Director’s message: MMI interns represent the future

In July, the Munroe-Meyer Institute welcomed 23 new interns from the nationally accredited Nebraska Internship Consortium to work with us for the next year.

The interns come to MMI from 20 different major universities in states as far away as Washington, Montana, Mississippi and Florida and as close as Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota.

Some of the interns will be engaged in the delivery of behavioral health services at MMI in major rotations that will emphasize day treatment of severe behavior, autism and feeding disorders. Others will deliver outpatient behavioral health services in our new outpatient center, focusing on individuals with developmental, social, emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Still other interns will train and practice in community settings, integrating behavioral health with MMI partners that include primary care offices, public schools and rehabilitation facilities.

Finally, some interns will train and practice in rural and underserved communities across Nebraska, such as Kearney, Norfolk, Chadron, Alliance, Rushville, Beatrice and Winnebago.

Under the direction of Allison Grennan, PhD, this type of behavioral health training program is critical to the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s mission. It helps in attracting an extremely talented behavioral health workforce that increases access to care across Nebraska.

At this moment, more than 115 behavioral health providers who are living and working across Nebraska did major clinical training experiences at MMI. At MMI itself, 27 of our 40 behavioral health faculty either did an internship or fellowship (or both) at the institute.

If you work with one of our new interns or come across them around the institute’s many settings, please welcome them. Be sure to remember their names — there’s a chance you’ll see them at MMI or one of our partners in the future.

Keith Allen, PhD, is director of academic affairs and director and professor of psychology for the Munroe-Meyer Institute.