Ieshia Tann

Journal Week 1
My first day of my internship placement was on January 16, 2015. My placement it with
the Porter State Service Center under the Administrator Mrs. Dianne Carroll. My first day there
seriously had me questioning if this is the right placement for me because; of some of the things
that I was doing such as: shredding papers, cleaning out old file drawers and folding clothes. I
felt a little concerned because; Im not obtaining a Masters Degree to do or learn those things.
My goal is to learn everything from the Administrator aspect in which my first day, I didnt learn
as much but; I am going to ensure that I learn what is necessary as an Administrator. Outside of
the paper shredding, cleaning out files and folding clothes, the Administrator did show me how
she completes her quarterly review of staff time and I assisted with the process and found some
things that she missed and she was appreciative of that. She also showed me how she reviews
cases for review or denial for services at the Porter Center. She was very busy and I understood
that so, Im not going to take for granted that all my days there will be this way. I am a very fast
paced learner and I already utilize some of the skills and techniques necessary as an
administrator at my current position with Connections as a Masters Level Supervisor Clinician,
so I was able to catch on very quickly to the things that she did show me throughout the course
of the day. As the intern continues I plan to ensure that I learn all the necessary skills and
techniques as an Administrator. I will ask questions of her daily operations, attend meetings, and
become more involved in the learning aspect to know what is necessary to be a Human Service
Administrator. I will ensure that I learn what is required as an Administrator and I will be open in
my communication with the Administrator. For the first day, I did learn some things and I am
looking forward to this learning process.

Journal Week 2
This week was a big learning experience for me, although I did not complete my intern
hours for this week as the administrator of the Porter Center was not there on the day I was
scheduled. However I did learn the process of what is expected in the beginning of an intern as
this was my first internship that I have ever been in. I was strongly focused on learning nothing
but; the administrative role as my goal is to become an administrator one day. I was not satisfied
with just shredding and filing all day especially when Im using leave from my job to complete
my clinical hours. The first day that I completed my internship hours thats primarily what I did
so I wanted to make sure that I learned something on my next visit but; things didnt go that way.
My plan is to speak with the administrator and ensure that I learn the necessary skills required of
an administrator. I will make up for the hours that I missed so that I dont fall behind and make
this a true learning experience. From talking to my professor and my supervisor at work, I got a
clear understanding that sometimes in an internship filing and helping around the office is a part
of the process, so I will make sure that I am available to assist where the help is needed but; I
will also make sure that I also make this a learning experience.
Journal Week 3
This week at my intern site at the Porter State Service Center, the Administrator was still
not available. While I didnt learn anything administrative, I assisted in the filing structure
helping the organization with a better filing system then the one they were currently using. I
helped remove all out dated files and filed the current and updated files and an order that would
be easily manageable for the staff to obtain. Their files are so were out of order and all over the
place. I am hoping that the administrator returns next Friday and will be available. According to
the staff they are unsure as the administrator recently lost her sister. I plan to speak with her upon
her return regarding my learning the administrative role while there at the Porter Center. I dont

mind helping help with filing and organization of the files to help make the program move a lot
smoother but; I dont intend on every day that I complete there to be just about filing and not
learning. I have never completed an internship before; so this is a new process for me and I know
that I have to be patient but; just not sure on how long I will be able to maintain with just filing
as my goal upon completion of the program is to become and administrator, so I would like to
learn as much as possible. I want to focus on learning the policies and procedures of the
organization, their budgeting, and supervision, attend meeting and much more. I was unable to
complete the contract of have the administrator sign off on my attendance due to her absence but;
I have been keeping a record and signing in at the Porter Center. I am hopeful that things will get
better and Im prepared to learn as much as I can to be successful.
Journal Week 4
This week was a great week at the Porter State Service Center. The administrator was
there and available and I was working with her opposed to filing every day. At the beginning I
was struggling with uncertainty wondering if things would work out at my intern placement due
to what I was doing and the fact that the administrator was not available. This week working
with the administrator I was able to work directly with her and I assisted her with computing the
staffs weekly and quarterly time. Learned the methods on how they approve or deny people that
are requesting their services. I learned a lot about the services that the porter center offers such
as: emergency shelter, food closet, kinship care program, teen vouchers, utility assistance, needy
family fund, diabetes and medical funds, weatherization and furnace replacement referrals and a
lot more. Their day to day daily operations are very busy with the amount of people that come
there needing their services. They do a very good job with the amount of people that come there
and their limitations on staff. I learned that the funding for their organization is based off state

and federal funding. It was also interesting to know that the utility assistance funding that they
receive actually comes from Delmarva as they give the porter 1% of funding to help people get
caught up on their electric bill and the money given goes right back to Delmarva. For next week
I will be attending a staff meeting with the administrator and all of her staff. I intend on working
with everyone to get an understanding of the work that they do individually. I will analyze and
learn their policies and procedures of the organization and understand the many duties of the
administrator.
Journal Week 5
My fifth week interning at the Porter State Service Center is going quite well. This week I
assisted the Administrator with the coordination of the food closet such as helped with the
organization of the closet and assisted with ordering food they that were very low on. I learned
the process in which they provide people in need with food. They give food bags to people based
on their need and quantity in their family, those factors determines how much an individual or
family will get. Next Friday I will be attending a staff meeting next week on better
communication that she will be holding for her staff. I will also be assisting the administrator
with implementing new safety policies and procedures. I look forward to my continued learning
at the Porter State Service Center and having a clear understanding of her daily activities as well
as her ability to juggle any different projects at one time without losing insight of what needs to
be completed in a timely manner. I will also be assisting with reorganizing her files so that she
can have a better usage of her workflow and the ability to manage her cases a lot better. Its a
hard job running an organization but Im looking forward to doing it.
Week 6 Journal

This weeks internship was very interesting as I learned some new things about the
program. I was well aware that the Porter Center provides emergency shelter for the homeless by
means of putting them into a hotel for a few weeks however, I was unaware that hospitals call to
have patients set up that has had major surgeries and has nowhere to go, they call to try and get
them set up with a hotel voucher for a few weeks. Personally I feel that this is a ridiculous as I
was there when they were trying to place a 24 year old in a hotel that just had major surgery and
would need daily assistance for his everyday care and food. I was shocked to see that the social
worker from the hospital was trying to place him without having a continuum of care set up. The
administrator stated that she has to deal with situations like these very often. This week I also sat
in on a performance evaluation for a case manager which detailed her job description, duties and
how well she was doing. I also assisted with the reorganizing of the administrators office for a
better work flow along with as assisting her with the denials and approvals of some cases of
people requesting services. I leaned the overall process of how people are either approved or
denied. This week I learned quite a lot and I look forward to the continued learning process. I
went over staffs time and brought to their attention the importance of signing in and out each
day so it doesnt affect their pay as this has been a reoccurring issue with the. Next week I will
be as siting the administrator with the implementing the safety policy and procedures for the
organization. I look forward to learning more utilizing more supervising skills and learning the
overall job duties of an administrator.
Journal Week 7
This week at the Porter State Service Center I attended a staff meeting with the
Administrator of the Porter Center along with her staff. The meeting discussed the importance of
communication as an organization cannot run effectively without it. The meeting also detailed

some policy changes as well as staff understanding their roles and chain of command. Some
policies were changed in reference to their approval or denial in reference to services that are
provided to people. Also it was noted that whenever there are any issues or concerns that staff
address the immediate supervisor first before going up the ladder. I found the meeting to be very
effective. During my time there I assisted the administrator with reorganizing her office, moving
files, getting rid of old and making the office more manageable. Having a great work flow makes
it a lot easier to maneuver and get much needed work done. Next week I plan to learn more
about the cultures served at the Porter Center. I want to focus on the needs and wants of the
people requesting services and focus on how smoothly the operation runs there on a normal basis
as several days things have been hectic as they have been short of staff. Even with the short staff
people are obtaining the services they need which is very important. I will also be coordinating
and implementing the safety policies and procedures with the Administrator. I am learning the
challenges faced by the Administrator as she has a lot on her plate. I learned the great importance
of being able to multitask and ensure that all work gets completed in a timely manner. I look
forward to returning next week.
Journal Week 9
This week at the Porter State Service Center I worked directly with the Administrator
learning new effective communication styles that will help the organization work well as a team.
There is a level of disconnect amongst the staff at the Porter Center where staff are not utilizing
the proper chain of command when they have an issue or concern. Any issues or concerns that
cannot be handled professional amongst both parties are to be brought to the immediate
supervisor but; unfortunately they are not doing this here. They are going above the
Administrators head to her supervisor with issues that should first be addressed with the

administrator. I get an understanding from most employees that they have a disconnect and a
fear or having of having communication of fear of getting written up. I attended a brief staff
meeting with the Administrator and staff that discussed the importance of following the chain of
command as well as the administrator making the staff aware that she is open to communicate
with her. No staff should have any fears of addressing any issues and concerns as they are a team
trying to accomplish the mission and goals which is to provide people in the community with
services that they need. I also assisted the administrator with determining if some cases should be
approved or denied for services based on the information provided and she allowed me to
ultimately make the decision on those cases which felt great. My goal is to continue this journey
as an intern and learn the process as an administrator not only the cases and administrator work
but; also the importance of being a leader and being there for your staff so that they are open to
communicate with no problem as no organization can run properly without having effective
communications.
Journal Week 10

This week at the Porter State Service Center. I assisted the administrator with
implementing the policies and procedures regarding employee promotions and the guidelines.
The administrator brought to my attention that there is an employee that is currently a case
worker step two but; wanted a promotion to become a step three case worker. The employee
thinks that just because; she wants a promotion and feels that she is ready is all that matters but;
that is not the case. Learning from the administrator in order for an employee to be considered
for a promotion there are several factors that have to come into play such as the time frame in
which the employee has been a case manager step two, how are her performance evaluations is
she able to perform the duties of a case manager three and how well is she doing as a case

manager two, her attendance and her work ethics all plays a huge role in her determination for
advancement. Understanding the states policies on promotions is also a huge factor that
determines if the employee would be eligible for a promotion as well. With the administrator we
went over and reviewed all these factors to determine if the employee is eligible and ready for
the promotion and as per policy the employee was not. Learning new insight in reference to
employees and promotions is a great factor as well as understanding the policies and following
the correct policies and procedures when promoting employees is very important to know when
youre in the supervisory role. I have learned a lot this week regarding this and the importance of
adhering to policies and procedures at all times. I look forward to my continued learning with the
administrator at the porter state service center. Every skill learned will be utilized for my new
role as an administrator and I look forward to it.
Journal Week 11
This week at the Porter State Service Center I assisted the Administrator in going to the
main state building the Herman Campus building to drop of time for staff and other important
related documents. I met the administrators supervisor and learned the process of completing
and processing important documentation. I assisted the administrator in completing quarterly
reviews, reviewed cases for clients seeking services at the Porter Center and determining if in
their case they provided all the necessary and required documentation needed to have their cases
either approved or denied. I went over and updated staff time to ensure that they receive adequate
pay for their work. I also went to staff to remind them of their importance to sign in and out
every day so that they pay can be reflected accurately. My day was short this day because; I had
to go to my surgery follow up from a recent surgery this month however, a lot was learned and I
have become more familiarized with the program that I am interning with. I am learning and

adapting to the hard work that an administrator completes on a daily basis. Having the ability to
juggle many tasks at one time is key to staying on top of things that are very important to the
organization. I see growth as an intern there and I am steadily looking forward to becoming and
Administrator.
Journal Week 12
This week at the Porter State Service Center I went with the Administrator to a yearly
Stakeholders Meeting that was held at the Northeast Porter State Service Center. There at the
meeting were different state and local community vendors there to discuss their programs and
how their programs and there to help the community. There were Administrators from the Hope
Commission Center that provides therapeutic services to formerly incarcerated men and women
who are in recovery from addiction or are in the process of restoring their citizenship. The
Director from Job Corp was there to discuss what they do at Job Corp to help the youth earn
education and employment. The Director of the Pal Center in North Wilmington was there to
discuss how their program is funded solely by donations and how those donations keeps youths
off the street and how they help provide youth with childcare, food, recreational services and
homework assistance. The Practice administrator from the Life Health Center was there to
discuss the importance of their health clinic and how they provide health services to those in
need and how health is vital to everyday living. Also administrators from the Porter Center,
Northeast State Service Center along with others provided great insight about their organization
and what impact their organization has on the community. This meeting was help for all there to
connect and work together to find ways to network and get an understanding of what they can do
collectively to better the community as a team. This meeting was very insightful and I absolutely

learned a lot from this meeting. As a future administrator I look forward to attending meetings
such as these and looking to build strong resources as a way to help those in need.
Journal Week 13
This week at the Porter Center, the site administrator and I went over my evaluations for
my time thus far at the Porter State Service Center. We went over each question to determine if I
had tasked all the goals that I have set at the beginning of my intern. Also I completed work at
the Porter Center such as calculating and submitting all staffs times. I went over and reviewed
their work for the day and I also sat in on several interviews with clients as they conducted their
interviews with clients applying for needed services. After each interview I met one on one with
the staff and went over their interviews and how they performed. The administrator allowed me
the opportunity to do this and report back to her how I though they did as they are all coming up
for their reviews on their work and overall work ethics. As I come towards the end of my intern
at the Porter Center I have seen my growth as a future administrator for human services. The
administrator is responsible for juggling many roles and I feel that I can also complete this role
as I am able to juggle and stay on top of many important things. I love the role as an
administrator and look forward to finding a position that fits that role. Supervising, monitoring
and ensuring the safety of all staff, ensuring all policies and procedures are being followed as
well as implementing new policies and procedures is something that I have enjoyed while
interning and is something that I look forward to doing as a career.
Week 14 Journal
The work that I have completed at this point at the Porter State Service Center has been
such a great learning experience. Understanding the challenges from an Administrators point of
view. Understanding the multitude of task that the Administrator has to accomplish on one days

of work has taught me that you have to be geared for this type of work. Having the ability to
juggle many things at one time while remaining at all times professional and having the ability to
manage staff, clients, any issues with building maintenance, ordering supplies, planning events
and meetings, evaluating and ensuring that your employees are doing their jobs correctly is a lot
to manage. From my experience as an intern I feel that I am more than capable of accomplishing
all tasks required as an Administrator. This week I submitted staff time for their pay, monitored
the activity of the facility ensuring that the clients were being served in a timely manner, assisted
in an employee evaluation, reviewed and employees application for a potential step increase.
Reviewed policies on insubordination and the corrective actions to take as an Administrator. I
have learned a lot throughout my internship journey and look forward to becoming an
Administrator in the near future. While interning I also learned more about my abilities. The
Administrator would give me different projects at a time and I was able to multitask and
complete them all as necessary. I enjoyed my time at the Porter State Service Center.
Week 15 Journal
Throughout my internship experience at the Porter State Service Center I have learned
about the ends and outs from an Administrators point of view. I observed and experienced the
business of the daily activities which included completing necessary paperwork and
requirements as a administrator, completing staff time in a timely manner to ensure they get paid,
supervisor the daily activities of the organization, ensuring the building maintenance is kept up t
date and address any issues relating to it, addressing any issues or concerns from staff or clients,
monitoring staff work and giving evaluations of staffs performance to ensure they are performing
the duties of their jobs correctly, completing quarterly reviews and ensuring that all tasks are
completed in a timely matter. After understanding this and experiencing this first hand I have

learned that I have the capabilities to handle the task required as an Administrator. My strengths
are being able to multitask, being a good leader, I have great communication skills. My weakness
are group or public speaking something that Im trying to work on and which is a very important
aspect as a leader is. I look forward to obtaining a position as an Administrator or Director with a
great organization. I feel that I have what it takes and the internship experience shows me that I
can accomplish this and that I have the necessary skills as a leader. I look forward to my new
journey.