AOC Internship Program

ICES: Data, Discovery, Better Health; Houston (TX); On-site; Part time

Job summary

A behavioral health company in Houston offers an internship for master's-level students in Counseling or Social Work to gain hands-on experience working with children. Interns will provide therapeutic interventions, maintain a client caseload, and participate in professional development activities. Unpaid position requires completion of clinical training hours with structured supervision. This internship aims to develop future clinicians and expand access to quality behavioral health services for children.

Qualifications

• Must be a master's-level student in Counseling or Social Work program.
• Must complete required clinical training hours.
• Ability to provide therapeutic interventions with children.

Responsibilities

• Provide 1-on-1 focused intervention with clients.
• Attend scheduled orientation and complete required trainings.
• Maintain a caseload of 2-3 clients over the practicum or semester.

Education

Master's degree in Counseling or Social Work

Job description

Welcome to AOC!

AOC Outreach Services is a behavioral health company dedicated to serving children through evidence-informed skills training and comprehensive case management services. Our Practicum and Internship Program is designed to support Counseling and Social Work master’s students as they complete their required clinical training while making a meaningful impact in the Greater Houston community.

As an approved internship site, we provide master’s-level students with the opportunity to gain hands‑on experience working with children and families across diverse settings. Interns are integrated into a multidisciplinary team and supported through structured supervision, professional development, and real‑world application of counseling and behavioral health principles.

By partnering with Counseling and Social Work master’s programs, our internship program aims to develop competent, compassionate future clinicians while expanding access to high‑quality behavioral health services for children throughout Houston. This program reflects our commitment to workforce development, community wellness, and the long‑term growth of the behavioral health field.

Practicum and Internship Requirements

In order to match compliance with all master’s program requirements (LPC, LMSW), interns must meet the following:

Practicum

• Successful completion of a minimum of 40 hours of direct services and a minimum of 60 hours of indirect services for clients over the course of one full semester

• One hour of weekly individual or triadic site supervision

Internship

• Successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours of direct services and a minimum of 180 hours of indirect services for clients over the course of one full semester

• One hour of weekly individual or triadic site supervision

AOC Specifics

• Students will provide 1‑on‑1 focused intervention with clients in home or community settings (local park, school, etc.). Students will complete progress notes documenting interactions with clients per AOC policy for both Skills Training and Targeted Case Management services.
• Students are expected to maintain a 2‑3 client caseload (10+ hours of direct contact) over the course of the practicum or semester.
• All hours worked are unpaid for practicum/internship students. If the student is a current employee of AOC Outreach, that student will be expected to take on an additional 2‑3 client caseload to fulfill the duties of the program.
• Students will attend a scheduled introductory orientation, complete all required trainings (CANS, TB test, CPR/Basic Life Support, etc.), attend biweekly staff meetings, and attend weekly supervision with Internship Supervisor.

Direct contact hours

May be comprised of any of the following:

1. Skills training/therapy sessions – Time spent with the client completing therapeutic intervention.
2. Targeted case management – Direct contact with guardians, Foster care agencies, CPS case workers, etc. This also includes finding and connecting clients to resources and client and family education.
3. Group/Family counseling – conducting a group session with more than one client or with a family.
4. Crisis intervention – therapeutic assessment of a client if they are experiencing an active crisis.
5. Other – this category is reserved for any direct work with a client that is not covered in the preceding categories. (The Other category should rarely be utilized).

Indirect contact hours

May be comprised of any of the following:

1. Individual or group supervision – individual supervision occurs when you meet individually with your Field Instructor to discuss clients. Students are required to receive 1 hour of supervision (either individual or group) weekly.
2. Bi‑weekly staff meetings – Staff meetings are not clinical in nature and typically focus on the business aspects of the facility; employee issues or concerns may be discussed in these meetings.
3. In‑service training – students frequently attend training within the facility to learn how the process works at that particular agency (i.e., training on how to complete progress notes, HIPAA regulations, CPR/first aid, etc.).
4. Treatment Planning & Development – treatment planning is a critical aspect of working with clients. Agencies require that a treatment plan be developed for each new client, based on his/her unique strengths and needs. Any time spent on developing and writing the treatment plan is counted towards the total number of field experience hours for the course.
5. Progress notes – progress notes are completed after skills training/counseling/targeted case management sessions. Progress notes must be completed within 48 hours.
6. Client Preparation – Preparing for clients can take extra research or clinical direction from a supervisor. Any time spent on preparing for a client is counted towards the total number of hours.
7. Organizational Structure – understanding how the organization is managed and its policies.
8. Other – this category is reserved for any indirect work that is not covered in the preceding categories.