About the role#
Sheppard Pratt offers summer 2026 fieldwork internships for Occupational Therapy (OT) and Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) students. This role involves participating in the continuum of care through a multidisciplinary team. Students receive 1:1 supervision from a licensed occupational therapist who is on-site daily. The internship includes providing both group and individual OT services, including daily group sessions, 1:1 sessions, and clinical assessments.
What you'll do#
- Engage in self-directed learning and independently seek out feedback and new learning opportunities.
- Practice flexible thinking and demonstrate adaptability in a clinical setting.
- Maintain a readiness to learn from all experiences.
- Collaborate effectively with the multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate patience and compassion when working with the patient population.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment in an accredited Occupational Therapy institution that maintains an existing contract with Sheppard Pratt.
- OT students must be at the Master’s or Doctoral degree level; OTA students must be at the Associates degree level.
- A strong foundation in child and adolescent mental health theory, OT theory and practice, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice.
- Knowledge of group theory and application, as well as teaching and learning concepts related to staff, client, and caregiver education.
- Academic background in Nursing, Psychology, or Public Health.
Location & details#
- Locations: Elkridge, Maryland and Towson, Maryland.
- Term: Summer 2026.
- Work Modality: On-site.
- Commitment: Full-time (40 hours per week).
- Duration: 12 weeks for OT students; 8 weeks for OTA students.
- Compensation: Paid internship.
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt operates as a private, nonprofit provider of mental health and social services. It offers care for substance use, developmental disabilities, and special education across hospital and community settings. The organization maintains a national presence with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. It employs over 3,000 people to support its clinical and educational programs.
How to get in at Sheppard Pratt
Applying early to Sheppard Pratt gives you a distinct advantage, as recruiters review applications before the candidate pool becomes crowded. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, helping you secure a spot at the front of the line. You will find that being among the first applicants helps your profile stand out during the initial screening process. Reaching out to the recruiters behind these roles often leads to better results than submitting to a general queue. Intern Insider surfaces the specific contacts responsible for Sheppard Pratt roles so you can reach out directly to ask about the position or a potential referral. This proactive approach often improves your response rate and provides a clearer view of the team culture.
