
Nathaniel Alton
Youth Engagement Specialist, Maryland Coalition of Families
Major: PSYC
Class Year: 2022
What was a typical week like in your internship position?
My weeks varied throughout my time at MCF and I was often working on something different most of the time. One of the main things that I consistently did was create slideshows for our peer support meetings and practice giving presentations and providing good group topics to make sure the groups were as engaging as possible. Another thing that I frequently did was attend various local government committees meetings, such as BHAC Recovery Services and Support Committee, and share my experience and opinions. I would occasionally have to plan things to bring or do to a tabling event at different local colleges as well.
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
What I enjoyed most about my job was being able to work directly with people in need of assistance and give them counseling based on my life experience. In a lot of different psychology-based opportunities, you are required to have a master's degree in order to engage with people because the organization offers clinical support, but at MCF it is entirely peer-run and based upon people with lived experience, so I got to work hands-on with people in need. It was a very unique experience.
How did your coursework help you in your internship?
The main course that I drew from in my internship was Counseling Psychology. In CS we learned a lot of different therapeutic methods and what they all entailed, and I drew from each of them when I was running support groups. I think one of the main things I took from CS was the diverse backgrounds that every person has and how they influence their thoughts and feelings, so I treated each person as an individual instead of making generalizations about their current state.
How did you locate your internship position?
I found my internship position on the internet from an advertisement they put out. I did not find anything that particularly interested me in the PSYC portal and I decided to look elsewhere for opportunities. There are also a lot of different advertisements on places like Indeed.
Advice for students:
I think the main thing students should do is treat it as seriously as possible. At this age some people often just consider their work now to be a stepping stone into more opportunities in their future, but committing yourself and engaging as much as you can in your internship will allow you to get the most out of it and to have a valuable experience.
I think that future students would love MCF, especially those that have lived experience in mental health and substance use recovery.