Mental Health Action Team Support Intern
PLEASE NOTE: Although this posting may display a longer availability window on Handshake due to system requirements, applications for this internship must be submitted by June 12th.
Description: The Health Equity Council – Mental Health Action Team (HEC MHAT) is a collaborative group of community-based organizations, health partners, community members, and community health workers and navigators in Kent County. Together, they work to develop strategies and implement solutions that reduce mental health stigma and improve access to mental health supports and other social services across Kent County.
This internship would support the work of the HEC MHAT Peer-to-Peer and Capacity subgroup as it advances its goal of increasing access to non-clinical initiatives that promote mental well-being. Key strategies to achieve this goal include:
- Expanding awareness of accessible mental health entry points, including peer-to-peer support groups, community-based mental health education, and Community Health Worker (CHW) services
- Increasing access to certification and training opportunities for support group leaders, educators, and CHWs. The internship would include: - Conducting a CHW landscape analysis in Kent County to identify the number of CHWs and the organizations that employ them.
- Designing a centralized, “one-stop” access hub where community partners can share and access information, including peer-to-peer group listings, emerging needs, culturally responsive provider directories, and referral resources.
- Researching funding opportunities to support CHWs and community navigators.
Importance to Public Health: Mental Health is the psychological, and social well-being that allows people to be productive, have fulfilling relationships, and cope with challenges yet 1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression. In Michigan, compared to the previous 5-year period, suicide rates declined for the oldest age group (75+) and increased for the youngest age group (24 and younger). In the Kent County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) which aims to identify, understand, and prioritize the health-related needs of residents, nearly half of all 2023 CHNA survey respondents said mental health has been a problem for them or someone in their family in the past year. Below are the community-identified mental health issues from the CHNA:
- Need for non-faith based mental health services
- Transportation, time, and cost
- Lack of resources for mental health crises
- Lack of diversity among mental health providers
Project Deliverables:
The internship deliverables would include:
- Providing a Community Health Worker (CHW) landscape analysis report showing the number of CHWs and organizations that employ them in Kent County
- Designing a centralized, “one-stop” access hub where community partners can share and access information, including peer-to-peer group listings, emerging needs, culturally responsive provider directories, and referral resources.
- Researching funding opportunities to support CHWs and community navigators.
Minimum Qualifications: Students applying for this internship must be enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program. Computer proficiency is required.