Program Description
Natick health department is located in Natick, Massachusetts. The mission of the health department is to ensure that the wellbeing, health and environment of Natick Town residents and visitors are protected. The Natick Health Department offers the residents and visitors variety of services with the main ones being provided being prevention-oriented. These range from staff assistance, emergency preparedness, training opportunities, educational materials, communicable disease investigations, vaccinations and other inspections (Natick Health Department, 2019).
The board of directors at Natick Health department form the main policymakers who ensure that the department is operating within set guidelines and meeting full client expectations. The day-to-day operations of the office are managed by the Health Department (Natick Health Department, 2019). Under the board of directors, the Natick Health Department is responsible for enforcing and carrying out public health policies including, federal, state and local rules and regulations aimed at protecting the safety, wellbeing and health of the environment, visitors and people.
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Internship Description
At Natick Health Department, I worked on Prevention and Outreach Program and Drug-Free Communities. The Drug-Free Communities program has two main goals. The first is to strengthen and establish collaboration involving a variety of community stakeholders to reduce and prevent substance abuse amongst the youth (SAMHSA, 2019). The second aim of the DFC is to reduce substance abuse rates among adults through eliminating the community risk factors associated with substance abuse (SAMHSA, 2019). The elimination of drug abuse amongst the general population should be a collaborative effort amongst stakeholders, and as such, there was a need to ensure that it is eliminated. The activities that were supported by the Prevention and Outreach Program and Drug Free Communities includes enhancing of skills, community education, changing the environment’s physical design to prevent drug use, changing the outcomes for the consumption and purchase of drugs, and changing or modifying policies aimed at reducing drug abuse risk or enhancing the protection against drug abuse.
At the health department, my main duties included Narcan educational use and vaping cessation. There is a need to ensure that there reduced tobacco and nicotine use amongst the youth and adults. There are very many reasons why teens pick up smoking, and there is need to reduce vaping to ensure that they are not affected at various respiratory-related diseases and cancers of the lungs, throat and mouth. In response to a growing need for educational awareness around opioid use and safety, there are various community programs implemented by the Natick Health Department. The Narcan (naloxone HCI) nasal spray is prescription medicine used in the treatment of opioid-related emergencies such as overdose or sleeping problems The Narcan spray is used in reversing the opioid medicine effects temporarily. The community must have an awareness of how they can use the Narcan spray in the event of an opioid emergency.
Public Health Objectives
To address substance use-related issues across the Natick community
In order to accomplish his objective, the Natick health department has a division whose main aim is to reduce and prevent substance use in Natick region. The division has professionally trained individuals who organize awareness and campaign programs across Natick to ensure that the region is drug abuse free. Moreover, the division works in collaboration with the community an, local, state and federal government in eliminating substance abuse among the youth.
Academic Objectives
Conducting assessment activities and data analysis.
In order to accomplish this objective, I participated in a variety of activities, which included d3eveleoepemenet of surveys used in gathering information on substance abuse rates in Natick. I also assisted in focus group implementation, which serves as platform for discussions among participants and everyone that help in contribution of ideas, and sharing of concerns. The final process was reviewing the data gathered to ascertain the substance abuse rates in Natick and the outcomes of substance abuse rate after implementation of the various programs. However, for one to effectively participate in these three research methods, one must apply what I have previously learned to ensure that the results attained are feasible and reasonable.
Professional Objectives
Research the best practices in vaping cessation and prevention
Vaping has turned out to become public health crisis not only in Natick but also in the entire country. The use of e-cigarette was considered as being the best alternative to traditional tobacco-based cigarettes. However, vaping has negative health effects, and this is why some city and state governments have begun implementing stringent regulations towards the sale of vape flavors and devices. In order to fully understand the negative impacts of vaping, it requires individuals who have an in-depth awareness of best practices and research to seek future careers in the health sector. The development of such skills requires a collaboration aimed at training vaping resource guides and vaping cessation training offered to Natick Health and School Department staff.
Personal Objectives
Balancing internship, job, family, and school responsibilities.
The major challenges will include managing the various commitments at school, internship, work and home. There is need to make sure that all assignments are managed and delivered on time a school, all work assigned at the workplace is completed as required, home-related duties are also completed, and the internships also attended to. To ensure that there is clashing of activities, it is vital to come up with a timetable that will serve as a scheduling template for all assignments. A timetable is vital as it helps in time management. In case of the internship project, there is a need for setting up realistic timelines for any competing interests, which will be managed by the internship supervisor and Leah.
Assignments
The internship at the Natick Health Department revolved at eliminating drug and substance abuse in the region. Drug abuse is the administration of drug for other purposes other than medical in such an amount that it can impair one’s ability to function, and this can lead to emotional, social and physical harm. Substance and drug abuse have been recognized as being a major public health problem, and according to the WHO, more than 220 million people had consumed an illegal drug (Shrivastava, Srivastava & Ramasamy, 2014). There are varieties of factors that influence people to abuse drugs, and they include environmental, social, medical, genetic and biological. However, the main age group affected by increased rates of drug and substance abuse is the middle age group, and this does not just result into negative health outcomes but can also affect the family into dynamics and quality of life. One of the main drug abuse epidemics in the USA is opioid use. More than 900 people day daily due to opioid-related complications such as overdoses while millions others suffer from opioid addiction (Council on Foreign Relations, 2019). Opioid use is not just becoming a national health crisis but also a national security threat. Similarly, according to the CDC, vaping among the youth has become a national health crisis. The CDC has identified Vitamin E acetate as being associated with lung injury and it is addictive (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
At the Natick Health Department, my main duties included fostering campaign awareness on vaping cessation and Narcan educational use. The main aim for the awareness was to implement collaborative efforts with the local community members on preventing the use e-cigarettes and opioids among the youth and generation population. The Narcan educational use aimed at educating the public on how they can offer opioid emergency treatment to victims effectively. At the Natick Health Department, I was given a clear job description of my duties. The job description was highlighted on a flyer prenst3d to me by the supervisor at the department.
At the health department, my supervisor strived to be someone I could learn from. My supervisor took time in answering questions and teaching me things he was not taught at such a stage in his life. My supervisor ensured that I was present during the quarterly meetings, sitting in a client presentation and even when updating the various worksheets. I was able to get both formal and informal growth opportunities from the supervisor. Likewise, my supervisor assigned meaningful tasks instead of administrative duties such as updating databases and making copies. The tasks were aligned with my career goals and strengths. The leadership that was given to me included daily motivations. My work at Natick Health Department was largely affected by balancing other duties such as work, school and home. However, my supervisor ensured that I had the required motivational levels to manage all my duties without losing hope or giving up.
Day in the Life
Every day at 7:30 am, my alarm goes off, and I shower and get ready for work. At 8:00 am, I pack my backpack and set off my morning walk to the office. The distance between the Natick Health Department and my home is a 25-minute walk. At 8:30 am, every day we have a meeting at the health department, which is headed by the Prevention and Outreach Program and Drug-Free Communities director. At 10:00 am, we head out with the team to the various community centers and rehabilitation centers to offer campaign awareness on vaping cessation and how to use the Narcan spray. Other locations whereby the campaigns and awareness programs are held include the schools, churches and even hospitals. The campaigns last for one hour at every location, and on a day, we must make sure that we have visited 3-4 centers. However, there are two breaks with the firsts break being at 11:30 am whereby the team takes breakfast and at 1:30 pm whereby it is the lunch break. At around 3:30 the team and I get back to the office whereby we compile the day’s activities into one report. At 5:00 pm, given that I have accomplished all my tasks I get to head out home. However, on every Tuesday and Fridays, we hold focus groups meetings with the various participants who use vaping and opioids. In the case of the teenagers, we hold the meetings with their parents to educate them on strategies through which they can use to ensure that their children cease vaping and how they can use the Narcan spray. The focus group meetings are held for three hours beginning from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Similarly, on every Saturdays, we carry out surveys on the effectiveness of the outreach and campaign programs in Natick region.
Achievements
The key accomplishment I have achieved during my internship included the experience and knowledge gained in the workplace which gave me a range of transferrable skills. I was able to get excellent interpersonal and communication skills that are important in working as a team. I was able to get skills that enabled me to work under pressure and tight deadlines. I also could gain a strong commitment to effective management of time. Moreover, during the internship, I was able to understand the importance of researching implementing any strategies.
To meet the personal objective on addressing substance sue related issues in Natick Community, awareness campaigns were used. Through the programs, important knowledge on vaping cessation and Narcan use was passed to the local community. Through this knowledge, the community would sue it in decision-making and thus reducing smoking and opioid sue in Natick region. My academic objective on conducting assessment activities and data analysis were met through the use of focus groups arranged every Tuesday and Friday, surveys on Saturdays and reviewing of data daily. I was able to apply my knowledge of research in the field doing the internship. The professional objective of research best practices on vaping prevention and cessation was achieved through the training that I received at the Natick health department during my internship. I was able to participate in the creation of vaping resource guide. My objectives on balancing school, job, family and internship were met through adhering to a strict timetable and schedule, which outlined all my day-to-day activities. At no one point did I fail in meeting my duties.
My internship was largely based on the Outreach department, and I remember asking my supervisor if I could try some promotional work because, at the time, they used word of mouth during campaigns. After getting approval, I designed posters and flyers and started passing them out to the local community during our outreach activities. The department did not have a social media presence. I set up a Facebook page, twitter account for the department, and posted regularly on the outreach efforts on vaping cessation and Narcan use.
The main challenge is the time limit to learn. Internships usually last for short period, at times one will not grasp all the expectations, and how to handle a certain job. Another major challenge is time management. One is forced to balance internship, school, home and family duties. This at times would see me sleeping very late into the night and had to wake up very early in the morning. Having little feedback from the colleagues is at times challenge. Feedback is important as it acts as a motivator. At the Health Department, the colleagues are swamped with their work and thus might lack time to give feedback.
Significant Learnings
My internship at the Natick Health department immersed me in the world of public health. I have always had a deeply engrained interest in public health medicine bur before my internship; I had no hands-on experience in the field. Daily, my tasks consisted of extensively researching and writing about drugs and substance abuse, which is a major public health issue. I was able to understand that there are very many factors that can influence public health. I understood that the public health field is constantly changing and there is need to come up with current and evidenced-based practices towards ensuring the needs of communities and populations across the nation and globe are met.
The main course I applied in this internship was the Principles of Nursing Research and Evidence-based Practice. Through this course, I had an awareness of how to use various research strategies in gathering data and using the data to make valid decisions. The specific skills I acquired from experience included time management, communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work under pressure and strict deadlines and problem-solving skills. The most positive aspect of the entire internship could gain valuable work experience. The work experience received during the internship is invaluable, and it cannot be received in a classroom setting. I was able to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to real work experiences. However, the internship had its fair set of challenges with the main on being balancing my work, school, family and internship duties and responsibilities.
The internship experience is an opening for me to further my education and not only stop at the Bachelor’s Degree. At work, I could not perform some duties, as they required one with higher educational levels such a leading a team and decision-making. The internship has also helped in giving me an edge in the job market. This will make one more marketable as I will require less training and can handle many responsibilities. In order to further my career plan, I plan to enroll for a master’s degree, which will get me an in-depth knowledge of the field, increased opportunities and a higher earning potential.
Recommendations
I would recommend the internship to another student at the Natick Health department. The first reason is that at the department, one is not treated as an intern but members of the team. The employees at the department also at times assist one in case of any problems in understanding the various work processes. More importantly, the duties assigned to one at the department are career-specific rather than administrative.
There is need to improve the quality of Internship Program at the Natick Health department especially during the application process. The online portal hinders the application process, and at times one is forced to reload the portal more than ten times. The selection is also carried out using the documents one has submitted. However, they should also include an interview process. The internship program should also offer some allowance for the internships, which can assist them in meeting some few expenses such as transport costs. The colleagues’ only report to the supervisor on an intern’s daily activities. The colleagues should be allowed to offer direct feedback to the intern.
Additional Requirements
Personal Thank you letter
Student Name
Address
City, State Zip Code
Date
Supervisor Name
Natick Health Department
Address
City, State Zip Code
Dear Mr. /Mrs. Supervisor Name
I want to take this opportunity and thank you for allowing me to be your Prevention and Outreach Program and Drug-Free Communities intern at your organization. I can confidently state that without your continued guidance, mentorship, and support, I would not have had an opportunity to learn as much during the last six months. I am very grateful for your continued advice during the entire period.
Because of the experience I acquired under your leadership, I can confidently state that I am more eager to expand my career and educational goals with regards to the public health practitioner field.
I would love to continue staying in touch with you so that I can continue seeking advice. You can reach me on (EMAIL ADDRESS) and in case there any opening in your department related to my field, kindly let me know.
Thank you again for the incredible internship opportunity, and I wish you and your team all the best.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name.
References
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, November 26). Outbreak of lung injury associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping . Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html
Council on Foreign Relations. (2019) The US opioid epidemic . Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-opioid-epidemic
Natick Health Department (2019). Retrieved from https://www.natickma.gov/218/Health-Department
SAMHSA. (2019 May 7). Drug-Free Communities Support Program . Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sp-19-005
Shrivastava, S. R., Shrivastava, P. S., & Ramasamy, J. (2014). Public Health Measures to Combat the Menace of Drug Abuse. Primary Health Care , 4 , e110.
