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October 27, 2014

Internship Experience, Emily Hatch, Psychology Major, '16

Contact Community Services is a crisis and suicide hotline located in East Syracuse. During the term of my internship I was placed as a telephone worker. As a telephone worker, I had to answer calls placed to the hotline. My experience during my internship at Contact had its difficulties. Submerging myself in such an unfamiliar territory became terrifying at first. God directed me during the internship however, and I experienced a learning beyond the classroom. This internship allowed me to practice the skills I have acquired at Roberts Wesleyan College. Practicing these skills in a real life situation has engraved knowledge I now carry with me everyday. During my internship I had the opportunity to get ASIST training, which stands for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. This is a course that taught on suicide prevention. This training became useful when I answered suicide calls on the hotline. These callers seemed fragile and breakable, but all they wanted was someone to take time and listen to them. My internship at Contact will be something I always refer to. The amount of knowledge I learned during my internship is way beyond anything I could describe. The Lord had allowed this internship to not only open my mind but also my heart. My prayers remain with Contact Community Services.