Reflection Paper 1

Recovery for Life – An Internship Reflection Paper

Shawntell L. Miles

Wilmington University
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Abstract

A reflection paper provides the opportunity to assess and process yourself and your internship

experience. It also allows students to evaluate the limitations and opportunities that existed at

their service site. This reflection paper outlines my internship experience at the nonprofit

organization, Recovery for Life.

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Recovery for Life – An Internship Reflection Paper

Wilmington University requires all students pursuing their Master’s in Administration of

Human Services to complete a practicum, capstone project or thesis in human services. I

selected the practicum in human services, which afforded me the opportunity to complete a four-

month internship at Recovery for Life, during the 2019 Spring semester.

Description of Program

Recovery for Life is a faith-based, nonprofit organization, that provides a range of

substance abuse services to individuals seeking treatment for drug or alcohol abuse and

addictions. The staff of Recovery for Life is composed of skilled and knowledgeable

professionals, who combine traditional treatment methods with biblical teachings. The

treatment and services offered at Recovery for Life consist of individual assessments, substance

abuse education and treatment, individual and group counseling, Twelve-Step facilitation,

relapse prevention programs, random on-site drug testing, support groups, and progress reports

and evaluations that are submitted to the judicial system personnel. Recovery for Life also offers

a transitional living program for criminal justice involved men and women. The homes provide

a safe, structured and nurturing environment where residents receive peer support, life coaching,

case management, employment assistance, and mentoring. Recovery for Life’s mission is to

provide the highest quality of comprehensive, affordable and accessible community-based

prevention and treatment to residents of Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Projects and Assignments

Throughout my internship, I was supervised by Dr. Paul Hardy, who is a Board-Certified

Pastoral Counselor and a Certified Addictions Counselor. I also worked with Suzi Hardy, who is

the Assistant Director, and Sherry Prescott, who is the Women’s Home Coordinator and Case
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Manager. When I started my internship in January, Recovery for Life was preparing for the

Denim and Diamond Gala Fundraising event to be hosted on April 13, 2019. During that time,

the assistant director was contacting area businesses hoping to receive monetary and in-kind

donations for the event. I was assigned to help the assistant director with fundraising efforts.

I completed a Fund Development and Fundraising course in the Fall semester of 2018,

which provided a comprehensive overview of fundraising principles as well as communication

tactics to engage constituents and potential donors. Although the course was informative, I was

very apprehensive about soliciting donations. The assistant director provided me a listing of area

businesses to drop off documentation about the fundraising event. I started my first day on a

Saturday, so most managers and general managers were not available to speak with me. I left

documentation about the fundraising event at each establishment and obtained contact

information to speak with their general and operation managers. The assistant director provided

me with information to utilize when I made follow-up calls. In the beginning, it was difficult

because most of the responses I received over the phone were “I will get back with you.” I

reviewed some of my material on fundraising to become more familiar with “the ask” portion of

fundraising. In the nonprofit arena, “the ask” is based on showing that the financial contribution

will result in the successful achievement of the organization’s vision and mission; donors have to

be sold on your vision and mission, and on your ability to perform” (Bizfilings, 2019, p. 4). The

second time I contacted the general managers by phone, I made appointments to meet with them

in person. This tactic was more effective because it gave me an opportunity to talk about the

goals of the fundraising event, why their help was needed, and the benefits of their donation. It

also provided the general managers an opportunity to ask me questions about the program. From

the listing that was provided to me, I obtained monetary and in-kind donations from all but one
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business. The more time I invested in the organization and with clients, the more tenacious I

became about fundraising. I realize how their donations can help transform lives. Interning with

a nonprofit organization provided me the opportunity to gain valuable experience about the

nature of fundraising.

Administrative Task and Duties

I completed most of my internship hours during the evenings and on Saturdays, when the

program was conducting their substance abuse group meetings. In the office, I worked closely

with Sherry Prescott, the Women’s Home Coordinator and Case Manager. I was assigned to

assist with administrative and operational duties that included checking in clients for treatment

and logging their information in the case management system, completing breathalyzer

screenings, collecting payments and logging their information in the agency’s accounting

system. The revenue streams for Recovery for Life comprises of grants, donations and fees for

service. As I was updating information in there accounting system, I became aware of the many

clients who had delinquent accounts but were still receiving treatment. They also had clients

who bartered in lieu of monetary payments. As I discussed this information with Ms. Prescott,

she indicated that the organization does not like to turn people away for nonpayment. To ensure

that your nonprofit organization has a healthy business environment, “it is important that

payments are made on time to maintain normal business functions” (Rich, 2019, para. 1). I think

it is important for your organization to take proactive measures, especially for individuals who

are habitually late with payments. As a business owner, you may have to refer clients to other

programs that offer a sliding fee scale or Pro Bono Counseling Programs, if your organization is

financially dependent on service fees.

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Leadership

Although I learned a wealth of information from my internship, my most valuable

experience was witnessing Dr. Hardy’s leadership style. An effective leader has the capability of

leading and motivating their employees to achieve a desired goal. They also possess the

following attributes: “vision, courage, integrity, humility, passionate, competent, self-awareness

and empowering” (Oetting, 2019, para. 3). Dr. Hardy fostered an environment where staff could

openly share our opinions, suggestions, and solutions to problems effecting the clients and the

organization. Dr. Hardy often asked questions and engaged in dialogue with the interns and

volunteers to obtain our input regarding the organization. Dr. Hardy always praised the

performance of his staff and interns and expressed his appreciation to all of us for our hard work.

He also had an unwavering faith in the future success of the company. Leadership styles can

ultimately determine the success or failure of an organization. An effective leader is

knowledgeable, able to resolve problems and exhibits high ethical standards.

Overall, my internship experience was very rewarding. My internship provided me the

opportunity to gain hands-on experience and apply the information I attained from my graduate

courses, to strengthen and develop my professional skills. I also formulated some good working

relationships with staff at the organization, that I can now utilize as references in the future. In

addition, I had the opportunity to interact with clients in the program, which enabled me to gain a

better perspective on their daily struggles with drugs and alcohol use. I was fortunate to have the

opportunity to witness the transformation in their lives. The programs and services offered by

Recovery for Life have a positive impact on the clients being served as well as the community.
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References

BizFilings. (2019). A Guide to Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization. Retrieved from

https://www.bizfilings.com.

Oetting, J. 10 Traits All Great Leaders Possess. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com.

Rich, C. (2019). Tips to Deal with Clients Who Don’t Make Payments on Time. Retrieved from

https://centsiblyrich.com.