The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) established a unique internship initiative that brought together student teams from multiple disciplines and institutions to serve in an Interprofessional Education (IPE) 8-week summer internship within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). A multi-institutional faculty and staff workgroup created, developed and implemented the internship: Dr. Rebecca Wiseman, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Nursing; Dr. Joan Pittman, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Social Work; Dr. Heather Congdon, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Pharmacy; Dr. Diane Alonso, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Psychology; Ms. Lynn Cook, University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) School of Public Health Science; and Ms. Mary Lang, Chief Strategy Officer at USG. This project was funded in part by a grant from the University of Maryland Baltimore Center for Interprofessional Education.
A total of 12 students participated, four graduate and eight undergraduate. The internship ran from June 2nd-July 23rd. Two facilitators coordinated the curriculum development and programs: Katie Morris, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Social Work, not only served as a Faculty Coordinator but was also an integral member of the faculty and staff workgroup that created the internship and Ron Rivlin, the DHHS Coordinator.
The students who participated in the internship were: Anna Balakirsha (UMB Social Work), Courtney Bannister (UMB Pharmacy), Brigitte Bard (UMBC Psychology), Abaneh Ebangwese (UMB Nursing), Denis Escolero (UMBC Social Work), Carol Ferrebu (UMCP Public Health Science), Claire Graham (UMB Nursing), Christina Huynh (UMBC Social Work), Elisabeth Tiren (UMBC Psychology), Sara Torabian (UMCP Public Health Science), Molly Vogel (UMB Social Work), and Sheheryar Muhammad (UMB Pharmacy). The students experienced interdisciplinary teamwork by visiting several service agencies throughout Montgomery County. The local service agencies that participated were: The Tree House, Avery Road Treatment Center, Linkages to Learning, Child Protective Services and Men’s Homeless Shelter.
The student’s final project included a presentation about their experiences with DHHS’s integrated approach and recommendations to help DHHS move forward in expanding integrated services. They also reflected on what the internship meant to them, some remarks included:
“It was truly an invaluable program. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to learn about all of the services and resources that are available right here in Montgomery County.” …… “It was an incredible experience; I was able to understand what each discipline does and how they can work together.” …… “This was an amazing experience. I learned so much about the different disciplines and what areas I can apply my skills too. It was a very rewarding experience.”
At the conclusion of the student presentations, Faculty Coordinator Katie Morris, reflected, “Our students were terrific, it was the first time we have tried this and they have set the bar very high. They were enthusiastic sponges that were willing to explore any opportunity and were able to see how many services DHHS provides in the county and learn about the department and numerous efforts at service integration. It was also amazing to see how it expanded their thoughts about their own professional opportunities and future goals.”
Back Row, Left to Right: Sheheryar Muhammad, Courtney Bannister, Anna Balakirsha, Abaneh Ebangwese, Denis Escolero, Molly Vogel, Brigitte Bard
Front Row, Left to Right: Christina Huynh, Sara Torabian, Claire Graham, Carol Ferrebu, Elisabeth Tiren