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Student Training & Internship Opportunities

Student Training & Internship Opportunities

Students and interns are essential partners in advancing our mission and helping individuals and families thrive. By choosing a Wilder placement for your training, you’re not just gaining valuable experience, you’re making a real difference in the lives of people in St. Paul and beyond.

Our Approach

Our training program is widely known for providing unique and rigorous field placements where students and interns gain competency in working with underserved communities from a multicultural, multi-disciplinary lens. Students and interns can expect to work with a client population that comprises a wide range of racial, ethnic, language, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Emphasis of Training:

  • Client-centered, family-focused care
  • Integrated care
  • Culturally responsive services
  • Trauma-informed practices

Undergraduate-Level Training

Field placements for students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in a social science or humanities field.

We offer placements in our Community Mental Health & Wellness, Healthy Aging & Caregiving, Early Childhood Education, Communications, and Volunteer Engagement services for students pursuing Bachelor degrees in social work, early childhood education, psychology, and related fields.

Junior-Level Social Work Students

Wilder offers placements for junior-level Bachelor of Social Work students from Metropolitan State University and St. Thomas University. This placement program provides students with hands-on experience in health and human services through a cohort-based training and supervision model.

Opportunities:
  • Be assigned to one of our diverse service areas to gain practical experience.
  • Work under the guidance of a task supervisor who provides personalized coaching and teaching.
  • Participate in group supervision led by a licensed social worker where you’ll engage in reflective discussions about your field experience and apply social work concepts to real-world practice.
How to apply:
  1. Register for your junior practicum course through your university. Your university will assign your placement.
  2. If you are assigned to Wilder, we will reach out to you with more information on next steps.
Early Childhood Education or Youth Development Students

Wilder offers placements for undergraduate students with studies in early childhood education, youth development, psychology, or a similar field. This placement provides hands-on experience in a classroom at Wilder's Child Development Center, our preschool and childcare center. We have openings three times per year: summer, fall, and winter/spring semesters.

Opportunities:
  • Be assigned to a specific classroom (ages range from 16 months - five years old).
  • Provide teacher support and engage with kids individually, in small groups, and with full classrooms.
  • Increase understanding of the core competencies of early childhood education.
  • Learn about working in a nonprofit and early learning program.
How to apply:
  1. Submit a resume and express interest by emailing [email protected].
  2. Participate in an initial screening call.
  3. Complete an application and background clearance paperwork.
Volunteer Opportunities

If volunteer hours count for your course or service learning requirements, please visit our volunteer webpage here for more information on current openings or reach out to Wilder Volunteer Services at [email protected].

Graduate-Level Training

Field placements for students pursuing a Master’s degree in a human services field.

We offer placements in our Community Mental Health & Wellness and Healthy Aging & Caregiving services for students in the following disciplines: Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Alcohol and Drug Counseling. Placement openings vary from year to year.

Placement Opportunities

Outpatient Services

Access Services

  • Wilder's Access Team is an interdisciplinary team of therapists, care coordinators, and cultural brokers who provide mental health assessments and resources to new mental health clients ages 6+ and support with resources for all clients as requested. We also provide crisis stabilization and short-term therapy as needed.
  • Qualified for: Year 2 Master’s students

Psychotherapy

  • Our outpatient services offer opportunities for providing comprehensive assessment as well as individual, group, and family psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults. Our clinical staff utilize a variety of treatment approaches and modalities. In addition, our staff practices a trauma-informed approach in all aspects of care and provides specialized trauma interventions including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
  • Qualified for: Year 2 Master’s students

Early Childhood Psychotherapy

  • Our early childhood outpatient services offer opportunities for providing DC: 0-5 extended assessment as well as individual and family psychotherapy with children aged 0-7 along with their caregivers. Our clinical staff utilize a variety of treatment approaches and modalities including Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Theraplay, and play therapy techniques. In addition, our staff practice a trauma-informed approach in all aspects of care and provide specialized trauma interventions to support children and families served.
  • Qualified for: Year 2 Master’s students

Wilder Recovery Services: Substance Use Disorders Treatment

  • Addiction is a complex issue that requires a range of services and support including assessments, treatment, and counseling. Through Wilder Recovery Services, we help individuals and families experiencing mental health and substance use issues by building on each person’s strength and resilience. Our services emphasize a holistic approach that is trauma informed, culturally affirming, and adapted to the unique needs of each client. Groups are held throughout the week.
  • Qualified for: Students from LADC and dual-track LADC programs
Community Based Services

Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services

  • Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) helps individuals manage their mental health symptoms and develop important skills. ARMHS workers provide in-home or community-based services to adults with serious and persistent mental health issues that interfere with their functioning. These services help address any of the ways we strive to function in our day-to-day lives: achieving physical and emotional health, reaching education or employment goals, improving social and family relationships, using community resources, being active in our communities, and living independently.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students

Children’s Therapeutic Services & Supports

  • Children’s Therapeutic Services & Supports (CTSS) services helps children with serious and persistent mental illness manage their mental health symptoms and develop important skills. These services are provided in the home or community and help improve a child’s functioning.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students

Customized Living Services

  • Wilder provides Customized Living Services to residents who live in two Saint Paul Public Housing apartment buildings: Hamline Hi-Rise and Ravoux Hi-Rise. These personalized services support adults with daily living and health care to help them live independently and to prevent or delay the need to move to a higher level of care. Students in this service area will get experience working with an interdisciplinary team comprised of registered nurses, occupational therapists, care managers, social workers, and other support professionals. Learning opportunities include practicing skills with individual client work by building professional relationships and rapport, participating in assessments, connecting clients to resources, advocating with and for clients, offering group programs, managing client records and documentation, and outreach through assisting with promoting programs and networking with community agencies.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 Master’s social work students

Caregiver Support Services

  • Wilder’s Caregiver Support Services supports family and friends who are caring for an older adult. Many of our caregiver participants are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or other related Dementia diagnosis or Neurocognitive Disorder. Students in this service area can co-facilitate a variety of caregiver support groups and help oversee the caregiver helpline by responding to inquiries, assessing client needs, and connecting clients to resources.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 Master’s social work students
School Based Services

St. Paul Public Schools

  • Wilder provides mental health services for children and youth at numerous St. Paul schools. Clinicians deliver individual and family therapy to students weekly. They also provide consultation to school staff, as they strive to support students’ mental health and wellness. Our culturally responsive services promote positive self-worth through celebrating families’ identity and heritage. Our school-based providers serve youth and families of all cultural backgrounds including: African American students (Kofi), Somali students (Rajada Cafimaad), Hmong and Southeast Asian students (Hlub Zoo), Latinx students (Sembrando), and Karen students (ThayGeMoo).
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students who have cultural experience related to the programs above

Therapeutic Teaching Model

  • Emotional regulation is the primary focus of the Therapeutic Teaching Model. In this program, Wilder partners with Intermediate School District 287 to provide an innovative and intensive (day treatment level) school-based service for their youngest learners. Services are provided to students grades K – 3rd who are struggling with emotional regulation and meet criteria for the most restrictive setting for a public school student. The Therapeutic Teaching Model is founded in attachment theory, child development, and best practices in trauma treatment. Classroom hours are 8:00 am to 3:00pm.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students. Year 1 students are trained in the classroom therapist role providing milieu interventions and teaming with classroom teachers, education specialists, individual and family therapists, and other professionals to help participants reach mental health and academic goals. Year 2 students gain additional experience providing individual and family therapy, including mental health evaluations and treatment planning.
Intensive Services

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

  • Assertive Community Treatment at Wilder helps adults experiencing severe and persistent mental illness stabilize, recover and stay in community. Assertive Community Treatment is most beneficial for adults who have repeated hospital admissions, chronic episodes of homelessness, or who have been unsuccessfully served by traditional mental and chemical health care options. We are one of the only programs in the nation that provides multilingual and multicultural services to members of Southeast Asian communities. Services are provided in office, home, or community settings by a multidisciplinary team.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students

Mental Health Day Treatment

  • Wilder provides day treatment for children ages 6-12 during weekdays after school hours (Monday-Friday, 2:30 - 5:30). Our staff utilizes a developmental repair model with understanding of healing through relationships with a trauma lens in order to collaborate with clients and their families. Learning opportunities include leading therapy groups, individual therapy sessions, and supporting staff by interacting with clients with de-escalation techniques and relational interventions.
  • Qualified for: Year 1 and Year 2 Master’s students
How to Apply

Our placements for Master’s students begin in early September and end in late April or early May. Applications for a September start should be submitted by March. Please note: For MSW students, we adhere to the established timeline for applications, interviews, and ranking that is established by local academic programs.

To apply, students are asked to complete a brief application indicating their placement interest and needs, and submit this along with their cover letter and resume/CV. Please note: Students must sign into or create a Google account to submit this application.

Occasionally, we have openings for a winter (January) or summer (May) start. Students who are interested in one of these start dates should submit a brief inquiry form to see if there are any available placements. Inquiries should be submitted by October for a winter start and by February for a summer start. If a placement is available, students will be asked to complete the full application.

Placement Requirements
  • Orientation: At the start of their placement, students must complete approximately 30 hours of orientation, which includes a two-hour, on-site IT training session in the first week of September and two full days of on-site orientation on the first Thursdays in September. The remaining hours are completed with online trainings. These training hours count toward the total practicum hours.
  • Field Hours: Client services are typically provided during business hours, Monday through Friday, with some early evening hours for therapy services. Specific hours vary by service area, so students should review the schedule for their area at their interview and discuss any restrictions before accepting a placement.
  • Monthly Meetings: Students gather for connection and didactic training on the first Thursday of each month from 9:00 to 10:30 am.
  • Supervision: All students receive one hour of individual clinical supervision as part of their training. Students may also participate in group supervision or consultation as determined by their primary supervisor. Meeting schedules are set during orientation.
  • Stipends: Students are awarded a stipend for their placement, as funds allow. Stipends are established according to level of graduate training and the amount of time spent in placement.

Doctoral-Level Training

Field placements for students pursuing a Doctorate degree in psychology or occupational therapy.

We offer placements in our Community Mental Health & Wellness services for psychology practicums and internships, and in our Healthy Aging & Caregiving services for occupational therapy fieldwork.

Psychology Practicum

Community Mental Health and Wellness offers field placements for doctoral psychology students seeking a practicum in therapy or assessment, or for an advanced practicum.

Our therapy practicum placement offers opportunities for students to provide individual, family, and group psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults in our outpatient clinic. Our clinical staff utilize a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and relational treatment approaches. Interventions are grounded in a trauma-informed approach to treatment and consider social determinants in the formulation of health problems and solutions. Students develop a generalist approach to practice, working with a variety of age groups and modalities, but also have the opportunity to practice in their area of preference.

Our assessment practicum placement provides students a hands-on experience in psychological evaluation and testing within a collaborative, interdisciplinary team. Students work alongside other professionals to provide comprehensive recommendations for children, adolescents, and adults. In addition, evaluations for young children, ages 0-5, are also part of the training experience. Students gain valuable experience in all aspects of evaluation services including assessment planning and test selection, case formulation, and explanation of results. Advanced practicum students are preferred for assessment placements, although students with previous clinical experience and coursework in assessment are considered.

How to Apply

Our placements for doctoral practicum students begin in early September and end in May or early summer. Applications for a September start should be submitted by January. Please note: we adhere to the established timeline for applications, interviews, and placement offers that is established by local academic programs.

To apply, students are asked to complete a brief application indicating their placement interest and needs, and submit this along with their cover letter and resume/CV. Please note: Students must sign into or create a Google account to submit this application.

Placement Requirements
  • Orientation: At the start of their placement, students must complete approximately 30 hours of orientation, which includes a two-hour, on-site IT training session in the first week of September and two full days of on-site orientation on the first Thursdays in September. The remaining hours are completed with online trainings. These training hours count toward the total practicum hours. Students completing an assessment practicum complete additional training focused on evaluation and testing practices.
  • Field Hours: Client services are typically provided during business hours, Monday through Friday, with some early evening hours for therapy services.
  • Case Consultation: Assessment practicum students are expected to participate in weekly case consultation, held on Wednesday mornings, 9:00 - 11:00 am. These consultations focus on assessment planning, diagnostic formulation, and treatment recommendations. Didactic training in assessment is also provided during these sessions. Therapy practicum students may also participate in available clinical consultations as determined by their primary supervisor.
  • Supervision: All students receive one hour of individual clinical supervision as part of their training. Meeting schedules are set during orientation.
  • Stipends: Students are awarded a stipend for their placement, as funds allow. Stipends are established according to level of graduate training and the amount of time spent in placement.
Psychology Internship

Community Mental Health & Wellness offers an internship for doctoral psychology students in their final year of training. Our internship is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

The psychology internship program at Wilder focuses on providing trauma-informed, integrated care to clients and their families, guided by best practices in mental health assessment and treatment. The program emphasizes a whole-person and culturally-informed, family-centered approach, with a strong commitment to inclusive practices and health equity. Interns receive extensive training in understanding the development of psychological disorders and using a variety of assessment tools to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental and behavioral health conditions. Self-motivated interns who have a passion for social justice, are committed to health equity, and have a desire to work with a diverse population of clients are considered a good fit for our training program.

Training Opportunities

Our core training experience is comprised of generalist training in both psychotherapy and evaluation and testing. Interns maintain a balance of training in each area, but are able to tailor their preference for greater emphasis on intervention or assessment.

In addition to direct services in therapy and assessment, interns are able to advance their skills through other focused practice opportunities. Interns can elect to receive additional training in the following specialty areas of focus: group therapy, supervision and consultation, integration of alternative and indigenous healing practices, and early childhood assessment and consultation.

How to Apply

We participate in the Internship Matching Program sponsored by APPIC. All applicants must register online for the Match to be eligible for our internship. Visit National Matching Services Inc for more information about the Match, including registration and current dates and deadlines.

For more information on our training program, please review our brochure.

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork

Healthy Aging & Caregiving offers direct service experience for students to support our Customized Living Services at Hamline and Ravoux Hi-Rises in St. Paul. Learn and practice your skills alongside our Aging & Caregiving team to provide person-centered care for older adults, adults with disabilities, and those with chronic conditions. We have openings for Level I and II Fieldwork throughout the year through affiliated schools (including University of Minnesota, Anoka Technical College, St. Kate’s University, and University of North Dakota) for students in occupational therapy assistant and doctor of occupational therapy programs.

Opportunities
  • Supervision and consultation with qualified practitioners in the field.
  • Increased understanding and direct service experience of occupational therapy in a setting with older adults, adults with disabilities, and those with chronic conditions.
  • Learn about working in a nonprofit.
How to Apply
  1. Express your interest in Wilder to the fieldwork coordinator at your school. Wilder is then notified of your selection.
  2. Complete an application and background clearance paperwork prior to starting. We will reach out to you with more information on this process.

Inquiry Form

If you have questions about our training opportunities, or do not see your field of interest listed, complete this inquiry form and we will respond.

Student Training & Internships

I am so grateful that I came to Wilder for my training. I didn’t know it was possible to work in this way. Now I will always know how it can be done best. 

-Former Wilder Student

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