As you may know, I have conducted the Children's Summer Treatment Program (STP) for children with ADHD and related impairments for more than 40 years, most recently through the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University. The STP has been named a Model Program in Child and Family Mental Health by the American Psychological Association and has been named a program of the year by CHADD, the national parent advocacy group for children with ADHD. I am writing to ask for your help in making outstanding students aware of the numerous positions we have available. Positions are available for students who are interested in working with children in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Elementary age groups. Positions are available at our Miami, FL and Buffalo, NY locations.
Below is a brief description of the available positions in the STP. I hope that you will encourage interested students to apply. Applications for all positions are competitive, so students should apply as soon as possible. Position descriptions, application forms, and instructions are available athttps://ccf.fiu.edu/summer-programs/index.html.
Students who have participated in the program have uniformly viewed the experience as an extremely demanding one, but one that makes a great contribution to their professional development. With very few exceptions, they highly recommend working in the program. For example, on feedback forms administered at the end of recent programs, approximately ninety percent of undergraduates felt that the experience contributed very much to their career goals, and that they would recommend the program to other undergraduates. The experience and recommendations gained in our program have helped many of our undergraduates continue in graduate careers in the helping professions. The experience is also quite useful for undergraduate students interested in clinical research in child psychopathology, pharmacology, and psychotherapy.
2022 Summer Treatment Program
Staff Positions
The Center for Children and Families at Florida International University announces Summer Treatment Program Counselor, Research Assistant, and Teacher/Classroom Aide positions for 2022. The Summer Treatment Program (STP) provides services to children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, learning problems, and related behavior problems. The program provides treatment tailored to children's individual behavioral and learning difficulties. The Center for Children and Families is directed by William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D., who is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry. Greg Fabiano, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, oversees the Center for Children and Families of Western New York.
By participating in the STP, students will:
- Learn evidence-based techniques for working with children who have disruptive behavior disorders
- Gain valuable clinical and research experience to prepare for career and graduate school
- Help children to improve their social skills, sports skills, and academic skills
- Network with faculty members at the Center for Children and Families, as well as students from across the country.
Positions are available in three related programs serving children between the ages of 3-12. In each program, children and counselors are assigned to groups of four or five counselors and 10 to 15 children of similar age. Children participate in a variety of classroom-based and recreational activities. Staff members implement an extensive behavior modification treatment program during all program activities. The behavior modification program includes feedback and associated consequences for positive and negative behaviors, daily and weekly rewards for appropriate behavior, social praise and attention, appropriate commands, and age-appropriate removal from positive reinforcement. Staff members will also be responsible for recording, tracking, and entering daily records of children’s behavior and response to the treatment. Staff members will work under the supervision of experienced faculty and staff members and will receive regular feedback about their performance.
Experience in the STP may be helpful to prepare students for further study or employment in the fields of education, mental health, physical education, pediatrics, psychiatry, recreational therapy, behavior analysis, social work, counseling, and related areas. Staff members have uniformly reported the experience to be the most demanding but also the most rewarding clinical experience of their careers.
The STP will be conducted at our Miami, FL and Buffalo, NY locations. More than 100 positions are available. Positions are available for undergraduate students, postbaccalaureate students, and graduate students. Detailed descriptions of each program, position descriptions, and application instructions are available at: https://ccf.fiu.edu/summer-programs/index.html