MSW intern - Chicago - NAMI Chicago

Description

Type: Part-time, unpaid internship
Reports to: Director of Crisis & Support Operations and associated program manager
Office Location: 224 W. Hill St., Suite 410 Chicago IL
Schedule offered: TBD; 16-20 hours/week depending on internship type. The internship will begin in fall of 2026.
Background:
The mission of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago: Guided by the experiences of those living with mental health conditions and rooted in equity, NAMI Chicago educates to fight stigma and discrimination, fiercely advocates for our community, and shares hope, connection and expertise with people on their mental health journey.
Who We Are Looking For:
The MSW intern will be a member of one of our program teams providing direct support to individuals and families engaged in our programming. Program opportunities include the NAMI Chicago Helpline, our 988 call center, the Clinical Support Team, Policy, Internal Wellness and Education and Engagement. MSW interns can support individuals and families telephonically, online or in-person through the many challenges of dealing with the intersection of mental health systems and daily life using non-judgmental and empathetic shared decision making. Interns also have the opportunity to engage with systems through partnerships, education and advocacy work.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities:
HELPLINE
For interns assigned to the Helpline, they will be expected to spend their internship hours answering calls, texts and chats from Helpline contacts. The Helpline is a non-barrier access point for anyone in Cook County to contact for emotional support, resources and referrals and education on mental health related matters. Interns will be trained in how to utilize the telephony and contact management systems (Five9 and iCarol). Interns will receive training on safety assessments, systems of care, mental health legal information and basics in emotional support. They may work on related projects outside of responding to contacts as well. This internship has flexibility to be an in-person, remote or hybrid position, with some evening or weekend hours available. Training and meeting attendance in-person may be expected.
CLINICAL SUPPORT TEAM
For interns assigned to the Clinical Support Team (CST), they will be expected to carry a small caseload of clients who are either the individual with serious mental illness or their family members. Clients are referred by various sources, primarily the Chicago Police Department, due to being high utilizers of emergency services (911, CIT, hospitals). The CST team works with individuals and families to provide intensive support, education and referrals to develop self-advocacy skills, engage individuals in consistent treatment and reduce utilization of services. Interns will be trained on the contact management system (iCarol), as well as receive in-depth education on serious mental illness, assessment and plan development skills, and systems of care.
988
For interns assigned to the 988 call center, they will be expected to spend their internship hours answering calls from 988 callers. 988 is a non-barrier access point for anyone to call when they are in crisis, suicidal crisis or otherwise, for immediate support, crisis de-escalation, safety planning, linkage to crisis or emergency services as needed and resources and referrals. Interns will be trained in how to utilize the telephony and contact management systems (Five9 and iCarol). Interns will receive training on safety assessments, safety planning, crisis de-escalation and other relevant techniques to support callers. This role is primarily remote with some on-site training and meeting attendance; hours are either 3:45 pm to 12:15 am or 11:45 pm to 8:15 am (subject to change pending program need).
POLICY
For interns assigned to Policy, they will work closely with the Sr. Director of Policy to explore and research NAMI Chicago identified policy priorities, craft legislation, engage in education for volunteers, meet with legislators, work on policy statements and reports, and other projects as identified by the team and intern. Interns will be trained in NAMI Chicago policy priorities, as well as in the basics of mental health treatment and access history, and the current status of mental health services.
INTERNAL WELLNESS
For interns assigned to Internal Wellness, they will work closely with the Sr. Director of Wellness to explore and research best practice in wellness generally as well as in workplace wellness. They will develop and execute wellness offerings, support employees and work on other projects as identified by the team and intern. Interns will be trained in NAMI Chicago policy priorities, as well as in the basics of mental health treatment and access history, and the current status of mental health services.
EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT
For interns assigned to Education & Engagement, they will work closely with the Director of Education & Engagement to review and present various educational offerings related to mental health and wellness. They will work on program evaluation, community outreach development activities, event planning to build the NAMI Chicago community and on other projects as identified by the team and intern. Interns will be trained in NAMI Chicago policy priorities, as well as in the basics of mental health treatment and access history, and the current status of mental health services.
Requirements
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong desire to learn about the systems of care in Illinois and Cook County, as well as how to integrate information from the classroom to the internship.
• Ability to make real-time rapid assessments of conversations and potential participant needs, dexterity in judgement and navigation of a conversation, recognition of appropriate utilization of leadership support and self-regulation of response to interactions with others.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with individuals, their families and community stakeholders.
• Exhibits sensitivity and empathy regarding human service issues and projects a non-judgmental attitude towards those requiring assistance.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and show professionalism, reliability, and responsibility.
• Familiar with community resources.
• Growth mindset

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree and experience in human service field
• Proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and database management
• Ability to multi-task and excellent organizational skills. This includes attention to detail, problem-solving, and time management
• Experience with mental health preferred