Locations for undergraduate Ohio University students taking PSY 3910 Field in Psychology.
American Red Cross of Southeast Ohio
Provides disaster relief to those in need of assistance and plans and runs blood drives in Southeast Ohio.
Possible Activities:Three general categories of activities: (1) office work and data entry, (2) disaster relief, (3) bloodmobile greeters, escorts, or canteen staff. Complete Red Cross disaster courses and become approved to respond to fires (and perhaps other emergencies). After training, students would shadow others in response to fires until they become comfortable on own. Attend disaster team meetings once per month (second Thursday of each month, 5-6 p.m.).
Requirements:Pass a background check and pay the fee for the background check.
Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare (ABH)
Possible Activities:Gain experience working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Participate in therapeutic activities with patients. Activities include arts and crafts, bingo and card games, volleyball, and billiards. Support patients during chapel by listening, singing, and sharing (not available during summer months). Meet a wide variety of patients and treatment professionals.
Address: 100 Hospital Drive, Athens, OH 45701
Athens Area Hospice
Dedicated care to ensure the highest possible quality of life during the last stages of life
Possible Activities:Be one of a unique group of specially trained volunteers who provide companionship for hospice clients and respite for their caregivers. Activities may include quiet conversation, playing cards, board games or working jigsaw puzzles, washing dishes, feeding assistance, reading aloud, tending a garden, writing letters, and more. Quality-of-life volunteer activities are perfect for those volunteers who want to serve clients in a direct way, but who do not choose to make in-home visits. Get involved as a pen-pal, create handmade flower arrangements, or cook a casserole dish for delivery to hospice households. Office volunteers work with staff in the office on such activities as filing, copying, data entry, processing and collating documents, and/or assisting with special projects.
Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities and ATCO Adult Services
Their mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities through an array of individualized services and supports.
Possible Activities:Gain experience working in a social services agency for both children and adults with developmental disabilities. Participate in and support individuals during weekly community activities, including Monday lunches, recreation night, bowling league, and dance group. Meet a wide variety of children and adults in Athens County, as well as treatment professionals.
Requirements:Volunteers must fill out and turn in a volunteer application, along with two references, located at: http://athenscbdd.org/volunteer . Background check. Understand confidentiality responsibilities.
Athens County Child Advocacy Center
The CAC provides services for child sexual abuse survivors and their families. The goals of the CAC are to minimize stress and trauma for the child and family, link families with services, as well as maximize the quality of investigation and increase rates of prosecution.
Possible Activities:General office assistance. Client/family interaction during interviews, home visits, and court hearings. Assist with coordinating community education and prevention events. Assist with fundraising events.
Requirements:Submit an application (download from website). Background check (volunteer must pay for costs — must be FBI & BCI).
Address:444 W. Union St. Suite B, Athens, OH 45701
Athens County Children's Services
Possible Activities:Help with community events. Work in classrooms with students. Assist with support groups, including family, teenage women, and men groups. The program includes social work interns and public relations/advertising interns.
Requirements:Background check and fingerprinting. Complete necessary training.
Athens County Senior Center (United Seniors of Athens County)
The center's mission is to promote independence, enhance physical and emotional well-being and to increase effective use of community resources by Athens County residents who are age 60 and older.
Possible Activities:Participate in social activities such as playing cards, billiard games, and other special events. Participate in friendly visits or phone calls to offer social contact and check on the well-being of an individual. Get involved in instruction or education of various topics of interest, including cooking, crafts, self-improvement, health care, etc.
Athens County Victim Assistance Program
Possible Activities:Supervised Visitation Center (weekends): Initially shadow and then monitor visits between parents and children .Complete monitoring reports.
Victims' Assistance Project: Tasks vary every week because your work will depend on the needs of the victims that you are assisting, but may include:
- Assist with advocacy services, petition courts, assistance with civil protection orders
- Help victims complete paperwork and filing reports.
- Accompany victims to court upon request.
- Assist with victim impact statements.
Appalachian Peace and Justice Network
The Appalachian Peace and Justice Network empowers groups and individuals to work for peace and social justice.
Athens Student Action
Athens Student Action was formed to help students from Ohio University and Hocking College engage the wider Athens community through volunteerism and service.
Autism Society of Southeastern Ohio
The society is committed to increasing advocacy and support for families affected by autism or other developmental disabilities by raising public awareness, outreach, education, collaboration, and community events.
Possible Activities:Assist with raising public awareness through annual events such as Rock for Autism. Provide support for through community events. Assist in educating the public about autism.
Beacon School
Beacon School is part of the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities. It offers services for individuals with developmental disabilities from toddler age until age 21. Programming is tailored to each individual student's needs. The focus is on building skills needed in the present and future in the areas of functional academics, prevocational, socialization, daily living skills, adaptive physical education, fine and gross motor, and recreation and leisure.
Possible Activities:Get involved in this alternative school setting, assisting students during daily as well as social activities.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Athens County Inc.
Possible Activities:Students who commit to one semester: Assist in the office. Respond to inquiries about the organization Help complete reference checks.
Students who commit to the entire year: Be involved in the matching process (matching Bigs and Littles). Interview Bigs and Littles .Help make appropriate matches .Write reports .Be involved with fundraising
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Guardian Ad Litems
Possible Activities:Students who are over 21 years of age: Be an advocate for children. After being assigned a family, students will spend time with the children, investigate family dynamics, consider what the children want before making a final report.
Students who are under 21 years of age: Help with office work. Sit in on court hearings.
Requirements:Reference and background check. Child advocates undergo 30 hour pre-service training.
Echoing Meadows Residential Center
Echoing Meadows is an assisted-living facility grounded in a Christian philosophy of balanced physical, mental, spiritual, and social living for persons with developmental disabilities.
Possible Activities:Play games and do other activities with the residents (persons with physical or developmental disabilities).
Good Works Inc.
Possible Activities:There are over 18 volunteer and internship opportunities available through Good Works including providing assistance at the Timothy House, a shelter for the rural homeless, and Friday Night Life (community meals). See the website for details on all volunteer opportunities
Requirements:Must get approval for credit before volunteering.
HAVAR
For the past 30 years, Havar Inc. has been dedicated to serving citizens with disabilities in both Washington and Athens Counties
Possible Activities:Putt People First, a non-profit miniature golf course, is offering 2-4 hour volunteer shifts with or without Havar consumers. Get involved with tutoring, living skills training, recreational activities, arts and crafts, etc.
Hickory Creek of Athens
Possible Activities:One-to-one visits with residents in one of the four units (Alzheimer, rehabilitation, higher functioning, or heavier care). Group activities, outings. Learn about various types of specialized care
Requirements:Flexibility in scheduling, but the student must have a set schedule. Background check, TB test and orientation.
Hospice of Kimes and Kimes Nursing and Rehab
The mission of Kimes Nursing and Rehab is to provide care and services to the best of our ability treating each customer with the finest respect, honesty and decency.
Kids On Campus
Possible Activities:Involvement with the after school program, working with and group of children and teen leaders. Discharge planning, continuum of care, financial assessment, child/adult neglect
Requirements:Initial application available online
My Sister's Place
Services to victims of family violence in Athens, Hocking and Vinton Counties.
Requirements:Complete the volunteer orientation.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMIis the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.
Ohio University Child Development Center
The Center provides Child Care for children of faculty, staff and students of Ohio University and children whose parents live in the community surrounding Ohio University,
Possible Activities:Supervising small groups of children. Setting up activities. Cleaning up after activities. Other duties as assigned by the classroom teacher.
Requirements:Current physical form ;fingerprint records (Ohio residents, BCII; out-of-state residents, BCII and FBI); high school diploma or transcript with graduation date; statement of non-conviction; three (3) references from non-relatives
Passion Works
Passion Works is a premier art studio that supports collaborations between artists with and without developmental disabilities.
Possible Activities:One on one assistance (e.g. sitting beside a Passion Works Artist and getting their supplies when needed). Helping with production (e.g. pressing petals for Passion Flowers) or assisting an Artist in Residence in turning an image from a sketchbook into a larger-than life paper mache animal! "Let us know what skills you have (e.g. sewing, listening, painting, putting things together and organizing). We'll work with you to create an experience that utilizes your talents."
Requirements:Complete application process
Rural Action
Organization that promotes economic, social, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio.
Possible Activities:Service learning with local youth. Job training programs (from welfare to work).
Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center (Crisis Center)
The center is a group of treatment centers that offer residents of Ross, Fayette, Highland, Pike, and Pickaway counties help for drug addiction, alcoholism, and a variety of other addictions, health concerns, or psychological disorders.
Possible Activities:Answer crisis line calls. Supervised practicum in emergency services, substance abuse, or counseling. The center offers an atmosphere of collegial support and will assist individuals looking to enhance communication skills and encourage leadership.
Requirements:Complete an orientation and training. Work in four-hour shifts for the crisis line.
Survivor Advocacy Program of the Ohio University Women's Center
The mission of the Ohio University Women's Center is to act as a catalyst to promote awareness, education, and advocacy about women, gender, and diversity, among faculty, staff, and students at Ohio University and its surrounding communities.
Possible Activities:Find out and provide advice, advocacy, information about women's issues, and resources for women and their supporters at Ohio University and in the Athens community.
Requirements:Application process
For more information, call 740-593-9625 or visit the center's website. The Women's Center is located in Baker University Center Room 403.
The Gathering Place
The Gathering Place supports the recovery of persons with mental illness by enhancing personal development and well-being, while fostering community involvement.
Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center
Wellspring is a residential treatment center for persons who have suffered harm as a result of being involved in cults or other religious, political or psychologically destructive relationships.
Possible Activities:Research assistant—data entry from the test protocols administered to Wellspring clientele; data analysis if the volunteer is familiar with SPSS Assist office manager with mailings, filings, client inquires.