Internship Program 2025 - CCBHC

For more than 50 years Sound has been committed to providing excellent care to those we serve.  From young children to older adults, intensive outreach to insight oriented therapy, Sound has services to match the needs of our community.  With evidenced based practices and exceptionally talented team members we provide services to thousands each year at 17 outpatient sites, 4 residential facilities, nearly a dozen supported housing locations and hundreds of housing sites.  We proudly provide services in over 250 schools throughout our region.

Sound Behavioral Health is committed to providing comprehensive, integrated mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services. This internship is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in collecting valuable data to support a federally funded initiative aimed at improving behavioral health services.

The CCBHC Intern will primarily assist with the National Outcome Measures (NOMs) data collection and reporting and supporting compliance with SAMHSA’s CCBHC grant requirements. Interns will gain valuable experience in data management, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement processes in a hybrid and flexible setting.

Key Responsibilities

Data Collection & Client Engagement:

• Identify eligible clients for data collection using Avatar (EHR system) reports.
• Conduct interviews with clients via phone, video, or in-person.
• Obtain and track informed consent forms from participants.
• Outreach to clients and clinicians to coordinate client interviews.

Data Entry & Compliance:

• Maintain accurate and timely data entry into Avatar and SPARS.
• Ensure NOMs participation reaches the required 10% sample size at the clinic.
• Manage tracking spreadsheets for each data collection timepoint.

Gift Card Disbursement:

• Track and distribute gift cards for reassessment and discharge completion.
• Document gift card disbursement, reconcile inventory, and submit tracking reports.

Training & Quality Assurance:

• Support new staff by onboarding them to the NOMs process.
• Attend regular check-ins with the Program Evaluators (PEs) to address challenges in data collection.
• Monitor compliance with federal reporting standards and recommend workflow improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong interest in data collection, program evaluation, and health equity.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage spreadsheets efficiently.
• Experience with Microsoft Excel, Tableau, and Avatar or willingness to learn data systems.
• Comfortable communicating with clients, clinicians, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines in a hybrid setting.

Internship Requirements:

• Applicants must be currently in graduate school program (Master Level). 
  • Social Work
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Healthcare Administration
• Four quarter or two semester minimum commitment. 
• All internships must be arranged through the student’s school and must be eligible for academic credit. Students must coordinate with their academic institution to ensure compliance with credit requirements. Proof of enrollment in a for-credit internship program may be required.
• Minimum 20-24 hours per week with a stable and reliable schedule. School vacations are not considered placement holidays, must be coordinated with your supervisor; and all time off must be pre-approved by the supervisor.

What You’ll Gain

• Experience working in a clinic contributing to a federally funded behavioral health initiative
• Hands-on skills in program evaluation, quality improvement, and healthcare data management
• Mentorship from experienced program evaluators and the chance to collaborate with clinicians, nurses, and clinic leadership
• Exposure to SAMHSA and SPARS reporting requirements—valuable for careers in behavioral health, public health, and policy research