Executive Pathways Internship Program June 1, 2015 – August 14, 2015 St. Paul, MN Interns earn $17.24 an hour while gaining valuable experience!
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has paid internship opportunities for college students to explore a rewarding career in public service. Our agency helps provide essential services to Minnesota’s most vulnerable residents. Working with many others, including counties, tribes and non-profits, DHS helps ensure that Minnesota seniors, people with disabilities, children and others meet their basic needs and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Students in public policy, statistics, social work, law, and other human services-related programs of study are encouraged to apply for the DHS Executive Pathways Internship Program.
DHS offers a wide variety of programs and services, including:
Health care coverage for low-income Minnesotans
Economic assistance for individuals and struggling families
Licensing for home and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities
Food support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Foster care, child support enforcement, and child welfare services
Services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
Direct care & treatment for people with mental illness and/or chemical dependency
Policy, legislation, research, and analysis regarding all of the above
Eligibility: Be a rising senior in an undergraduate program or enrolled in a graduate program. Have good academic standing. Have permission to work in the United States. Be available to work up to 400 hours.
Submit complete application by December 14, 2014.
Application packet available at: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/id_010465
If you have questions or need this information in another format,
contact the DHS OEPD Equal Opportunity & Access Division:
Phone: 651-431-3040 or 651-431-3038
Email: Executive.Pwathways@state.mn.us
Website: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/id_010465 2
2015 Executive Pathways Internship Descriptions (All internships require good communication skills, and analytical skills, and the ability to work in teams and with diverse populations.)
Chemical and Mental Health Services
Transitions to Community Initiative
Process flow issues have been identified within the Adult Mental Health Service continuum and the wavier support system for many individuals with mental illness. For example, people with serious mental illness including co-occurring developmental disabilities and co-occurring traumatic brain injuries, continue to remain in Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center (AMRTC) and the Minnesota Security Hospital (MSH) in St. Peter beyond the point of clinical necessity. In 2013, the legislature allocated funds to DHS in order to facilitate the timely transition of individuals into the community from AMRTC and MSH. The intern will assist with organizing and analyzing data collected over the past 18 months to assist the transition of individuals with mental illness into the community.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Undergraduate or graduate student in Psychology, Public Administration or Policy
Computer Skills: MS Office
Travel Required: Must be able to travel to St. Peter and other locations outside of St. Paul.
Children and Family Services
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) further integration at Farmers Markets
Although Minnesota has worked to help individual farmers markets reach SNAP shoppers, SNAP spending at farmers markets still represents less than one percent of overall SNAP redemptions. The intern will help conduct a more in-depth analysis of best practices that bring SNAP recipients to farmers markets, and develop shared outreach strategies for regional farmers’ market clusters to reach underserved communities. The intern will travel throughout the state to farmers market communities, communicating with SNAP recipients; community based organizations serving low-income Minnesotans; county human services staff, and farmers market vendors and managers. The intern will develop a coordinated approach to reach SNAP recipients by participating in focus group interviews, survey research, field observation, case file sampling, and market analysis.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Undergraduate or graduate student in Business Administration, Human Services, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration or Policy, Public Health, Social Work
Computer Skills: MS Office
Travel Required: Travel to locations outside of St. Paul is required.
Direct Care and Treatment Jensen Implementation Office Comprehensive Plan of Action The Jensen Settlement Agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed against the DHS in 2009 alleging that residents of the former Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) program were unlawfully 3
and unconstitutionally secluded and restrained. The Jensen Settlement Agreement allowed the department and the plaintiffs to resolve the claims in a mutually agreeable manner. The Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) outlines the path the department will take to comply with the terms of the settlement agreement. The intern will assist with completion of the CPA bimonthly reports required by the Court which includes drafting portions of the report. The intern will collect information from DHS programs, administrators and clinical staff, and review and analyze data. Additionally, the intern will utilize their knowledge to develop methods to increase efficiencies in data development, collection and reporting.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Undergraduate or graduate student in Business Administration, Communications, Computer Science, Human Services, Law, Public Administration or Policy, Public Health
Computer Skills: MS Office
Health Care Administration
Which Hepatitis C patients are most likely to succeed with treatment?
The primary goal of the project is to identify the patient, provider, and setting specific factors which contribute to Hepatitis C treatment success. The intern will be responsible for collecting diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes data from provider groups, including clinics and pharmacies, and combining that data with Minnesota Department of Human Services claims and prior authorization data for analysis. The intern will build a model which helps to understand which patients are most likely to succeed with treatment.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Graduate student in Public Health
Computer Skills: MS Office
Operations
Digital Forensics and evidence collection
DHS’ Digital Forensics Lab assists the agency and other state agencies with the identification, collection, and examination of digital media for litigation and other legal purposes. The work is wide and varies daily. The intern will work closely with digital forensics lab personnel to collect, store, and process digital evidence from computers, smartphones, servers, tablets, and a variety of other digital devices. Although the work is wide and varies daily, the intern will learn to properly handle, process, and present digital evidence for legal purposes.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Undergraduate student in Business Computer Science, Law
Computer Skills: MS Office
Operations
Researching Disparities for Native Americans in Human Services Programs
The intern will work with the American Indian Disparity Team to research disparities of American Indians (AI) in human service programs. The intern will assist in the development of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of disparities; explore workforce development opportunities within 4
AI communities, and assist in the design of infrastructure growth areas needed within AI communities—especially those contributing to community wellness.
Preferred Educational Qualifications and Skills: Undergraduate or graduate student in Human Services, Law, Public Administration or Policy, Public Health, Psychology, Social Work
Computer Skills: MS Office
Travel Required: Travel required to 2-3 reservations throughout Minnesota.