Internship Program Overview
Whether you're in high school, college, or taking a gap year, ACR Homes works alongside employees toward their educational and career goals. Internships at ACR Homes will give your resume a boost and can help make your work experience here even more applicable for future career and educational goals. Additionally, many ACR employees have been able to use their internships at ACR to obtain credit for internship experience at local colleges and universities while also being paid!
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, 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 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 any ACR Homes Internship
- 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
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.
