Niles Central (Skokie)
Niles Central is a Therapeutic Day High School for students with moderate to severe behavior and emotional disorders. As part of Niles Township High School District 219, Niles Central receives referrals from the two feeder high schools: Niles West and Niles North. The population of students is one of the nation’s most diverse in regards to socioeconomic, cultural, and racial backgrounds. Over one hundred languages are spoken in the Village of Skokie.
Niles Central serves approximately 50 students in grades 9 through 12. It is comprised of 7 certified special education teachers, 2 social workers, and 1 school psychologist/licensed clinical psychologist. The majority of students at Niles Central have a special education classification of Emotional Disorder, and present with a wide variety of emotional and behavioral issues.
The Psychology Intern will participate in a 12 month internship. Summer readings will be provided, and the intern will participate in the district-wide orientation for new staff members. The intern will be provided training in the Crisis Prevention Institute as well as the Life Space Crisis Intervention model, which is a therapeutic model for children in crisis. Generally, an intern is assigned to supervise the Processing Center for 1 class period on most school days. The primary purpose of the Processing Center is to provide students with one-on-one support that may include guidance in developing higher level critical thinking skills that ultimately lead to positive changes and outcomes in their personal and academic behavior. A secondary and longer-term purpose for the Processing Center is to support students in developing more effective problem-solving skills and emotional coping mechanisms. The intern will be assigned a small case load for counseling that will take into account the intern’s individual experience and training needs. The intern will also be responsible for completing the re-evaluations to determine the students’ eligibility for special education, and to assist in educational diagnostic decision-making.
Formal supervision is provided by a licensed clinical and certified school psychologist for a minimum of 2 hours per week. Group supervision will also occur with the social workers and/or other trainees at the Niles North or Niles West campus. The intern will also have the opportunity to assist in providing a training workshop during the district’s Institute Day with the supervising psychologist, as well as to receive training for the remainder of the day. Participation in out-of-district training is available as well. Other activities include group therapy, teacher consultation regarding behavior and instructional interventions, writing IEPs, completing functional behavior analyses and behavior intervention plans, and participating in extracurricular activities.
Interns will receive additional training at the elementary school setting. Niles Central collaborates with the Niles Township District for Special Education to provide this experience. The intern will work one full-day per week at NTDSE, and will work in collaboration with the on-site school psychologist for support and supervision. Stipend: $16,000 stipend with no benefits