Internship (OT/OTA Adolescent RTC) Fall 2026 OT Fieldwork

Opportunity Time Frame:
•For OT fieldwork rotations this is a 12-week internship consisting of 40 hours per week beginning in January and running for 12 consecutive weeks. The start date is flexible. 
•For OTA fieldwork rotations this is an 8 week internship consisting of 40 hours per week beginning in January and running for 8 consecutive weeks. The start date is flexible.

Eligibility Requirements:
•Current student of an accredited Occupational Therapy Institution
•OT students are Master’s or Doctoral degree level and OTA students are Associates degree level
•Student must be enrolled at an academic Institution that has an existing contract with Sheppard Pratt.
•Students applying to this rotation will need a strong foundation in child/adolescent mental health theory and related OT theory and practice, clinical reasoning, foundations of evidence-based practice, group theory and application, and teaching/learning concepts and applications related to staff, client, and caregiver education.  

Learning Model:
Supervision to student ratio is group of students (6-10): 3 Clinical instructors (2 onsite, 1 off-site faculty). The educational philosophy of the OT program at the Residential Treatment Centers is based on an adult learning/self-reflective, group supervision model as a guide for these learning experiences. Personal and group supervision, both with on-site staff and with university faculty members via video-conferencing help to ensure that each individual’s learning needs can be met fully and in an individual manner. Self-reflection, self-evaluation, and peer critique help to keep these fieldwork experiences focused on learning, not on teaching.

Student Expectations:
Student expectations include self-directed learning; independently seeking learning opportunities and feedback, flexible thinking and adaptability.  Readiness to learn from all experiences.  Patience and compassion when working with this challenging patient population. 

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