Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) is seeking to fill several part-time Internship positions to assist on various behavioral health and human services projects for the Fall 2021 semester. Interns will report to a Project Director and will be provided opportunities to learn and contribute to a variety of project responsibilities. High-level supervision/mentorship from project staff is provided for these internships. 

Projects for which PRA is seeking interns include the following: 

  • SMVF TA Center (Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance Center), which offers training and technical assistance to strengthen and support local and state behavioral health systems serving SMVF addressing issues, including suicide prevention, crisis response, opiate addiction, homelessness, and trauma. The ideal candidate should possess first-hand knowledge of military culture and awareness of the unique needs facing SMVF.  SMVF Intern tasks will include literature reviews, resource archiving, and product development, as well as virtual meeting technology support and overall project support. 
  • SOAR TA Center (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery Technical Assistance Center), a national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.  The SOAR Intern will observe and contribute to virtual technical assistance, review SOAR Online Course practice case submissions, communicate with trainees and the SOAR team, and provide general contract support. 
  • SJC TA (Safety and Justice Challenge – Serious Mental Illness Technical Assistance) provides intensive technical assistance to the selected Safety and Justice Challenge jurisdictions that have targeted initiatives for individuals with serious mental illness. The SJC Intern will assist with preparations for IMPACT Network Meetings, as well as general research surrounding topics important to the SJC and related contract support. 
  • MHC (National Mental Health Court [MHC] database) – The MHC Intern will work on updating PRA’s national database of MHCs. Working with senior staff, the intern will undertake a national, multi-modal outreach and reassessment effort with the purpose of gathering the most up-to-date information about the existence and operation of MHCs nationwide. This information will then be used to update PRA’s national MHC database, which is currently housed on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. 
  • Research – The Research intern will provide support to the research team through some research administrative capacity and resource building (e.g., building empirical literature databases, templates, etc.).  

Requirements  

  • Graduate-level student in a related degree program (e.g., social sciences, social work, public health, public policy, public administration, or associated field.) preferred; senior undergraduate level required. 
  • Some experience, knowledge, and/or significant interest in behavioral health issues, with specific knowledge of topics related to the desired internship placement, such as recovery supports, homelessness and housing, income supports, criminal justice, mental health courts, serious mental illness, and the behavioral health needs of service members, Veterans ,and their families
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work within timelines; and 
  • Excellent writing skills. 

To be considered for a PRA internship, interested candidates must complete a brief, required survey at https://pra.typeform.com/to/cYiE1WHR and send a cover letter (indicating position title) and resume via email (preferred) to jobs@prainc.com or to Policy Research Associates, 345 Delaware Ave., Delmar, NY 12054, or fax to 518-439-7612. People of color, LGBTQ+ people, gender-nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English are encouraged to apply.    

A leader in the behavioral health and human services field for over 30 years, PRA is a Woman-Owned Small Business funded by federal and state agencies, national organizations, and foundations. Guided by our company’s mission of “creating positive social change for people and communities through technical assistance, research and training” and our core values of commitment, inclusion, respect, and integrity, PRA conducts research and evaluation; provides technical assistance and training; and plans and facilitates major conferences, meetings, and other knowledge-transfer activities in the behavioral health field. PRA is known for its expertise on behavioral health issues related to juvenile and criminal justice; services for children, adolescents, and their families; recovery supports; service members and veterans; homelessness and housing; and violence.   

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, a recipient of the Times Union “Top Workplace” award, an Albany Business Review “Healthiest Employer” and an American Heart Association Silver Level Recognition award winner for Workplace Health Achievement.