Internship Placements Available for 2024-25: 1
Darien Public School District is located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and serves approximately 4,700 students within one high school, one middle school, five elementary schools, and one integrated preschool.
The Darien Public Schools are consistently ranked as a top-performing school district in the state and nation, with exceptional academic achievement, nationally competitive athletic performance, and award-winning performance and visual arts programs. The District's commitment to excellence is also reflected in its allocation of resources to support the social and emotional health of all learners.
Through participation on a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and educators, interns will develop competence in all areas of school-based practice. This school-based internship program affords interns the unique opportunity to work within a public school setting while obtaining (1) Specialized clinical training and practice in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with ongoing clinical supervision, (2) System-based experience supporting the implementation of Darien's Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), including RULER, a research-based social and emotional learning program (implemented in partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence), (3) Comprehensive exposure to special education processes, including conducting comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations and providing counseling services, and (4) Experience supporting specialized programs, including an integrated preschool program, programs that support students with comprehensive educational/ adaptive profiles and programs that support students with intensive social/emotional needs. While every internship experience will include opportunities for exposure and practice within pre-k, elementary, middle, high school, and transition (18-22) settings, interns will be placed at a primary site by aligning the available opportunities with the professional goals of each intern.