Careers with Vocational Rehabilitation
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Internships and Practicums

Paid Internships

VR offers a limited number of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Staff Interpreter paid internships. These are for graduate-level students working towards a master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling or ASL Interpreting. These internships are generally funded for 600 hours. For our purposes, we define an internship as full-time paid work as an OPS employee. Other Personal Services (OPS) employment is a temporary employer/employee relationship used solely for accomplishing short term or intermittent tasks. A full-time OPS employee qualifies for state group health insurance, the state deferred compensation program, and is covered by the state workers’ compensation program. Time off for state holidays is not paid. OPS employees do not participate in the state retirement system but are covered under the 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan For OPS Employees.

Unpaid Practicum Volunteers

Additionally, VR offers practicum opportunities for students at the undergraduate level. College students may be required to take a practicum as an additional credit course in order to meet degree requirements. The practicum combines standard classroom coursework with real-world work experience within their field of study, while earning credit hours toward their degree. The practicum allows the student to master skills learned in the classroom.

For VR’s purposes, we define a practicum as unpaid volunteer work. In some cases, a graduate student may work one semester as a practicum student volunteer and the next semester work as a paid intern. In these cases, the student transitions from a volunteer to an OPS employee.

How to Submit a Request for an Internship or Practicum

  1. VR Counselor Internships: Complete the VR Counselor Internship Questionnaire and email it to Kim Blackmon. The questionnaire form has typeable form fields that expand as necessary.
  2. ASL Staff Interpreter Internships: Complete the ASL Staff Interpreter Internship Questionnaire and email it to Cory Parker. The questionnaire form has typeable form fields that expand as necessary.