Student Opportunities
Internships
Internships are primarily educational experiences with an emphasis on learning academic or career-related skills. All students must be at least 16 years old. While at the DDSO, interns will be directly supervised by an accountable professional in their field of study. Possible fields of study include, but are not limited to, Occupational Therapy, Recreation Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Nutrition Services, IT, Health Information Management, Human Services, and Exceptional Education.
According to 679.3 Principles of Compliance for Clinical Internships (Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Dietetics and Nutrition, Social Work, Nursing, and Medicine).
- “Students-in-training in other discipline areas must:
- be in a training program operated by an institution of higher learning with an accredited program in the applicable area;
- have completed the majority of their classroom requirements and the purpose of the placement is part of an approved and required internship or clinical training aspect of the degree program;
- have their activities governed in accordance with a written plan for supervision of the student by both the training institution and the clinic treatment facility; and
- be provided onsite supervision when and where the service is delivered, involving a party with licensure/credentials appropriate to the student's clinical area and include face-to-face contact with the student for review of performance, as well as periodic observation of the student's contact with the admitted person.”
Service-Learning
Service-Learning occurs when a class or group works with a community partner, such as the WNYDDSO, on a plan to implement different programs or initiatives related to a specific course. The professors and students may provide opportunities to support the WNYDDSO in employee wellness, adaptive recreational activities, advertising, dance, deictic in-services, problem-solving, education, and much more while fostering civic engagement.
Shadowing/Site Visits
High School and College must be 16 years old to complete site visits or shadow a discipline or related career field professional at the WNYDDSO. This will assist in career awareness and opportunities working at the agency. A site visit may be provided to anyone who has a good reason to seek information about the services through a present realistic and informative experience. All students and “site visitors” will complete the Site Visit Form during their experience. (See Site Visit Standard of Practice and Site Visit Form)
Onboarding Procedures
Recruitment
WNYDDSO Volunteer Services uses a variety of different methods to recruit Interns. You may find us reaching out to potential students via VolunteerWNY website, through longstanding college affiliations, specific College internet sites, in print publications, and by word of mouth. We also encourage you to let your friends and family know about our internship and volunteering opportunities.
