Internships at Tompkins County Whole Health

Welcome to Tompkins County Whole Health

We are an integrated and empowered team, advancing a collaborative effort to promote prevention and equitably improve individual and population health. We prioritize Integration, Culture, Community, Data, and a Values-Based Culture, which is aligned to our shared Mission and built on these Values: Learning, Innovation, Collaboration, Compassion, and Integrity. You'll find this and more on our About page.

Why intern at Tompkins County Whole Health?

Whole Health is actively growing and expanding and has interest in a wide range of topics that could be addressed by interns. Our vision for engaging interns from renowned colleges and universities reflects a commitment to fostering a mutually beneficial partnership that drives excellence in public health and mental health services.

Our internships:

• Fulfill academic requirements
• Offer practical and research experience
• Serve as a platform where students can apply skills learned in the classroom.

TCWH internships provide students with hands-on experience working on real-world public health and mental health projects that ultimately benefit the greater Tompkins County community. We have previously hosted student internships in areas ranging from mental health and social work, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), and hands-on Environmental Health experiences.

Along with the intern’s specific project and day-to-day work, we provide opportunities to expose students to the varied work of TCWH as well as the many career paths in public and mental health. Several interns/’fellows’ have gone on to full-time staff roles at the department.

Our culture

Whole Health hosts two All-Staff meetings per year, each featuring games and activities that foster and grow our foundational values-based culture, and a guest speaker. These photos are from our June All-Staffs. In June 2023 our guest speaker was Dr. Gen Meredith, Associate Professor and Associate Director, Cornell Public Health Program. Our January 2024 All-Staff featured Dr. Jamilla Michener, Senior Associate Dean for Public Engagement at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell.

Students interested in applying are encouraged to review the full Internship Guidance document(PDF, 304KB) before completing their application. Contact us.

Program Changes beginning in October 2024

In response to valuable feedback from both staff and students, Whole Health is implementing some updates to our internship program. While the core experience will remain the same, we are shifting from a “rolling” application process to a more structured model where interns will be accepted only at the start of the main academic semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer. This change aims to streamline the process, reduce the workload for staff interested in mentoring, and potentially increase the number of interns we can onboard.

 
Internship Structure

Internship duration may range from a few weeks to a full year, depending on the preferences of the applicant, availability of internship slots, and on the number of credits being pursued.

The specific number of weekly internship hours will vary depending on the preferences of the applicant and requirements of the program. At minimum, interns should contribute 4 hours per week. Interns are expected to report in person.

Tompkins County Whole Health operates from Monday to Friday, 8:30 am–4:30 pm. The Green Street location operates until 6:00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

 
Mentorship and Supervisor Match-Up:

Interns will be paired with a dedicated mentor or supervisor during their internship experience. The selection of mentors or supervisors will be thoughtfully determined based on several factors, including staff availability and the specific area of the intern's work within Tompkins County Whole Health. The aim is to ensure that interns are paired with individuals who possess expertise and experience relevant to their internship role.

These designated staff members will assume a pivotal role in supporting the intern's work, fostering professional growth, and contributing to a mutually beneficial experience. The mentorship relationship is designed to provide interns with the guidance and resources necessary to succeed in their roles while also helping them integrate seamlessly into the organization's culture and mission.

Supervisors will actively support interns in various ways.

 
Expectations and Code of Conduct

Interns at Tompkins County Whole Health are expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, integrity, and respect. Your conduct reflects not only upon yourself but also upon our organization. By adhering to this code of conduct, you contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment that fosters growth, learning, and meaningful contributions. The full Code of Conduct can be found on page 6 of the Internship Guidance document.

Students interested in applying are encouraged to review the full Internship Guidance document(PDF, 304KB) before completing their application. Contact us.