Berkshire Senior Online

By Chet Gallup

Internships give students the opportunity to solve day-to-day problems by thoughtful application of classroom learning.

According to Client Services Director Robert Dean, Elder Services has recently hired a student and a recent graduate that have completed internships at the organization. Also, a third student, who has worked there for two years, will complete the first of two graduate internship requirements in the coming school year.

"Although we don’t have a formal internship program, we are always receptive to new initiatives by students that are beneficial to Elder Services and the community," reports Dean.

Two present employees at Elder Services who have recently completed internships are:

Vicki Moyer of Cheshire, a graduate of the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut, recently completed her internship and presently works part time as a caseworker. She will earn her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) in August from the same school with a concentration in case work and a minor in group work. She found her internship at Elder Services very productive. Some of her clients were under duress for various reasons including mental health and living arrangement issues.

"Often the caregivers for these elders were feeling isolated, and sympathetic listening on my part was always appreciated," Moyer said. Plus, I had the resources at Elder Services to call upon to address any stressors that I found."

"It’s been a great opportunity. Elder Services has gone out of their way to make my internship productive for me."

Moyer is married and has raised four children, two of which are still in the area. Beyond the age of traditional students, she found college challenging.

"After my children left home, I wanted a purpose in life – I wanted to be productive," Moyer said. "Returning to school scared me. My first course was an English course and, when my first paper was praised, I realized I had applicable life experiences that I could rely on."

Moyer says her future plans are to work with elders that are not a part of any given social group.

The second intern, Amie Stowe of Pittsfield, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a BA in Psychology, also works as a caseworker. Internships are nothing new to Stowe as she not only recently completed an internship at Elder Services, but also completed a four-month internship in London where she worked in an infectious disease ward.

"Internships are the best way to dabble in a profession – as it gives you enough experience to say yes, I’m interested or no, I’m not interested, in a particular field. Although interns have certain responsibilities and obligations, they aren’t expected to know everything. It’s a great opportunity to learn."

Stowe’s Elder Services internship led to her present position as a casemanager; she monitors 40 homecare clients and approximately 100 Meals On Wheels clients. She evaluates each client once every 3 to 6 months. For each evaluation, she assesses the client’s housing situation, physical and emotional well-being, updates the client’s emergency contact list, and determines if additional services are required.

Working with elders and adolescents is also rewarding to Stowe. She has worked at Valley Head School for Girls in Lenox. Three options of continuing her education are attractive to her: obtaining a nursing degree, a Master’s in Social Work, or a Master’s in her field of Psychology. She has an idea of what she wants to pursue and will concentrate this summer on determining what preparations she must make. Regardless of the path she takes, she says the internship and casemanager position at Elder Services have been invaluable.

"Internships are great, great opportunities for any one just out of school – they are convenient and not extensive," Stowe said. "You can try out different jobs, different fields, pick up different aspects, learn so much more about yourself and your role, and what people expect of you."

Amy Bourassa of Pittsfield, a Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts graduate with a BA in Sociology, is presently pursuing a Masters of Social Work at Springfield College. As of June, she has been working for Elder Services for two years. Starting as a casemanager, she is now working as a Protective Services Caseworker, investigating alleged physical, emotional, and/or financial abuse of Berkshire County elders.

Bourassa knew early in life that she wanted to be a social worker. Fortunately, she didn’t have to look far for a role model or mentor. Her neighbor was a social worker, who both encouraged and counseled her.

In addition to pursuing an MSW at Springfield College, Bourassa has recently purchased a house in preparation for a summer wedding. This fall she will commence the first of two required internships by working an additional 15 hours a week for one year in the Ombudsman Program at Elder Services. As an Ombudsman, she will be visiting Berkshire County nursing homes evenings and weekends. She also places a high value on internships.

"There’s only so much you can do in class, which is a lot of book learning," Bourassa said. "To put skills in place you need to get outside experience by interacting with clients professionally. It’s this real life experience that puts it all together."

Bourassa’s concentration within her MSW studies is geriatrics, but she is interested in not only working with elders, but also their families. She points out that families vary in their relationships with their elders. Some families are quite active, while others do little and some are completely estranged. The aging process is another point of variance where understanding and acceptance among elders and their families differs widely. Bourassa wants to work within a family therapy setting someday to help elders and their families resolve problematic issues.

"As a larger portion of our society struggles with the issues of aging, they and their families face challenges not seen by previous generations. There will be a greater need for direction as well as information," Bourassa said. "Elders and their families will need help to resolve issues. I want to be in a position to provide that help."

Persons interested in initiating an internship at Elder Services should contact Client Services Director Robert Dean at (413) 499-0524.