Recovery Support Specialist Internship

Recovery Support Specialist Internship (Living Room)

Internship Description:

Interns will engage in Living Room activities to learn skills in de-escalation and crisis stabilization while leveraging their learning and experience as a peer working in the larger mental health field. Shadowing, mentoring and other training opportunities will be provided to broaden abilities and expose interns to crisis work. Interns will also have the opportunity to experience and work within the crisis care continuum, interacting with KYC's Mobile Crisis Team, and learning about other services a guest may engage with or connect to while accessing Living Room services. Along with these learning opportunities, interns will engage with the day-to-day service of the Living Room and gain in depth knowledge of crisis stabilization.

Time Frame: Flexible according to different CRSS prep program needs

Skill Development: In the Living Room, we emphasize a number of skills to gain, first and foremost is flexibility. Each individual that presents at the Living Room has different needs and their crisis can vary widely in presentation. De-escalation skills, active listening, empathy, and non-judgmental approaches are key to effective engagement with guests. Everything we do in the Living Room should be trauma-informed. Along with these skills, interns will have the opportunity to learn boundary setting, motivational interviewing, and other tools for effective engagement.

Career Development: This internship will prepare individuals for work in any peer related role. In addition to providing hours to count towards a CRSS certification, it also opens doors to other roles in the Illinois mental health field by designating you as an MHP after completion of the CRSS certification process.

For more information regarding this internship, please reach out to