Journals and Essay
Journal One [Date]
I spent most of the first week being oriented into the organization, where I was shown the environment in which I would be working, the roles that I would be performing, and how to execute them. The week was important to me because its end, I had known the colleagues with whom I would be working. I also made a few friends and studies the characters of my team members. I found familiarizing myself with some of the people necessary because I knew that I would require people to communicate with, consult, and even share jokes with during my internship period. I also had a meeting with my supervisor, where he informed me of what he would expect from me and my conduct. Therefore, the week was largely successful for me.
Journal Two [Date]
I was assigned a specific team with which I would be working. In the first meeting, I was introduced to my team members, and I had my first interactions with my group. The team reminded me of the importance of cooperation and told me that I would be expected to complete any roles that I would be given. The institution’s commitment to teamwork amazed me and made me realize that cooperation is such an important virtue, even in the corporate environment. Additionally, I started to understand and appreciate the importance of commitment and discipline because one of the most stressed points was that the team does not allow anybody to fail to complete a role that they are assigned. Therefore, I knew that to be a good team player, I had to do my part as others perform theirs.
Journal 3 [Date]
My first major responsibility was to spend time with a group of disabled children who had recently been admitted to the institution. I was supposed to watch them, speak with them, and do anything that would keep them positively engaged. Being the first time that I was performing such a role, I found it hard. I was unsure of what to communicate with them because I was afraid of offending them. At the same time, I wanted to leave a good first impression on the children so that they would have a positive opinion of myself. Consequently, I was tensed and felt unnecessary pressure. As I continued to engage with children, however, most aspects started to become clear to me. Consequently, I started finding it easier to communicate with the clients, making the time I had with them productive.
Journal 4 [Date]
I had another session with another group of older people that were on a rehabilitation program. However, I was in the company of a more experienced colleague who helped to show me a few details regarding the handling of such sessions. I had more fun with this session because I did not feel any pressure as in the first case. Although I knew that I lacked experience, I also immediately started to appreciate the importance of having someone that can lead and show a young person the way to help him or her grow professionally. I felt like a contributed more substantively to the second session than to the first one, even though I had spent more time in the first one. Additionally, I learned several aspects of engaging with people, including how to address them and how to ensure they are as engaged in the conversation as possible.
Journal 5 [Date]
I attended a team meeting, comprising of all my team members. I noted how competent the leader was while addressing us and summarizing the activities that we needed to do. Every person was given an opportunity to provide an opinion or mention any challenges that had been experienced. I was also given the opportunity to state how my experience had been at the institution until then. The fact that I was allowed to speak, and my opinion was heard made me realize that every person plays a crucial in the success of a group. Every suggestion and opinion should be welcomed in a team to ensure that people can take advantage of any brilliant idea, regardless of who suggests it.
Journal 6 [Date]
I met my supervisor, who told me that my progress was good and reminded me not to hesitate to ask for any help. He also told me that most of the responsibilities that I should be keen to understand operating in groups and understand all the dynamics of teamwork. The supervisor also notified me that I needed to improve on my communication skills to become more suited to working in such an environment. The meeting with the supervisor motivated me to work harder and make the rest of my time as an intern at the institution as profitable as possible. I also realized that I needed to be consulting him more regularly than I was doing. An internship experience needs to be highly involving and providing maximum exposure.
Journal 7 [Date]
I was grouped together with two other employees, and we were asked to monitor the progress of a group of rehabilitating adults for one week. I was told to lead the small team, where I would coordinate meetings with the concerned people and be in charge of what would be discussed in those meetings. It was a challenging but important role that I had been given. My three-member sub-team was effective in its conduct because we were all cooperative and had a good relationship with each other. Our team leader often visited us to notice how we were fairing. Although he noticed a few areas in which we could improve, he always provided positive feedback. From my time as the leader of the three-member sub-group, I noticed that having a healthy relationship is one of the features of a successful group because it makes members ready to cooperate.
Journal 8 [Date]
I was supposed to present the progress of the rehabilitating group in a team meeting. It was another challenging task for me because I had not made such an important presentation at the organization before. However, my two colleagues had helped me to prepare adequately for the presentation. Although it was only a five-minute exercise, I needed to know what to mention and make it clear to all people. If I had not prepared adequately, it would have been impossible for me to explain to the other people the steps we had taken and the progress that the rehabilitating group was making. I found the experience good because it helped me build my confidence in speaking in front of many people. Apart from enhancing my communication skills, it also improved my leadership abilities.
Journal 9 [Date]
Towards the end of my internship period, I was engaged in a team-building exercise, where the employees had lunch and drinks together. It was a new experience for me. Everyone dropped their work stresses and enjoyed the moment, having much laughter and fun. The event, which was held inside the institution, was good because it promoted togetherness and encouraged people to be their colleague’s keeper. Such an event creates bonds among employees that cannot be formed from the usual working environment. After taking part in such an event, workers are more likely to cooperate with each other when they go back to work. Therefore, it is a good strategy for ensuring that the working environment is suitable for all employees by eradicating toxicity and disagreements.
Journal 10
In my last week at the institution, I had a meeting with my supervisor, where he congratulated me for the good work that I had done. I reflected on the time that I had spent there and noted the positives from it and the aspects on which I could improve. The internship was productive for me because it increased my knowledge and skills. It was from the internship program that I realized I could not learn everything in the classroom. Some skills are best learned and acquired practically, and one becomes better with more experience. Therefore, although classwork is important, having field experience is also a crucial aspect of learning and understanding various concepts. As I completed the program, I knew I was better than when I joined it. I had made new friends and colleagues who were sad to see me leave.
Essay
Universal Institute is an agency that majors in offering rehabilitation services to disabled people. The organization aims to provide new hope and instill determination to disabled people by showing them that their physical conditions should not define their achievement. Therefore, the agency provides comprehensive services that enhance an individual’s functional capacity. By prioritizing the needs of the clients, the agency also maximizes the client’s self-worth. The agency offers various types of therapy to clients to ensure that they can live a normal life without feeling limited by their physical condition. Instead, the organization helps people to look at their strengths rather than feel sorry or major on their weaknesses. The founder of the agency stated that the only real disability that exists is the fear of failure because it prevents an individual from trying. Therefore, the organization provides an environment that enhances intensive and innovative rehabilitation that can get the best out of all individuals.
The agency provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, cognitive and rehabilitation therapy. Additionally, it has a structured day program that serves adults living with various neurological conditions. The agency accepts several insurance covers, and it also serves citizens with Medicaid and Medicare covers. However, the organization also partners with sponsors and donors to provide funding to facilitate its services. It is led by a team of top professionals who work to ensure that the highest level of care is provided. The leadership demands a high level of professionalism from all employees, including interns and volunteers. Consequently, clients get the best possible services because all workers are committed to delivering their best and elevate the status of the agency.
The organization works well, and most of its activities go on smoothly because of the careful planning carried out by its leadership. However, the agency can do better in its funding programs. The agency has not invested heavily in mobilizing donors and well-wishers to fund its activities, which makes the organization not capable of handling a large number of clients. Additionally, the organization can improve its follow-up programs to ensure that clients do not deteriorate when they go home. For example, the agency can decide to invest in incorporating more aspects of technology in their follow-up strategies to ensure that the monitoring of clients is as accurate and timely as possible. Additionally, the agency could hire more workers, including volunteers and interns, to enhance such functions.
The agency should also improve its training of employees. Throughout the period I was at the agency, no employees attended any form of a training program, and I did not hear of a plan to enroll any workers. Such an environment requires that workers advance their skills regularly to ensure that they are updated with any new developments. Moreover, regular training improves the confidence of the workforce because they are not afraid of not handling clients according to the best available techniques. Although the internet ensures that employees can learn new skills over the internet, a real training program is more effective because it exposes attendees to various types of conditions. Direct contact with trainers also puts those who attend such sessions at an advantage when compared to learning over the internet. Therefore, it is important that the agency introduces regular training programs to its workforce.
My involvement with clients was good, and it made me learn a lot regarding dealing with people and using the appropriate language, among other important aspects that are helpful to my profession. I got involved with clients in therapy sessions, where I held discussions with them as prescribed. At first, I found it hard to speak with the clients because I was struggling to find the appropriate vocabulary that would not have a negative effect on their self-belief. Additionally, I was feeling tense, which made it hard for me to communicate effectively with the clients. After some time, however, I became increasingly comfortable and confident when speaking to clients. With the help of my colleagues and my supervisor, I gained the necessary skills and experience required to address all people appropriately.
Unlike when speaking to clients, I did not have challenges speaking to members of staff. I settled in the new environment quickly, something that I attributed to the presence of other young employees at the institute, which made it easy for us to start speaking. Teamwork was also important in helping me to start speaking with my colleagues comfortably. Nevertheless, I realized that I did not possess as good communication skills as I initially thought. With practice, however, I improved significantly during my time at the agency. Although I still need to improve my communication skills further for my professional growth, I am much better than I was before I attended the internship program. Being an effective communicator will also help me to become a good leader in the future. Since I aspire to become a leader, communication skills will be important in my development and career growth.
The internship helped me to learn a lot about myself. For example, I noticed that I am good at socializing with people, an aspect that is important for my profession. Additionally, I am good at obeying prescribed instructions and observing time. I completed all the tasks assigned to me on time and according to the requirements provided. I am also emotional, which helps me to be sensitive to the needs of the clients. Additionally, being emotional helps me to be passionate about helping individuals, which is crucial in my profession. Additionally, my emotional nature will help me improve my communication skills and acquire the appropriate terminology that I would require to attend to clients effectively. Hence, the internship was crucial in that it improved me and helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses.
Consumers of the services offered by Universal Institute face the challenge of being unfairly perceived as people who cannot realize their maximum achievement. Many people pity disabled persons rather than helping them and creating opportunities for them to thrive. Therefore, they end up being mentally disturbed because they do not get an enabling environment for them to be successful. Universal Institute aims to create the right circumstances for disabled people and ensuring that they are in the right mental circumstances to handle the various challenges that they experience. The agency also aims to help old people who may be experiencing health challenges that come with old age. For example, some of them have chronic conditions caused by the accumulation of diseases, while others have such conditions as dementia. Therefore, by helping old people, the organization helps them to live with dignity despite their advanced age. Some of them have little savings, and persistent health challenges might leave them in poverty. Therefore, the agency’s role in society is immense.