Internship (OT/OTA Adolescent RTC) Fall 2026 OT Fieldwork

Opportunity time frame:

• OT fieldwork rotations: 12-week internship, 40 hours per week, beginning in January and running for 12 consecutive weeks. Start date is flexible.
• OTA fieldwork rotations: 8-week internship, 40 hours per week, beginning in January and running for 8 consecutive weeks. Start date is flexible.

Eligibility Requirements

• Current student of an accredited Occupational Therapy Institution
• OT students: Master’s or Doctoral degree level; OTA students: Associates degree level
• Must be enrolled at an academic institution that has an existing contract with Sheppard Pratt
• Strong foundation in:
  • Child/adolescent mental health theory and related OT theory and practice
  • Clinical reasoning
  • Foundations of evidence-based practice
  • Group theory and application
  • Teaching/learning concepts and applications related to staff, client, and caregiver education

Learning Model

• Supervision to student ratio: 6–10 students to 3 clinical instructors (2 onsite, 1 off-site faculty)
• Educational philosophy based on an adult learning/self-reflective, group supervision model
• Personal and group supervision with on-site staff and university faculty via video-conferencing
• Self-reflection, self-evaluation, and peer critique to focus on learning rather than teaching

Student Expectations

• Self-directed learning and independently seeking learning opportunities and feedback
• Flexible thinking and adaptability
• Readiness to learn from all experiences
• Patience and compassion when working with this challenging patient population