains of Sun Valley Idaho and live the mountain life! Come be an intern with the fastest growing adaptive sports program of the west! We are the fun, action-loving cool staff that wants you to join the team.

Internship Opportunities
Internships are available for graduate and undergraduate students possessing:

  • Experience in one or more of the recreational activities offered during the season of the internship
  • At least some experience working with people with disabilities
  • A commitment to safety, fun and learning

Stipend available: $1500 for three months

Job duties include:

  1. Fulfilling all NCTRC requirements
  2. Adaptive sports
  3. Program support and logistics
  4. Special events
  5. Business administration

Populations include: Youth, adults and Veterans with autism, amputees, spinal cord injuries, developmentally delayed, Down syndrome, vision impairment, MS, MD, post polio syndrome, stroke, traumatic brain injury.

Internships are offered year round in the following semesters:

Summer: waterskiing, swimming, cycling, canoeing, river rafting, fly fishing, summer camps

Fall: Youth after school programs adult socialization and Special Olympics programs

Winter: Includes Alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, sled hockey

If you are interested please contact: Shauna Smith, TRS, CTRS
Please send a letter of intent and a resume to:
shauna@svasp.org
www.svasp.org
For questions please call 1-208-720-9343

University of Utah Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Enjoy a meaningful experience working with people who are learning to find their recreation and leisure passions again after having a stroke, spinal cord injury , or traumatic brain injury or any other neurological disorders. Internships are offered year round. Enjoy the challenge of implementing the whole RT treatment plan, working with doctors, OT's, PT's, SLPT's, pet therapy and much more. You will also get to be involved in contributing to the TRAILS program, a community action plan designed to increase active lifestyles in people with spinal cord injuries. You plan events, carry out daily treatment interventions and practice under a CTRS. Be willing to go skiing, mountain climbing, cycling, BBQing, camping, and much more Unfortunately/fortunately we cant offer anything but a great experience, and a T shirt you said you did it. Please contact Shauna Smith-Vladimiroff at shauna.smith@hsc.utah.edu. Please send your Letter of intent and resume.

Utah State Hospital

Contact: Leland Slaughter - (801) 344-4226
Location: Provo, UT

The Utah State Hospital offers great and exciting internship experiences. The hospital is a psychiatric setting; we serve children, youth, adults, and forensic patients. We offer up to 6 internships per semester! We have many programs ranging from ceramics, arts and crafts, camping, skiing, ropes course, swimming, river rafting, off ground activities and many others. Our campus is beautiful and historic. Interns work directly with a Certified Recreation Therapist. For specific information contact Leland Slaughter at 801-344-4226 or email at lelandslaughter@utah.gov.

Wyoming State Hospital

Contact: Kathy Argyle, CTRS - (307) 789-3464 x468
Location: Evanston, WY

Wyoming State Hospital (WSH), in Evanston, WY, offers a 15 week clinical Therapeutic Recreation internship in which a student can increase their experience, knowledge and skills of the therapeutic recreation process under the supervision of an experienced CTRS. We accept three students per term (spring, summer, fall) to fulfill their internship requirements. Interns are paid $7.21 per hour and are provided dorm style housing during the internship experience.WSH provides an excellent learning opportunity for students through the diverse psychiatric needs of the population we serve. We have several units, for persons served, including: two acute adult units; a geriatric/medical unit; an adolescent unit; an adult residential unit; two forensic units and outpatient - which includes two group homes, a homeless shelter, ACT program (community based) and a dual diagnosis/substance abuse program. Currently we have 7 full time CTRS positions and 7 recreation technicians who provide a wide variety of therapeutic interventions and activities through groups and individual sessions for all persons served. Contact Kathy Argyle, CTRS for more information at (307) 789-3464 ext 468 or at kargyl@state.wy.us