Occupational Therapy Intern

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.

The Occupational Therapy (OT) program focuses on life skills training as a supportive supplementary intervention that works alongside IRC UT's various case management programs. As an intern, you will work under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist to support a wide range of areas for self-sufficiency and access to community resources for refugee and immigrant families.

Responsibilities:

• Work one-on-one with clients to provide life skills training activities in-home and around the community
• Assist with group training approaches, including working with interpretation, preparing for groups, and managing group dynamics
• Collaborate across teams to achieve client goals
• Case note all activities completed to document progress toward goals
• Attend staff meetings as scheduled
• Assist staff occupational therapist and OT students as assigned
• Support the IRC UT office with other duties as assigned

Learning Objectives:

• Gain professional experience working in the public health sector
• Gain experience teaching and communicating with clients to break new learning tasks into smaller pieces
• Gain experience teaching life skills in a community setting
• Gain knowledge about the profession of occupational therapy and other professions represented at the IRC
• Gain experience collaborating and communicating with a wide range of IRC professionals
• Gain public speaking experience through teaching classes to clients and reporting in staff meetings

Requirements:

• Currently enrolled in a graduate/undergraduate program, or have graduated less than 6 months ago
• Interest in working with diverse populations
• Motivated, flexible, able to work independently
• Strong communication skills and ability to work as part of a team
• Proficient in Microsoft365 and data entry
• Valid driver's license and insurance, access to a personal vehicle, and willingness to drive clients
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English; fluency in additional language(s) preferred
• Background in occupational therapy, health promotion, social work, or other related field preferred