Archive for the 'Human Services Internships' Category

Carla Nelessen, from Neenah is a non-traditional Human Services Leadership major in her last semester at UW Oshkosh. I am taking  She has been married for almost 26 years, has four children and is also taking classes at University of Upper Iowa (via Wausau) to obtain a Social Work Certificate after graduating from UWO. Her personal goals are to do things well, with her heart and mind engaged, and believes you are never too old to learn. Follow along as she shares about her internship experience.

Since I’ve started my internship with VIOS, I have learned so many things. The Human Service areas that Outagamie County Volunteer in Offender Services (VIOS) impacts are far reaching and needed. In the beginning of my internship, the director of VIOS, Mr. Stuart Driessen gave me two books to read. The first was “Games Criminals Play” by Bud Allen. The purpose of this book is to explain the subtle ways the inmates test to see if they can get employees (volunteers) to violate minor rules and eventually gain peer status and contraband. The book explains the subtlety of deception by providing a tool for recognizing and reckoning with these manipulative processes. I learned that there are some ways to not be susceptible to manipulation. The second book I read is “The First Offender” by Joe Alex Morris. This book was written in 1970. Keith Leenhouts was a young judge in Royal Oak Michigan, he wanted to prevent young lawbreakers (mostly charged with misdemeanors) from turning into habitual felons.

To help me best understand what VIOS stands for, Mr. Driessen pointed me to the website: http://docs.legis.wi.gov/statutes/statutes/973/11/1/a/2. He explained the Wisconsin Statue 973.11,  called placements with volunteers in probation program. In part it states: Directive to a volunteer to provide one or more of the following functions for the defendant:

1. Role model.

2. Informal counseling.

973.11(1)(a)3. 3. General monitoring.

4. Monitoring of conditions set by the court.

This is just a small excerpt of the statue that was written and put into place in 1991.

I feel like I am just getting my feet wet concerning all the areas VIOS is at work, through the law, community outreach, connections with other human service organizations and individual lives.  One of the ways VIOS best influences the community is by the interaction with the offenders. The goal is to help the offender develop new attitudes and thought patterns about him/herself and society. The effectiveness of VIOS is the personal contact the offender has with the staff and volunteers at VIOS.

This blog is just some of my thoughts and experiences I’ve had during my internship at VIOS. I think I have re-learned that people just want to be heard, even though these clients do not have much of an option in coming through VIOS doors. Many of them are receptive to change because of the environment that is created by the team of people that work in the jail and office of Outagamie County VIOS. It was helpful to me read the books that the director gave me, however, I believe the most helpful thing to me is observing the staff interact with the various clients.

One of my first experiences with a client was back in November and this person was very resistant and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. The staff person who met with this client was concerned that things would get worse in the client’s life before they would get better.

Actually, that is what happened. The client had another run in with the law (within the next month) and things and the problems escalated to more serious consequences. To my surprise, the next meeting with the client went extremely well! The client had a huge change in heart and mind, partly due to family members who gave a “tough love” action. The staff member decided to continue to work with the client and explain to them that the road will not be easy. It was at this point, that I realized, that people can change and are willing to change especially when the people in their lives are willing to help but not enable.

I attended the Outagamie County Impact Panel of Victim & Offender of Drunk Driving. There were about 40 to 50 people in a room. Those in attendance have been court ordered, as part of their conviction as a second time drunk driving offender. The purpose of the panel is not to blame or judge, but rather to reach the audience on the emotional level. The goal of this program is to reduce the rate of repeat drinking/impairment and driving. There were two people who told their heart wrenching stories of losing their young adult children to drunk drivers. The audience seemed responsive to the speakers. I thought the speakers did a good job of telling their stories without shaming the people in the audience. I thought it was important that VIOS also handed out a survey after the presentations to ask the attendees questions about what they heard.

Being involved with this internship has helped me understand the need for human connection.

Carla Nelessen, from Neenah is a non-traditional Human Services Leadership major in her last semester at UW Oshkosh. I am taking  She has been married for almost 26 years, has four children and is also taking classes at University of Upper Iowa (via Wausau) to obtain a Social Work Certificate after graduating from UWO. Her personal goals are to do things well, with her heart and mind engaged, and believes you are never too old to learn. Follow along as she shares about her internship experience.

My internship is at Outagamie County Volunteers in Offender Services (VIOS). The mission statement of VIOS is: To return to the community law abiding, productive, responsible and self-sufficient people who are better prepared to be successful in family, work and community. This is done through 1-to-1 matches with volunteers, education, rehabilitation programs in the jail, and community service work. This program is a wide-reaching Human Services program and contains many of the facets of which I am passionate. The diversity of this internship is great and works with a population I am interested in expanding my knowledge and hands-on experience.

A couple ways this will happen include working in the community to raise awareness and build the volunteer base for the program. An example of this is the Impact Panel of Victim & Offender of Drunk Driving. I will also assist in a program called Safe Streets Treatment Option Program, SSTOP. This is a volunteer program that allows second- and third-time offenders to have an alternative to jail. I will also work with the Alternative Treatment Coordinator in regard to AODA assessment. I am also considering continuing my education as some point in the future in AODA counseling. The majority of clients at VIOS have struggles with addictions. I will also be learning about the different treatment courts that Outagamie County has. Last semester I finished the Law and Ethics course, which class peaked my interest in law and how people become involved in crime.

I am grateful to learn outside of the classroom in this hands-on experience. I look forward to learning more about VIOS and the needed roll it plays in our community. I am thankful for this internship and think it will be both challenging and rewarding time for me.

Senior Human Service Leadership major, Loryn Cornette, of Greenleaf, blogs about her final semester at UW Oshkosh. Loryn juggles being a full time student, holding the Treasurer position of the Human Services Organization on campus, having an on campus job in the Undergraduate Academic Resource Center as a Peer Advising Liaison, and working 21 hours a week at her advanced internship placement at UW-Fox Valley’s Student Services Office.  Follow Loryn’s blog posts as she writes about her final experiences on campus before commencement in May.

I am working towards having a career within higher education, more specifically with Student Affairs.  She has recently been admitted to the Educational Leadership graduate program at UW Oshkosh for the Fall of 2013 semester.  I feel my advanced internship at UW-Fox Valley will really be a positive experience in this field.  I will be working primarily with the TRiO program at UW-Fox Valley and any extra time will be spent within the Student Services office helping students one-on-one.

TRiO Educational Talent Search (ETS)is a 100-percent federally-funded program through the U.S. Department of Education at $226,600 per year. This pre-college program is designed to encourage students to complete high school and to pursue a college education. The Fox Valley Educational Talent Search Program serves 6th-12th grade students in the Kaukauna and Menasha School Districts who meet the federal requirements and show a need for the program. ETS identifies and assists individuals who have the potential to succeed in higher education and provides academic, career, and financial information to participants. TRiO’s goal is to have all ETS students graduate from high school and continue on to a college of their choice. ETS also serves high school dropouts by providing them information and counseling to reenter the educational system or complete their GED and enroll in college (UW Fox Valley, TRiO).

I am very excited to begin my internship and finish my final semester as an Undergraduate at UW Oshkosh!

Michael Harvey is an online Human Services Leadership student in his final semester. Originally from Appleton Wis., he moved around the country after two years of college as a way to help him determine what he wanted to do with his life. Those experiences lead him to want to help those less fortunate, which is why he chose to major in human services leadership. Follow along as he shares his experience throughout his final internship.

Welcome back! I have returned to account for my final semester’s internship.  In case you need a refresher, for my junior year internship I worked at a local organization called COTS Inc. I liked it so much I decided to go back for a second round.  In case you are unfamiliar with this organization, COTS is a transitional living shelter catering to homeless population in the Appleton, Wisc. area.  I wanted to return to gain a deeper understanding of the organization and the people they serve.

By going back to COTS, in some ways, I think I will have it easier than my fellow classmates.  I will have a feel of the people (the staff) that I am working with and know where everything is.  On the other hand, I think the pressure is on for me to not make the same errors that I may have made previously—but if I survived once, I can do it again.

This time I will be working on a higher level, I am going to be working as a case manager.  I will be working with my own clients and all the gory details that go along with it.  Of course, I will still have my field supervisor to fall back on, but I still want to do my best to stand my own ground.

As I get ready to begin, I have a nervous anticipation for what is to come.  I want to get started so I can accomplish my goal of graduation and move on to the next phase in my life, but I also want to savor this time.  We’ve worked too hard to get this point and to not at least enjoy the fruits of our labors.  For now, I will try to enjoy what is left of the break, but I know it is near the end.  Overall I feel ready: ready for the semester, ready for the internship, but most importantly ready for graduation!

Stephanie Birchfield is a Human Services Leadership major starting her senior year at UW-Oshkosh. Originally from Neenah, Wisconsin, Stephanie moved to Stevens Point shortly after graduating high school to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. After spending two years studying at UWSP Stephanie realized that while she loved helping children learn, her true passion is helping those in need. As a result, Stephanie transferred to UW-Oshkosh her junior year in search of a career in Human Services.

Stephanie has had the pleasure of interning at the UWSP Continuing Education office as well as volunteering at organizations such as the Boys’ and Girls’ Club, the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade, and the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. She is looking forward to helping others in a new setting as she begins her initial Human Services internship this fall. Follow along as Stephanie shares her experiences at the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley.

This past week was an interesting one at the Emergency Shelter. For starters, one of the big projects that I have been working on is researching different breathalyzers that are available to purchase. The Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley is a zero-tolerance facility and the staff members believe that a breathalyzer would be a very beneficial tool in upholding this policy. My research has come together quite nicely and I was asked to present my findings to the Executive Director of the Emergency Shelter this past week. This was an interesting and educational experience for me, as I have never had to give a presentation of this type before. After my presentation to the Executive Director, I was asked to research different possibilities for grants that may cover the expense of a breathalyzer. This is an exciting opportunity, as I have never really been exposed to the funding side of a non-profit. While I have been lucky to have quite a bit of experience working one-on-one with clients at the Emergency Shelter, I am very happy to have more experience in the administrative side of a non-profit organization as well.

Last week I was also given the opportunity to ride along with the case manager who runs the Emergency Shelter’s Street Outreach Program. This program focuses on those homeless individuals who are literally living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. The case manager who runs this program typically works out of the office, and spends more time in his car driving to see his clients than at his desk. During my ride along he took me to see a few of the spots in Appleton that those living on the streets use as shelter. These included areas beneath bridges and small, secluded, wooded areas that offer some shelter during the cooler months. It was heart-wrenching to see how these clients live. Many of them scrounge up whatever they can find to provide some comfort in these practically unlivable environments, whether it be tarps, filthy couch cushions or tattered jackets and blankets.

Up to this point, my ride-along with the Street Outreach case manager has been one of the most eye-opening experiences for me at my internship. I think that oftentimes we are not nearly as aware as we should be of the scope of the issues we will be dealing with as Human Service workers. This experience showed me how much I have yet to learn about the issue of homelessness. When helping clients in the Human Services field, I think it is important to gain as much exposure and knowledge as possible of the issues that they struggle with. I learned quite a bit about homelessness outside of the shelter during my ride along; I am hoping to have more experiences like this one to help me gain even more knowledge and a better understanding of the clients I will be serving in my internship and in my future career.