Our fellowship program is an opportunity for existing staff & volunteers of youth-serving organizations to receive training & support related to psychosocial support services while continuing to work in their current organizations/roles.

Fellows meet virtually on an ongoing basis with their Tier 3 mentor, attend trainings, and complete independent study to learn comprehensive psychosocial support strategies in an applied format. The fellowship combines this training (workshops, independent study, etc.) with practical experience directly building & implementing support plans for kids at the fellow’s current organization. The Tier 3 mentor will also periodically travel to work directly with the fellow on-site at the fellow’s current place of service.

Scholarships with monthly stipends are provided as available for qualifying fellows.

Any current staff member or volunteer of a youth-serving organization is eligible to apply (from direct care staff to directors and administrators), and must have the flexibility (and approval) within the organization to design & implement psychosocial support strategies in the context of daily organizational responsibilities. No previous qualification or experience is required.

There are no geographical limitations to the fellowship program, but at present all fellows must be fluent in English.

The backbone of the fellowship is building the fellow’s fluency with applying psychosocial support techniques within the fellow’s current organization of service. This includes becoming familiar with our psychosocial support model, as well as individual support techniques used within the model. Because “psychosocial support” is so broad, the fellow is also able to identify specific areas of interest, such as specific techniques or a focus on specific populations.

For example, fellows may learn how to use the psychosocial support planning process to develop strategies for a child who frequently fights with other kids, for a child who is bedwetting, or for a child who often seems very sad. Fellows will also learn preventive strategies to help support healthy psychosocial development before problems begin, such as social skills trainings, as well as group strategies to address issues on a larger scale.

There are two primary components of the fellowship: a training component, and an applied component. The training component will consist of regular (virtual) trainings (e.g., workshops) and directed independent study (readings, projects, etc.). The applied component will involve the fellow and the Tier 3 mentor collaborating to build psychosocial support plans for kids in the fellow’s organization of service through regular meetings (virtual), online communication tools (slack, WhatsApp), and periodic in-person visits from the Tier 3 mentor/leader. In this way, from the very beginning fellows are able to begin applying theory & strategy directly to the lives of the kids they serve, enhancing learning through an applied project-based learning format.

First and foremost, we understand that our fellows have active & ongoing roles within their organizations, and that time available on a week-to-week basis is likely to vary. As a result, we don’t have traditional schedules or deadlines in many respects, but instead prefer to work at the pace of the fellow. That said, we believe a certain level of investment in the fellowship is important to truly get value out of the experience, and there will be certain expectations (again, within the context of flexibility). During an average week, prospective fellows can expect to meet once with their Tier 3 mentor to discuss case progress with individual kids/support plans, attend a virtual workshop with the Tier 3 mentor or invited guest presenter, spend some time on independent study, work on creating support plans, and spend time directly implementing support strategies with their kids during their normal/daily organizational responsibilities. Much of the time spent in the fellowship will be of direct use/benefit to the fellow’s organization, so it may better be thought of as a slight shift in current responsibilities rather than additional commitments.

The length of the fellowship will vary based on the pace the fellow is able to move through the program, and individual learning objectives. Fellows with more available time, for example, may be able to move more quickly, while fellows who want to pursue more complex objectives may need more time. That said, we would expect fellowships to last at least 9-12 months.

In addition, we are considering adding a “senior fellowship” position that would offer more advanced training & leadership opportunities.

As we are currently in start-up phase with our fellowship program, there is no cost associated with being a fellow. We may add program fees in the future to cover the cost of our staff time & resources, but anticipate creating a fellowship grant program at the same time to offer scholarship opportunities to those who are unable to pay.

In addition to providing scholarships for all current fellows, we are offering a small monthly stipend to fellows.

Upon successful completion of the fellowship, fellows are presented with a certificate of completion that may be included with resumes, etc.

Our fellowship program is not a degree or formal pathway of study, and fellows are not trained to provide formal therapy. As such, there is no specific accreditation or certification process from an external institution.

We strongly believe that our fellowship model will lead fellows to being exceptionally prepared to work with challenging kids in difficult environments. However, those interested in becoming formal therapists are encouraged to look at those relevant programs alternatively.

Contact us directly to learn more about current fellowship opportunities & the application process. The application process mostly involves us getting to know the prospective fellow through conversation, as well as getting to know the fellow’s current organization of service to ensure goodness of fit.

Applications are accepted and approved on a rolling basis, based on our current capacity.

Application for the fellowship stipend is part of the overall application process, with applications being considered as funds are available.