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Since its inception, the Perkins School of Theology Intern Program has included a mental health professional as a vital member of the internship team. The call to ministry invites individuals to bring their whole selves into their work. Because ministry is deeply relational and often complex, it is important for students to have a supportive space where they can reflect on both the joys and the challenges they encounter along the way. Involving a mental health professional as a consultant acknowledges that ministers need to care for their own well-being in order to help others do the same. These trained professionals assist in the educational mission of preparing effective leaders for the church’s work in the world.

In the role of Intern Program Consultant, the mental health professional will:

1. Assist Interns in integrating the personal and professional dimensions of their lives.

Internship requires students to shift from thinking that success is evaluated on the final outcome (a grade) to success as evaluated on how the outcome is defined and attained. Instead of focusing primarily on the technical skills to “do” ministry, students are encouraged to engage in the deeper work of personal formation and self-awareness that supports the “being” of ministry.

For many students, the internship experience is the first time they will be challenged to take an in-depth look at themselves. It is not uncommon for family issues and unresolved personal issues to surface during the intensity of an internship. The role of the mental health consultant is critical in giving the student guidance as well as support through this process of self-reflection. The mental health consultant helps students discern how to utilize the feedback they are receiving from their Mentor and/or on-site committee as part of their personal growth. Our hope is that the student can emerge from the internship with a greater sense of self-awareness about personal issues, relationships and spirituality—all of which contribute to the student’s ministerial identity. In addition, a beginning understanding of church or agency family systems as seen in actual practice can be invaluable to the Intern's future ministry.

Interns participate with a group of their peers in the Internship Seminar. Some of these sessions are led by the Consultant and others by the Intern Faculty Supervisor. Additionally, the students can meet with the consultant on an individual basis up to three times per semester, or more if approved in advance by the Intern Faculty Supervisor.

2. Assist Mentors in acquiring and improving their supervisory skills.

The Consultant’s work with the Mentors is done primarily in the groups that meet during the Mentor Colloquies, held each semester, led by the Consultants. However, an individual Mentor has the option to avail herself or himself of up to two hours per semester of private consultation on supervisory issues with any of the Consultants who have contracted to provide services to the Intern Program.

In this role the Consultant assists the Mentor in reflecting on her/his supervisory style, addressing issues that have arisen in the supervision of the Intern, and (when leading groups) enabling Mentors to help each other with identified supervisory issues. The goal of the Consultant is to encourage Mentors to work on their own supervisory issues in order to provide improved supervision of their Interns. Mentors are encouraged to share their concerns, struggles, and joys as these relate to the growth and learning of the student. In facilitating the discussion, the Consultant invites each Mentor to explore her or his feelings around an identified issue, guides the group feedback, and perhaps offers professional resources and/or insights from the professional discipline. The Consultant encourages the Mentors to reflect on their own personal issues arising in the supervisory relationship as well as to engage in theological reflection.

3. Consult in appropriate ways with the Faculty Supervisor.

The Intern will be relating to various members of the internship team throughout the internship, including the Mentor, on-site committee, Consultant, and Intern Program Faculty Supervisor. When the Intern is relating to the Consultant in the Internship Seminar or private session, this is considered to be confidential information that is not to be shared beyond the group or the private conversation itself. Because both the consultant and the Faculty Supervisor have a common interest in the growth and learning of the Intern, however, it may be necessary for them to come together for consultation if the student is acting out or exhibiting learning resistance on some issue that threatens the success of the internship. The consultation should be carried out in a way that does not divulge confidential information but focuses on helpful ways to address the identified concern. There may be occasions when the Consultant will initiate the conversation with the Faculty Supervisor, as well as occasions when the Faculty Supervisor will initiate the conversation. In either case, both need to check the appropriateness of the proposed conversation and decide together how to proceed.