For second year Master of Social Work (MSW) intern Emily Mars Raymond, a new joint internship program offered by the ̽̽ Center on Aging and the ̽̽ Medical Center’s Memory Program was the perfect career building opportunity to fulfill her academic and career goals. It was a chance to build her clinical skills while learning about the policy and programmatic side of supporting aging Vermonters.
“I was interested in the internship because of the unique partnership and the ability to bridge different aspects of social work, working one-on-one with people, and also tackling larger systemic issues," says Mars Raymond. "I feel drawn to this work because it feels urgently needed and undervalued in Vermont, a state whose population is among the oldest in the nation. It is an honor and privilege to support people who are wading through the hardest things in their lives.”
Mars Raymond was one of several master’s level clinicians trained to become a certified facilitator for the CARERS (Coaching, Advocacy, Respite, Education, Relationship and Simulation) program offered through the ̽̽ Medical Center's Memory Program and the Binter Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in partnership with the ̽̽ Center on Aging. The program is designed for spouses or adult children who actively provide intensive care for a family member coping with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia related to Parkinson’s disease or other conditions. In addition to shadowing Binter Director and Professor of Neurological Sciences James Boyd, M.D., she also co-led a six-week psychotherapeutic group for people living with mild cognitive impairment.
“I enjoyed the clinical social work experience engaging with individuals and groups at the Memory Program while partnering alongside some of the best social workers in the field,” Mars Raymond says. “I also partnered with the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to start a group for people living with younger onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – the first of its kind in Vermont.” Her work included recruiting participants, facilitating the group, and bringing in expert guest speakers. She continued volunteering her time with the group over the summer.
At the Center on Aging, Mars Raymond managed the Grand Friends Program, which pairs undergraduate students who are learning about older adult development and aging with volunteers who are 65 and older. “It was rewarding to survey the older adults at the end and find out just how meaningful the program was to them. Many formed lasting relationships and gained a renewed sense of hope in the next generation. And students could put a face to the issues they read about in their textbooks or discussed in class. As future physical therapists, nurses, social workers, financial planners, lawyers, and legislators, getting exposure to older adults now prepares them for their careers in working with older adults."
The internship experience and her deep interest in working with older adults will serve Mars Raymond well as she begins working at , one of Vermont’s five agencies on aging.
“I am really excited about working with caregivers, providing counseling on end-of-life options, facilitating caregiver support groups, supporting people as they complete advanced directives, providing dementia education, promoting self-care to caregivers, and running a dementia respite grant program," explains Mars Raymond. "I met the Age Well team at the ̽̽ Geriatrics Conference and was impressed by all the work they are doing. A neighbor of mine used to work for them and gave me the inside scoop about the people and the working environment there. That recommendation really sealed the deal.”
̽̽'s nationally recognized MSW program emphasizes community and family-centered practice through a variety of professional roles and such diverse settings as schools, medical centers, mental health centers, government agencies, and community-based organizations.
Building on the successful partnership, ̽̽ will continue to offer the internship to another second-year MSW student for the upcoming academic year.
“The experience is enriching and uplifting for everyone,” says Mars Raymond. “We are all better off when we connect with the older adults around us.”
