About the role#
Youth Villages is offering a paid internship for the Spring 2027 semester. This role provides hands-on experience in a mental health setting. You will work under the supervision of a NCTRC certified staff member. The schedule is flexible and non-traditional to match the needs of the youth and families served.
What you'll do#
- Shadow recreation therapists as they interact with youth across multiple programs.
- Facilitate group sessions, typically held 3 times per week for 1 to 2.5 hours.
- Participate in treatment planning, including evaluating and setting recreational goals for youth.
- Complete accurate and timely documentation in an electronic medical record system.
What you'll need#
- Active pursuit of a degree in Therapeutic Recreation.
- For Bachelor's applicants, you must be entering at least your junior year.
- Prior experience working with children or adolescents.
Location & details#
- Location: Memphis, Tennessee
- Modality: On-site
- Term: Spring 2027
- Status: Full-time, paid internship
About Youth Villages
Youth Villages is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986. It provides mental and behavioral health services to children, families, and young adults. The organization operates from its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. With a staff between 1,001 and 5,000 employees, it focuses on areas including foster care, adoption, and crisis counseling.
How to get in at Youth Villages
Securing an internship at Youth Villages requires speed because early applicants often reach the recruiter before the candidate pool becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you apply among the first. This gives you a clear advantage over those who wait for the posting to circulate on larger job boards. You can use this extra time to refine your application materials to match the specific needs of their behavioral health programs. Beyond the initial application, you should aim to connect with the people actually managing the hiring process. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles so you can reach out directly to ask about the role or a referral. Reaching out directly materially improves response rates compared to submitting your resume into a general queue. A brief, professional inquiry shows you have done your homework on their work in child welfare and mental health.
