Whether you're in high school, college, or taking a gap year, the ACR Homes Internship Program is for anyone!
We will come alongside you to support your career and educational goals! You'll gain unique and meaningful experiences working with people who have disabilities to build a stand out resume.
Many ACR employees have even received college credit when completing an internship program that fulfills the requirements of their major. And if that isn't good enough, because our internship pairs with our Direct Care Professional job, you'll also be getting paid while working on your internship!
COLLEGE STUDENT, GRADUATE, & GAP YEAR OPPORTUNITIES
Direct Care Professional + Internship
For employees ages 18+
Direct Care Professionals work in a group home setting providing care for adults with disabilities. They administer medications, help residents with activities of daily living, aid residents in their independence and goals, assist with therapies, take vitals, chart, support family and friend relationships, accompany residents in the community, advocate for their wellbeing, and enjoy fun activities with them.
Pair a college level internship with your job providing patient care and chose from one of our research, project, experience, or impact based internships which range in length from 4 to 12 months long. Explore tracks below.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT & GAP YEAR OPPORTUNITIES
Direct Care Assistant + Internship
For employees ages 16 - 17
Direct Care Assistants work in a group home setting providing care for adults with disabilities. They have a similar job function to Direct Care Professionals, but they don't administer medications (at least not right away), drive our residents, and only work daytime shifts during the weekdays and weekends.
Pair a high school level internship with your job providing patient care and choose from one of our 4 month long, predetermined research or impact internships to learn more about healthcare, improve the quality of care for a resident, make a difference in someone's life and build your resume.
When you get a job at ACR Homes, you join the ACR team! You become part of a tight-knit and fun-loving community, working together to provide the best possible care for people with disabilities. You'll have access to community building events for ACR Homes staff like Employee Appreciation Day and Homecoming Week.
So don't worry, we're all in this together!
Choose from 4 Different Internship Program Tracks
Research Based Internship (standard track)
- 6 months in length
- Functions similar to a case study. Choose your own research project & prove your hypothesis
- Make recommendations for changes in a resident care plan, daily routine, appointments, activities, and therapies to suggest improvements in their quality of life or care
- Attend Internship Sessions with Owner & CEO, Jim Nelson
- Receive book recommendations & journal about your experience
- Write a research paper
- Complete a presentation
- Receive a letter of recommendation for a future career, grad school medical school, PA school, or more...
- Must be an employee of ACR Homes and maintain at least the minimum work requirements to be a Research Based Intern.
- Recommended for students in any year with an emphasis on college students, graduates, and college gap year. It may also be helpful to have taken or be in research methods or stats (not required).
Experience Based Internship
- 4 months in length
- Functions similar to a case study but with a predetermined topic/track for those who want more guidance
- Advance your knowledge in care for people with disabilities
- Perform task oriented projects
- Find an area where you can improve the quality of life for a resident whether it be through an experience, outing, or activity
- Receive book recommendations & journal about your experience
- Attend internship sessions with Owner & CEO, Jim Nelson
- Write a paper
- Complete a presentation
- Receive a letter of recommendation for a future career, grad school medical school, PA school, or more...
- Must be an employee of ACR Homes and maintain at least the minimum work requirements to be a Project Based Intern.
- Suggested for high school or college students, high school or college gap year, high school or college graduates, or for those who need a shorter time length.
Impact Project Internship
- 4 months in length
- Independent project based on the interests of a resident
- Find an area where you can improve the quality of life for a resident whether it be through an experience, outing, relationship, or activity
- Perform task oriented projects
- Practice extensive journaling about your experience
- Attend internship sessions with Owner & CEO, Jim Nelson
- Write a paper
- Complete a presentation
- Receive a letter of recommendation for a future career, grad school medical school, PA school, or more...
- Must be an employee of ACR Homes and maintain at least the minimum work requirements to be a Project Based Intern.
- Suggested for anyone who wants to make a greater impact in the lives of people who have disabilities
- Example Impact Project Internship
Impact Year Internship
- 12 months in length
- Research based group project with other Impact Year Interns
- This internship differs from the others because it has a full-time work requirement for full-time employees.
- Functions similar to a case study. Choose your own research project & prove your hypothesis
- Make recommendations for changes in a resident care plan, daily routine, appointments, activities, and therapies to suggest improvements in their quality of life or care
- Also find an area where you can improve the quality of life for a resident whether it be through an experience, outing, relationship, or activity
- Perform task oriented projects
- Get on-call experience
- Receive book recommendations and practice extensive journaling about your experience
- Earn at least 2000 hours of direct patient care hours
- Attend internship sessions with Owner & CEO, Jim Nelson
- Write a research paper
- Complete a presentation
- Receive a letter of recommendation for a future career, grad school medical school, PA school, or more...
- Must be an employee of ACR Homes and commit full-time to the impact year
- Suggested for employees in a gap year or for those who want to make a greater impact in the lives of our residents who have the ability to commit full-time.
Benefits of the ACR Homes Internship Program
- Patient Care Experience
- Flexible independent learning with no weekly hours requirement (unless you're in our Impact Year)
- Learn Ethical Responsibility
- Improve critical thinking & problem solving skills
- Gain leadership skills
- Expand your healthcare knowledge & experience
- Receive a letter of recommendation
Ready To Start Your Internship?
Choose an option below to get started
Employee Transportation Program
Having reliable employee transportation is a requirement of the Direct Care Professional position. But that’s not always easy if you’re a student, from out of state, or if you don’t want to worry about a car on top of school and work. Employees who are University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) or University of Wisconsin (River Falls) students can sign up for ACR’s Employee Transportation Program and pay a small hourly rate to access a car for getting to and from shifts at ACR Homes. This eliminates the need to pay for a parking spot, which can cost up to $180/month. Maintenance issues are not your problem either!
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
As a direct care staff at ACR Homes, you don't have to be a certified nursing assistant! ACR’s training for the Direct Care Professional position goes above and beyond the requirements for CNA certification.
If it's important for you to gain that certification, not only can you skip the expense and hassle of enrolling in a CNA training course, but we'll pay you for your training hours when you're hired as a direct care employee!
If you already have the CNA certification, the direct care hours you work at ACR can count toward maintaining the certification.
Additionally, students in healthcare degree programs, or those pursuing medical school & PA school can use their job as a Direct Care Professional to gain the required patient contact hours for their future programs. Plus they can gain incredible unique and significant experience and transferable skills. Direct Care Professionals at ACR Homes can perform many healthcare tasks that would require an LPN or RN certification in a hospital.
![credit for employment with health care providers. Minnesota statutes, chapter 124D. 124D.475.A bill for an act relating to education; allowing high school students to earn elective credits through employment with certain health care providers; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. [124D.475] CREDIT FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. A student in grade 11 or 12 who is employed by certain health care providers, including an institutional long-term care provider or a home and community-based long-term services and supports provider may earn up to two elective credits toward graduation under section 120B.024, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (7). A student may earn one elective credit for every 350 hours worked. A student who is employed by an eligible employer must submit an application for elective credit to the school district or charter school in order to receive elective credit. The school district or charter school must verify the hours worked with the employer before awarding elective credit. EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2023-2024 school year and later.](https://acrhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/THUR7081-300x200-landscape-a021b1e35c52c69fb04634e1baf45cfb-.jpg "credit for employment with health care providers. Minnesota statutes, chapter 124D. 124D.475.A bill for an act relating to education; allowing high school students to earn elective credits through employment with certain health care providers; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. [124D.475] CREDIT FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. A student in grade 11 or 12 who is employed by certain health care providers, including an institutional long-term care provider or a home and community-based long-term services and supports provider may earn up to two elective credits toward graduation under section 120B.024, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (7). A student may earn one elective credit for every 350 hours worked. A student who is employed by an eligible employer must submit an application for elective credit to the school district or charter school in order to receive elective credit. The school district or charter school must verify the hours worked with the employer before awarding elective credit. EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2023-2024 school year and later.")
