School-Based Mental Health & Wellness Path
We provide internships for undergraduate and graduate students allowing you to explore careers in the mental health and wellness field while gaining valuable experience, building relationships, and contributing to the community.
School-Based Mental Health & Wellness Path
The Career Pipeline provides a clear path to careers in mental health and wellness. We provide internships for undergraduate and graduate students allowing you to explore careers in the mental health and wellness field while gaining valuable experience, building relationships, and contributing to the community. For individuals who have earned their graduate degree in Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy, we offer the Associate Clinician position which allows you to be a full-time employee while earning your clinical hours under a licensed clinician.
Urgent Call: Need for Mental Health & Wellness Professionals in Schools
Prevention & Early Intervention
Need for preventative and intervention services on school sites
Career Pathway for Mental Health
Lack of a clear path to the mental health profession
Diversity & Representation
Need for diverse representation and culturally competent care, including multilingual services
Peer Mentors
Youth request for near peer and peer mentor services and training
Workforce
Demonstrated workforce need in Sacramento County
Internships
The Career Pipeline provides:
Career Guidance
Ongoing Professional Learning
Paid internships
Mentorship
Internship Positions
Peer Specialist
Learn on the job while being supported to reach your academic and career goals!
Who are you?
Full-time college students enrolled in social work, psychology, human/child development, or related fields of study are eligible for this paid Peer Specialist internship.
What will you work on?
Serve as a mentor on a school campus and support students and staff while you work as part of the school’s mental health and wellness team. Gain paid on-the-job training with a licensed school-based mental health professional, and receive college and career support as you explore options in the mental health and wellness field.
Recruitment Period: February 1 through March 30, 2025 for the 2025-26 program year.
Graduate Clinical Intern
We will work with your university so that you earn your placement hours in a school-based setting as you earn your graduate degree.
Who are you?
Graduate students enrolled in a Master of Social Work (MSW), Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), or Marriage, Family and Child Counseling (MFCC) program are eligible to apply to the Graduate Clinical Internship.
What will you work on?
Be placed at a school site with a licensed clinician and provide support to students through individual and group counseling sessions. Participants will receive regular clinical supervision, support, and mentorship at the school site. Graduate Clinical Interns are eligible to receive up to $12,500 in stipends by completing this program.
Click here to learn more about the Graduate Clinical Internship
Recruitment Period: January 1 through March 7, 2025 for the 2025-26 program year.
Full Time Employment in Mental Health & Wellness
Associate Clinician
Do you want a career that acknowledges and builds upon your strengths and helps you reach the next level?
Who are you?
The Associate Clinician position is for individuals who have completed their graduate studies in Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy and are pursuing their licensure.
What will you work on?
Be part of a school site team and earn clinical hours under the supervision of a licensed clinician. Associate Clinicians are full-time employees of the Sacramento County Office of Education and are an integral part of the school’s Health and Wellness team.
Licensed Mental Heath Clinician
Licensed mental health clinicians provide direct mental health services and equitable support, while also integrating Social Emotional Learning into the entire school community and transforming Schools into Centers of Wellness.
We encourage all interested and qualified individuals to apply, as we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Testimonials
Building Connection, Empowering Students
“Brigette (Peer Specialist Intern) has made such a positive impact at our school. Brigette facilitates SEL lessons for 1st and 4th grade, runs two friendship workshops supporting students with social skills, and is also starting to provide 1:1 supports to our students. Brigette has also been very helpful with our school’s Kindness Club this year. The students love her and are always so happy to see her. She is someone the students know they can go to for support. She is excellent at building connection and empowering our students!“
A New Energy on Campus
“Kim (Graduate Clinical Intern) has been an outstanding addition to the school community. She has helped lead the Culture Club, connected with many of our Spanish speaking parents, and has brought energy and thoughtfulness to our campus.”
Being Part of the Solution
“Having an intern at my site has been transformational in helping me serve more students in a school that needs as much mental health support as it can get. I'm honored to be a part of the process of helping build up the mental health supports in Sacramento County through training interns. We are woefully short on therapists in Sacramento for the level of need out there and it feels good to be a part of the solution to help change this.”
Shifting The School Culture
“Roger (Graduate Clinical Intern) is an amazing mental health intern here at our school site. Not only is he conscientious, kind, knowledgeable and very professional, but he also has an amazing rapport with the students and staff. He has been able to work with many students through one on one sessions and even group sessions called lunch bunches. His work within our restorative room with helping students reflect, has been a key part in the positive shift within our overall school culture. We are so happy to have Roger here!"