EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SPRING INTERNSHIP EMMA BUCHANAN

Introduction
Gould Farm is located in the rural town of Monterey, in the Berkshire Region
of Massachusetts. The farm is a six hundred acre dairy and produce farm which
follows the Work Model of therapy to provide support and stability to adults
adjusting to life with a severe mental health diagnosis. The farm is home to 140
individuals; 50 guests, 80 staff and their families and 10 volunteers/interns.
Sherene Smith acts as supervisor of interns and volunteers, coordinating
work schedules, housing and events. As in intern she is one of three individuals who
supervisor and evaluate my work and time on the farm. At the start of my internship
I developed six learning objectives under the guidance of these individuals. They
are as follows:
1. To observe and better understand community based approach to the treatment of
adult mental illness.
2. To understand the leadership structure of a non-profit health treatment facility.
3. To learn stages of clinical treatment model-- from admittance into therapy to
discharge
4. To understand how community events are planned and executed
5. To increase understanding of public image and fundraising tactics of non-profit
mental health facility
6. To understand work model of Gould Farm as a means of profit and therapy

WORK/PROJECTS

An intern at Gould Farm has a three faceted job: first, to do 40 hours of work
in assigned teams, second, to provide a fun and active community to guests, and
third, to support full-time staff in their work. As a work team leader on kitchen and
roadside caf teams I help guests to find recipes and carry out the steps in a timely
and orderly fashion; along with maintaining health and safety standards and
customer satisfaction.
The majority of the work that goes on at the farm is an effort to create a
stable and cohesive community in which guests can learn, grow and be themselves.
For me this means being open and friendly with guest not only during scheduled
work hours but also during my own free time. In order to do so I attend events such
as game nights, and film festivals. Being an engaged and active member of the
community is the main role of the Gould Farm interns and a vital part of the
therapeutic process.

LEARNING
During my time at Gould Farm I have learned many valuable and practical
lessons. Not only have I learned how to milk a cow and make a souffl, but more
importantly to my career Ive come to better understand the boundaries which
dictate mental health treatment facilities. Matters of patient confidentiality and
client rights are crucial parts of the Gould Farm training and understanding them is
important in a mental health career I pursue in the future. Through conversations
and meetings with clinicians I have learned to identify slight differences amongst
mental health diagnosis; such as rapid cycling bipolar disorder verse schizoaffective
disorder. Understanding these diseases has allowed me to better understand the
unique combinations of medication used to treat severe mental health problems.

One of the major learning areas since coming to the farm in my own experiences
has been learning how to interact and direct guests both in their work and their free
time; skills which may be especially useful to me as I look to join the workforce.

FUTURE PLANS
After having spent four months living, working and relaxing in an isolated
community I have come to realize many insightful things for my future career plans.
Foremost, I want to seek employment in a community-based therapeutic setting,
such as live-in rehab centers, and/or shelters. As the First year Created and Called
for Community class teaches, we need community support, encouragement and
challenges to thrive and grow. Being a Gould Farm has proven to me that simple
truth. Living in such a place has also introduced me to a wide variety of health
professionals, from psychiatrist to counselors to social workers. I have learned I do
not want to be a prescribing psychiatrist or a social worker and thus plan to pursue
a master in counseling.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Nothing can truly prepare a person for the firsthand experience I have gotten
while at Gould Farm, and I wish every psychology student at Messiah College got to
participate in a program like this. I struggled during my first weeks at the farm to
understand the medicines and prescriptions given, and wish I had received more
knowledge on the subject while at Messiah.
As for Gould Farm as an internship I struggled to connect my experience with
the required coursework which is very obviously designed for a business like
internship setting and did not enrich or supplement my experience and learning at

the farm. However, I understand that my internship is rather unique and that the
course fits with the majority experience. I do think, however, that Messiah College
could do a better job of encouraging internships and service-learning even with the
humanities/social sciences.