Overview

The Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network (BHN) is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive behavioral health networks, providing a broad spectrum of treatment over the lifespan for individuals with mental health and substance abuse illnesses in Connecticut and beyond. Treatment options include inpatient, residential and outpatient, and meet a variety of needs including young adult services, clinical day treatment schools, professional programs, Medicated Assistance Close to Home (MATCH) for opioid and alcohol dependency, and family resources including support groups and educational seminars. The BHN is composed of the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital, one of the nation’s oldest psychiatric hospitals and research facilities (including the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, the Anxiety Disorders Center and the Clinical Trials Unit), Natchaug Hospital, Rushford, and the behavioral health departments and outpatient treatment programs at Hartford HealthCare acute care hospitals.

We partner with universities to offer a variety of internship and learning opportunities for students across Connecticut. Students who intern with the BHN will grow accustomed to a hands-on learning experience, gain insight into the behavioral health industry, and experience different levels of care, client populations, and diagnoses. Hartford HealthCare hosts one of the largest behavioral health networks in Connecticut, and with that, offers extensive networking opportunities for students entering the field.

We accept students studying a variety of mental health disciplines. These include, but are not limited to: social work programs, clinical mental health counseling, clinical psychology, drug and alcohol recovery counseling (DARC), marriage and family therapy, and addiction studies.

Printable Program Highlights Sheet

Mission

Through partnerships with Connecticut based schools and universities, our mission is to support students in completing their field education requirements with Hartford HealthCare

Vision

Commit to developing, educating, and inspiring students who will become the next generation of behavioral health clinicians in Connecticut


Learn More About Each Site in the BHN

Sites below labeled "MC" are the main campus for that respective entity of the BHN.

Learn More

Meet Some of Our Previous Interns

Haley SuboczHaley Subocz

Internship: 2020-2021
Current Department: Institute of Living – Adult Inpatient Unit
Role: Psychiatric Clinician I

“HHC offers unparalleled expertise that prioritizes patient centered care. Their distribution of invaluable real world experience fosters excellence among their peers.”


Kaitlyn KeddyKaitlyn Keddy

Internship: 2020-2021
Current Department: Charlotte Hungerford Hospital – Center for Behavioral Health
Role: Psychiatric Clinician I

“I was running a new outpatient group with my supervisor and she had decided to let me take the group over as my own, but would be in the room in case I needed support. The first day that I ran the group entirely on my own the group had barely noticed that she was there and accepted me as a clinician. It was the moment I began to truly feel empowered by the intern experience.”


Troy Cote

Internship: 2018-2019
Current Department: Charlotte Hungerford Hospital – Center for Behavioral Health
Role: Psychiatric Clinician II

“My advice would be to take as many opportunities as you have available and don’t be afraid to ask questions. A significant piece of my learning was the result of direct experience along with the opportunity to process and ask questions afterwards.”

Academic Partnerships

In order to do your internship with Hartford HealthCare, your school must have an academic partnership with us called a Student Affiliation Agreement. This agreement will be our compass to help Hartford HealthCare provide the best possible learning experience for you as a behavioral health professional. Should an affiliation not currently exist between Hartford HealthCare and your school, please notify the BHN HR team – we’re happy to grow our academic partnerships with new colleges and universities. We’re here to support YOU!

Hartford HealthCare’s Academic Affairs department has developed a strategic partnership with a number of universities located across Connecticut. Our Tier 1 strategic partnerships include Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, the University of Connecticut, and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) which includes four state universities, 12 community colleges & Charter Oak State College. Students from our Tier 1 universities and colleges will be prioritized for placement opportunities within Hartford HealthCare’s BHN.

Should you have any questions in this area, please reach out to AcademicAffairs@hhchealth.org

Entity Program Descriptions

Natchaug Hospital (Inpatient Care)

Why Us? We provide internship supervision to both undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as practicum placements to Doctoral psychology students.  We place a strong investment in our students with a goal of fully preparing them for working within the field as a full-time independent clinician.  Emphasis is placed on both skill and career development.  Skill set development focuses on individual, group, and family therapy modalities within an acute care setting, as well as case management and cross-agency collaboration.  There is a unique opportunity within this setting to be a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team, where crucial skills are learned around collaboration, communication, and leveraging separate realities within multiple disciplines.  Supervision is provided based on program requirements, but typically involves both a primary and secondary supervisor with opportunities for group supervision as well including both didactic and process-based sessions.   Training goals are developed in collaboration with the student, with hopes of creating an individualized experience that focus on the long-term goals of the student as they progress in their education and training.  The site is a best fit for advanced students, but can also be considered for first year students with a specialized focus and comfort in working with a fast-paced acute setting.

Natchaug Ambulatory (Outpatient Care)

Natchaug Hospital has an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) at five locations that support adult and young adult behavioral health care. We also have six Joshua Center locations that provide IOP and PHP care to children and adolescents (typically ages 6-18).

Rushford Center

Why Us? Rushford Center provides an internship experience in Residential and Ambulatory services. Students who are interested in alcohol and drug counseling should consider our Cheshire, Avon, and Glastonbury facilities. Our Portland location has residential services for adult men and women while our Durham campus provides residential treatment for adolescent males. Meriden hosts our comprehensive behavioral health treatment in an outpatient capacity for all ages, while our Middletown site offers residential and outpatient services for adult men and women.

Institute of Living

Why Us? Hartford Hospital Institute of Living (IOL) is a teaching hospital that is committed to training multidisciplinary healthcare professions including social workers. Our MSW placement program offers unpaid internship opportunities to master level social workers allowing them to gain practical clinical experience in our various child, adolescent and adult inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. A prospective MSW intern will receive training, guidance and supervision from a licensed clinical social worker and gain the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to carry out the activities and assignments of a professional social worker.

The prospective MSW intern will be required to fulfill at least 20 placement hours per week which includes training, seminar and supervision, while fulfilling the requirements of their affiliated educational institution. The candidate must submit their resume and statement of interest (submitted by the educational institution) and complete the interview process, if eligible. Our placement duration begins fall semester through spring with a preference for advanced or second year placements, although not required.

Backus Hospital

(coming soon!)

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital

Why Us? We provide internships for Master’s level students focusing in the areas of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Counseling. We have a wide variety of services, programs and evidence-based models and we tailor the internship to meet a wide range of personal and academic goals. Some services include outpatient, inpatient, crisis, Partial Hospitalization Program, and Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program. Our staff is comprised of an interdisciplinary team, including professionals from various areas such as LCSW’s, LMFT’s, and LPC’s.  

Our Center for Youth and Families: Child Advocacy Center offers outpatient therapy services for children, adolescents, and families.  Services include: family, individual, play, group, and medication therapies. Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) and Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI)

Hospital of Central Connecticut

Why Us? For interns on the Inpatient unit for HOCC, the focus is on learning and implementing clinical skills such as how to facilitate group therapy (with evidenced-based practices such as CBT, anger management skills, skill building, etc), 1:1 therapeutic intervention, case management skills, learning co-occurring disorders/diagnoses and how they manifest. They will also learn the discharge process and setting up follow up care. They will also learn proper documentation skills as well as review policies and procedures which are best practice for social work.

Outpatient Care: facilitating groups, EPIC documentation, completing initial assessments, process of documentation (treatment planning, DC summaries, transfer forms) and timeframes for compliance, assessing risk, management of high-risk patients in OP clinic, crisis management.   

Midstate Medical Center

Why Us? At Midstate ABU (Acute Behavioral Unit- emergency room) and the HOCC ABU (Acute Behavioral Unit-emergency room), interns learn to effectively assess and triage patients for next level of care or discharge, work with insurance authorizations as needed, document appropriately in EPIC, and work with the team to determine care. Assessments are completed on those who are experiencing mental health symptoms including depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance use, psychosis, and more.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center

(coming soon!)

Our Student Commitments

Shadowing Opportunities
The Behavioral Health Network is committed to offering a comprehensive and student-focused experience. This includes opportunities to shadow at different programs and clinical modalities. The BHN is committed to giving student interns an experience that is focused on the student’s preferences, in order to support their personal career development and to help students find the right program for potential employment opportunities upon their graduation.

Supervision
The Behavioral Health Network is committed to offering clinical supervision throughout a student intern’s experience with us to support their learning, as well as clinical supervision to a colleague seeking licensure, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, and LADC.

Workforce Development
The Behavioral Health Network has a commitment to workforce development, including developing, educating, and inspiring the next generation of behavioral health clinicians in the state of Connecticut. We value and strive for an intern-to-hire experience that aligns with each student’s personal and professional goals. We have a number of programs, clinical modalities, and offerings that supports clinicians at any stage of their career development.

Student Interest Form

Thank you for considering Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Clinician Internship Program!

Please complete this Student Interest Form which will be routed the BHN HR team. Your submissions will be responded to within five business days. Should you have any questions on the form, or the status of your submission, please contact the HR team at HumanResources.BHN@hhchealth.org

 

Contact Us

Should you have any questions on the Behavioral Health Clinician Internship Program or the General Inquiry Form, please contact the HR team at HumanResources.BHN@hhchealth.org