INTERNSHIP FAQ's
Q. Do I get paid?
A. We offer a $600 stipend. This is taxed out and paid bi-monthly.
Q. Do you provide housing?
A. Housing may be an option for those with financial need. based on capacity, we may have room in our on-site Lodge. Please inquire about this if you decision is dependent on receiving housing. If you select housing, you will not receive the stipend.
Q. Is housing easy to find and affordable in Park City?
A. Park City is a resort town with plenty of housing options, yet not all options are affordable. Your best bet is to rent a house, apartment or condo and share it with 2-3 other people. Rooms with range form $250-$750 per month plus utilities. Summer rates are often less expensive than winter rates. Interns often get together and rent a house for the season, as seasonal leases are usually available. Park City also has a housing help resource called Mountain Lands Community Housing. They will post "looking for roommates" and "looking for a room" ads. They can be reached at www.housinghelp.com.
Q. Will I need a car?
A. A car is helpful, as there is currently no city bus service to the National Ability Center. If you live in the Lodge, you will need a car or bike to get into town. If you live in town, there is excellent, free city bus service around town, but you will need a car to get to the Ability Center. Interns often share a car and expenses. There is a paved trail called the Rail Trail which runs form town to the Ability Center and is easily biked in the summer and half of the fall. The ride from town is 4-5 miles.
Q. How long is an internship?
A. While NCTRC only requires a 12 week/480 hour internship, our internship is typically 14 weeks/560 hours. This allows for 2-3 weeks of training, two five week sessions, and one week for wrap-up. Schools often require a 15 week/600 hour internship. If this is the case, you have two options: you may either extend your internship one additional week, or you may work 43 hours per week, to complete 600 hours in 14 weeks.
Q. How many CTRS do you have on staff?
A. Currently we have 4 full-time staff members that are CTRS.
Q. Will I be supervised by a CTRS?
A.Yes. Tracy Riddleberger Meier will be your direct supervisor. She will supervise your internship as a whole, yet you may not always be working directly under her. If you work in her programs (alpine skiing, horseback riding and camps) you are more likely to work directly under her. If you work in other programs you will still work under a CTRS, as some of our part-time staff are certified.
Q. Will I get a chance to practice all steps of the APIE process?
A. The National Ability Center is a community recreation site, and while our therapeutic process is not as formal as a clinical site, we still have all the steps in place. You will get a chance to perform assessments and interviews, plan and implement lessons and/or programs, document progress, and conduct program evaluations. Interns will also conduct a five-week case study, in which you are working one-on-one with a participant, performing and documenting all steps of the process.
Q. Will I be prepared for the NCTRC exam?
A. Many interns have done their internship at the National Ability Center and successfully sat for the exam. We will be doing a ten-week exam prep course, which will include practice questions from all eight sections, a comprehensive practice exam at the end, and a walk through of how to apply for the exam.
Q. Will I be allowed to have a second job?
A. The internship should be your first priority, but because you are not being paid much, the need for a second job is certainly understandable. I ask that you schedule your second job around your internship schedule. You will be give a schedule for 4 weeks at a time. Part-time jobs are fairly easy to find in Park City, especially in the winter season.
Q. Do I have to have experience in the program areas?
A. Yes. Ideally we are looking for interns with personal or professional experience in at least one of our program areas. By no means do you have to have experiences in all program areas, nor do you have to be an expert in any one. You will get a chance to try all the outdoor sports we offer, with the exception of alpine skiing. If you have never skied before, we cannot guarantee that you will have an opportunity to learn. Interns working in the ski program need to be comfortable with their own skiing (comfortable on easy and blue terrain), in order to effectively assist others. If time and resources permit, you may get a chance to learn skiing.
Q. Do I need my own equipment?
A. It is helpful if you have your own ski equipment. If you do not have your own equipment, but know how to ski, you may borrow skis and poles (no boots) from the National Ability Ski Center. These skis, however, are available to all instructors and interns in the ski program and are not guaranteed to be there from day to day. You may want to secure your own equipment. There are often sales and ski swaps here in Park City, so you may want to wait until you get here to buy. For all other programs, you may borrow equipment from the Center.
Q. Are there opportunities for employment after the internship?
A. Like most non-profits, full-time jobs are few and far between, but we offer part-time jobs! Interns often fall in love with the National Ability Center and Park City and stick around after the internship to work for us on a part-time basis in our Adventure Learning, Alpine Skiing, or Horseback Riding Programs. Another option is to apply for our AmeriCorps program. This is a year commitment that gives you the opportunity for gain skills in program development and supervision. The best way to gain full-time employment is to keep your foot in the door, and when a position opens up, you are available and qualified!
Q. Are there a lot of TR jobs in Park City?
A. The Ability Center is the only true TR job in Park City; however, Salt Lake City is only 40 minutes away and holds many job opportunities in both community and clinical settings. There are two assisted living centers for people with developmental disabilities in Park City that are often hiring, and there is an alternative high school nearby that utilizes recreation in its curriculum.
Q. What age groups will I work with? What disability groups?
A. We serve all ages (3 and up) and all different abilities (developmental, cognitive, mental, emotional, and physical).
Q. Can I get any more additional information?
A. All the information you should need is available on the website: DiscoverNAC.org. If you have any other specific questions or needs, please feel free to email me.
Q. How do I apply?
A. There is no formal application. Please send a resume and cover letter:
Attn: Tracy Riddleberger Meier, at least two weeks before the following deadlines:
Winter Internship: October 15
Summer Internship: March 15
Fall Internship: July 1
You may email or mail you resume.
Tracy Riddleberger Meier
PO Box 682799
Park City, UT 84068
(435) 649-3991 ext. 605
tracym@DiscoverNAC.org |
