DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HUMAN SERVICES (DDHS) Program Meeting Spring 2015 March 9, 2015

HOW TO GET PROGRAM UPDATES - DDHS listserv - DDHS website: blogs.umass.edu/ddhs - Facebook: facebook.com/DDHSatUMass - Office hours (Tobin 509) Tuesday/Thursday 2-3 and by appointment

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES - Priority registration for DDHS courses (PSYCH 480, 491D, 581) - You CANNOT register through SPIRE! - To enroll, Laurie Dove  Tell you’re in DDHS  Give her your SPIRE ID number  Tell her which course(s) you’d like to enroll in - You will be added in the order of your SPIRE registration date and time  Be patient, you may not see the course added right away  She may not you back, but that’s ok  You can her in advance!

DDHS COURSES Intellectual Disability: Concepts and Controversies (PSYCH 480)  Tuesdays 4-6:30 Impact of Disabilities on Families (PSYCH 491D)  Thursdays 4-6:30 Applied Behavior Analysis (PSYCH 581)  Wednesdays 5-7:30 You can take the courses in any order, but it is recommended that you don’t take 491D or 581 before 480 You should take at least one DDHS course (preferably 480) before you start your internship (or in the same semester as your internship)

INTERNSHIPS Requirement to complete the DDHS program: 120 hours (3 credits)  Approximately 9 hours/week during a regular semester  Have a plan to make up missed hours  You can change the number of credits after the internship is completed if there is a large discrepancy Yes, you can…  Complete more than one internship  Complete more than 3 credits (40 hours per credit)  Complete an internship in the winter and summer semester  Design your own internship

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERNSHIP - Start early! - Try something new - Get out into the community - Focus on your career

HOW TO SET UP AN INTERNSHIP 1. Browse the list of approved internship sites on the DDHS website 2. Contact the site you are most interested in, then branch out from there 3. Arrange an interview  Treat it like a job interview! Don’t assume they will accept you. Bring your resume. Dress professionally. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself and your previous experiences. 4. Complete the paperwork  Student and Agency Agreement Form  PSYCH 398F form

INTERNSHIP PAPERWORK 1. Complete the Student and Agency Agreement form in partnership with your internship supervisor 2. Complete and sign the internship contract form (PSYCH 398F) and write a short proposal (see form for instructions)  You will not need to write a research paper. You will submit monthly journals and a final paper (5-7 pages). 3. Have the DDHS Program Director (Ashley Woodman, Tobin 509) review and sign your Student & Agency Agreement Form, PSYCH 398F form and proposal. She will sign as your faculty sponsor and academic advisor. 4. Have the UMass Field Experience representative (Goodell 511) sign your PSYCH 398F form. 5. Give Laurie Dove (Tobin 503) a copy of the PSYCH 398F form (so she can add the course through Spire). 6. Give the original proposal and contract to the DDHS Program Director (Ashley Woodman). 7. Keep a copy of the proposal and contract for yourself.

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS Monthly journals The journal helps you track your progress and gives the Program Director a window into your internship experience. It is meant to be a collection of reflections on your experiences as you progress through the internship. Keep a notebook (or a word file) that you write in regularly. Depending on your work schedule, this could be after each site visit, at the end of the week, etc. Include the dates and times you were at your internship, the total number of hours at the site, details about the people you served (to protect each individual’s privacy, please use their initials and not their full name), the skills you learned, and the impact of your participation on both you and your internship site.

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS Final paper The final paper is due at the end of the semester in which you completed your internship (by the last day of classes). It is a synthesis of your observations and experiences during your internship. It is intended to help you integrate what you have learned during the program up until this point. In the paper, draw connections between DDHS and other coursework with your practical experiences. This paper is expected to be 5 pages. Please upload your file as a Word or PDF file. Grades for internships are due by the last day of classes

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS Internship evaluation At the end of your internship, complete the Internship Evaluation Form. The link is on Moodle as well as the DDHS website.

UPCOMING EVENTS Field Trip to Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress March 28, 2015 (8AM-4PM) - See website for details and transportation sign up BCBA Workshop March 30, 2015 (6-7PM, Tobin 304) ICE Prom April 10, 2015 (6-9PM, Marriott Room at the Campus Center)

GRADUATING? Once you’ve completed the requirements (coursework and internship), fill out the program completion form on the DDHS website to receive your letter of specialization.

GOT IDEAS? This is your program, too! Contribution your suggestions for DDHS events… …field trips? …social events? …career panels? …invited lectures? …film screenings?