The Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute, an outpatient mental health program in operation for 40 years, is located at 1741 Ashland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21205. We have provided a high-quality and comprehensive training program to master's level social work and counseling students for more than 30 years. 

At the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress (CCFTS) we account for the impact of high stress and trauma exposures in families over time, often in the context of racism, poverty and discrimination. These systemic conditions increase the likelihood of trauma exposures and reduced access to care.

CCFTS takes a trauma-informed approach throughout its services. Interns are trained in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavior Therapy, an evidence based practice and in Individual, Family and Group Therapy modalities. Interns will provide these treatments to traumatized children, teens and their families.

We offer a two semester internship to second year students in their Master’s Program. The internship days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays for 24 hours per week. Interns are expected to attend comprehensive trainings during the three days. The internship begins in September on the Tuesday after Labor Day and continues through mid-April or May. Social Work/Counseling interns attend training orientation for the month of September. There is a two-week winter break the last two weeks in December and internship continues after the break. Most students receive a stipend.
 
Placements are very limited. Applications are accepted beginning in January for the internship that begins the day after Labor Day. Interviews are scheduled at the end of January, and in February and March. Interviewing may be extended to April if a placement hasn’t been filled.

Program Requirements

We currently have a hybrid internship and it includes:

  • Participation in the weekly Kennedy Krieger Institute Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) training for which you will receive a certificate. This program includes attending Core Courses in neurodevelopmental disabilities.
  • Participation in a two-day Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) training with a nationally certified TF-CBT trainer.
  • Twice a month Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavior Therapy group supervision.
  • Attendance to weekly Seminars focused on various clinical topics to support providing mental health trauma treatment.
  • Weekly Clinical LABS in Individual, Family and Group Therapy focused on developing clinical skills for providing mental health treatments with a trauma informed lens.
  • Weekly individual clinical supervision with a certified social worker or a licensed certified professional counselor.
  • Twice a month Supplemental Group Supervision.
  • Attendance to Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress clinical and staff monthly meetings.
  • Interns provide therapy and some case management to about 5-7 clients/families per week.
  • May co-lead a therapy group.
  • Documentation in the child’s clinical chart in the EPIC system.
  • Collaboration with other providers in the program, at Kennedy Krieger and in the community.
  • Clients (children/youth) and families are mostly scheduled early in the morning at 9 a.m. or in the afternoons for 3, 4 and 5 p.m. appointments. Students need to be available during these times. Student’s schedule is usually 8:30-5 p.m. or possibly to 6 p.m. on one of the days. Some flexibility in hours can be arranged as long as the student can provide therapy services in the prime afternoon times (3, 4 and 5 p.m.) and attend all scheduled trainings.

Contact

If you are able to meet all the program requirements, call Monica Beltran, LCSW-C, MA, BC-DMT, MA at 443-923-5950 or email Beltran@KennedyKrieger.org for further information.

Thank you for your interest in the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress for your training.