Shape Your Future in Integrated Behavioral Health

At Kaniksu Community Health, we believe the best clinicians are developed through meaningful client experiences, strong mentorship, and supportive supervision.

Our Behavioral Health Internship Program is designed to provide master’s-level counseling and social work students with a rigorous, clinically challenging experience that builds confidence, competence, and professional identity. Interns become part of an integrated healthcare team while developing the skills needed for success in a variety of behavioral health settings.

Whether your future lies in community mental health, private practice, healthcare, school-based services, or another specialty, our goal is to help you build a strong clinical foundation for your career.

Why Complete Your Internship at Kaniksu Community Health?

Interns receive:

  1. Direct clinical experience with clients
  2. Individual supervision tailored to your learning needs
  3. Group supervision and consultation opportunities
  4. Exposure to integrated behavioral healthcare
  5. Opportunities to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams
  6. A supportive and growth-focused learning environment
  7. Supervision from licensed professionals aligned with your degree track

We host both:

  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) interns
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) interns

Our supervisors seek to balance support, challenge, and autonomy, adapting the internship experience to each student’s growth and readiness.

Why North Idaho?

Many internship sites can provide clinical hours. Few can offer the opportunity to develop your skills while living in one of the most beautiful regions in the Pacific Northwest.

North Idaho combines a strong sense of community with access to year-round recreation, including skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and countless outdoor activities. The region is known for its welcoming communities, excellent quality of life, and growing need for dedicated behavioral health professionals.

For students considering where they want to build their future, an internship at Kaniksu Community Health offers the chance to explore a rewarding career in community behavioral health while experiencing life in a region many people are proud to call home.

What You’ll Learn

Interns may gain experience in:

  • Comprehensive behavioral health assessments
  • Treatment planning
  • Individual counseling
  • Crisis intervention
  • Documentation and EHR utilization
  • Evidence-based therapeutic interventions
  • Professional ethics and boundaries
  • Integrated care collaboration
  • Population health and community-based services

Learning opportunities vary based on placement, educational requirements, and supervisor availability.

Ideal Candidates

We’re looking for students who are:

  • Committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care
  • Passionate about serving rural and underserved communities
  • Pursuing careers in counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, or related fields
  • Eager to learn through direct clinical experience
  • Open to feedback and professional growth

Available Internship Opportunities

Bachelor’s-Level Internships

For students completing undergraduate programs in behavioral health-related fields.

Master’s-Level Internships

For counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, and related graduate programs requiring clinical field placements.

Psychiatric Internships

For approved psychiatric provider training programs, depending on availability and supervision capacity.

Internship APPLICATION Process

Step 1: Submit Your Application

Complete the online internship interest form via this link and email your résumé or CV to sdriggs@kchni.org with the subject line: BH Internship Program.

Step 2: Interview

Qualified applicants may be invited to interview with a Behavioral Health supervisor.

Step 3: School Affiliation Agreement

A fully executed affiliation agreement between your educational institution and Kaniksu Community Health must be completed before placement.

Step 4: Onboarding Requirements

Prior to your internship start date, students must complete: