Mental Health Support Internships in Belize
Mental Health priorities in Belize are usually related to improving access to services, through community-based initiatives. Grassroots efforts focused on promotion and prevention can help to assist people, who may not otherwise have access to abundant support and resources. If you’re interested in social work, psychology, and mental health support in general, these internships can provide an opportunity to expand your learning, immersion, and cultural intelligence.
Internship Highlights:
- Share your skills and energy to foster positive experiences for community groups.
- Develop your ideas and confidence related to the delivery of support services.
- Gain insight into initiatives designed to promote healthy and empowered populations.
- Promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness.
Type of host organizations:
- Hospitals
- Non-profit community centers
- Schools and educational institutions
- Social service agencies
- Clinics
- Police departments
Internship details
Mental Health Social Services in Belize can be understaffed and under-resourced, due to a general lack of counselors with a broad range of skills. Interns on this program have scope to take initiative and contribute where various community groups need more assistance. The internship tasks are not generally designed to provide psychological counseling but rather serve mental health action campaigns to create awareness, reduce stigma, and increase acceptance.
This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and select meals included. You can explore remote Psychology & Social Work internships, if you are looking for an internship program that you can undertake from home.
Mental Health Support internships take place within San Ignacio, the western Cayo district of Belize. As the only English-language speaking country in Central America, there is broad scope for interns to use initiative and creative expression, to learn about Mental Health Social Services and assist with delivery at a grass-roots level.
Practical tasks can be related to assistance to police officers, academic institutions, community centers, NGOs and more. Supervision varies, as interns may spend time with different staff/professionals. If assistance is required with any internship paperwork, this should be discussed with Intern Abroad HQ Program Managers in advance, as well as during the in-country orientation.
Note that individual internship experiences vary, as the specific placement that you’re assigned will depend on review of your resume and your current level of studies and experience. Therefore, if you’re at a more introductory level, you should reasonably expect a more introductory internship. Placement preferences are considered but always subject to availability.
In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in and gaining some introductory knowledge, as you will not “hit the ground running”. Rather, you should start with learning about the placement to gain an understanding of what you can build upon, develop, learn, and contribute. Ensure that you ask questions and provide feedback during the introductory period, so that your supervisor understands how you’re progressing. This will help them to better understand important details, such as how quickly you learn, what you find challenging, what you find interesting, etc.
Career Benefits
Mental Health Support interns learn from a qualified and experienced supervisor, and can be involved in:
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Intake assessments and screenings.
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Development and implementation of individualized treatment plans.
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Individual or group therapy sessions.
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Psychoeducation related to mental health conditions and coping strategies.
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Stress management, self-care, or mindfulness activities or workshops.
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Community outreach activities.
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Documenting client progress and maintaining client records.
Professional development opportunities:
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Assist local professionals in the provision of culturally sensitive care.
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Aid in assessments, treatment plans, and monitoring progress.
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Support sessions promoting coping skills and resilience.
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Learn to respond effectively to mental health emergencies.
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Adapt communication to diverse client backgrounds.
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Reflect on experiences to enhance professional skills.
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Gain practical skills and boost your employability, with guidance from Intern Abroad HQ’s Experiential Learning Curriculum to support your learning and cultural intelligence.
Belize photo gallery
Academic credit available for all internships
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing an internship abroad or remote internship program with Intern Abroad HQ.
Learn about course creditProgram fees
It’s free to apply for this internship. Once we have reviewed your suitability and accepted you onto this program, you’ll need to pay a deposit of US$499 to confirm your place. The remaining balance of your Program Fee (less your initial US$499 deposit payment) will be due no less than 60 days before your internship start date.
Duration |
Program Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks | $3,195 Equivalent to $114 /day |
| 5 weeks | $3,734 Equivalent to $106 /day |
| 6 weeks | $4,179 Equivalent to $99 /day |
| 8 weeks | $5,074 Equivalent to $90 /day |
| 10 weeks | $5,959 Equivalent to $85 /day |
| 12 weeks | $6,799 Equivalent to $80 /day |
- Airport pick-up
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- Program orientation
- Dedicated support before, during, and after your internship
- In-country guidance for social and tourist activities
- Sourcing and securing your internship placement
- Personalization of your internship plan
- Coaching from your supervisor
- Documented portfolio of your experiential learnings
- Academic credit facilitation
- International reference letter
- Certificate of Internship Completion
- Lunches
- All in-country transportation
- Visa (if required), flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check
- Transfer back to the airport at the end of your internship program
- Personal spending money for snacks, drinks, public transport, laundry, and leisure activities during your free time.
- A deposit of $499 (approximately 499) is required to secure your internship
- Balance of your Program Fee is due 60 days before your internship start date.
- All payments attract a 5% transaction fee to cover international banking fees and currency charges.
- Terms and Conditions apply.
Weekends and travel
Outside of internship placement hours, interns have free time to experience sight-seeing and tourism activities in and around San Ignacio. Explore the vibrant downtown area of San Ignacio, with its diverse range of restaurants and markets. Discover nearby Mayan ruins like Caracol andXunantunich. Take a day trip to the magnificent Tikal in Guatemala. Embark on a leisurely horseback ride adventure to the mysterious ATM cave. Enjoy canoeing or kayaking in the scenic rivers. Visit attractions such as the Belize Zoo, iguana farms, and butterfly farms. Experience snorkeling and scuba diving in the tropical beach paradises of Placencia and Ambergris Caye. The local team will be happy to make travel and tourism recommendations. However, while you’re in Valencia, these are just a few examples of the attractions you won’t want to miss:
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Xunantunich: The second tallest structure in Belize, this Mayan ruin offers breathtaking 360-degree views
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Caracol: A magnificent ancient Mayan site that was once a bustling metropolis. Swim in river pools, visit waterfalls and explore the Río Frío cave.
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Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave): This cave, ranked as the #1 most sacred cave by National Geographic, involves crossing rivers and navigating through ancient Mayan sacrificial areas by crawling, climbing, and swimming.
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Beaches: Day trips to coastal towns such as Hopkins, Placencia, or San Pedro to enjoy a Caribbean beach escape
Arrival and Orientation
Internships in San Ignacio, Belize begin every Monday of the year. Exceptions to this schedule may be made to this when start dates are shifted to avoid holiday disruptions, or closed when the program has already reached capacity. Interns may choose to spend a minimum of 4 weeks, up to a maximum of 24 weeks. Airport pick-up, accommodation, and select meals are included in the Program Fee.
The accommodation is covered from the Saturday night before the Monday start date - interns are required to arrive no later than the Saturday before their Monday start date, as all orientations are held on Mondays
The typical port of entry is the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). Pick up from this airport is included in the cost of the internship Program Fee. Upon arrival, interns will be met, greeted, and transferred to the accommodation. (If you are planning to spend time independently in Belize prior to the internship and will not require an airport pick up, we can discuss alternative arrival logistics).
Orientation covers important details for your internship, including introductions, information about culture, customs, rules, expectations, safety, language lessons, cultural excursions, and more. Your specific internship placement orientation will follow the general orientation, as you’ll be shown how to travel to and from your internship and be introduced to the team you’ll be joining.
The last night of the accommodation is the Friday night of the final week, leaving interns free to depart on Saturday. Extra nights of accommodation can be arranged in advance, if requested, and are subject to availability. Return transportation to the airport is not included in the internship program fee but local coordinators can assist you to make arrangements, upon request. Extra nights of accommodation can be arranged in advance, if requested, and are subject to availability.
Please note that all participants are advised not to book flights until they have first registered to confirm their internship placement.
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Accommodation and WiFi
All interns in San Ignacio are hosted in homestay accommodation, located within the program headquarters. There are five rooms available, each with their own bathroom, fans and air conditioning. The rooms are spacious and can accommodate 3 to 6 interns at any given time. Bedding and furnishings are provided, as well as common areas such as courtyard kitchen and dining area. Standard amenities include whiteware (i.e. washing machine, stovetop, fridge, microwave) and clean linen (i.e. bed sheets, pillows, towels).
Homestay accommodation provides international interns with an extra layer of local support, while also providing a valuable opportunity to become immersed in the Belize way of life, meeting new people and engaging in the lifestyle. There are on-site coordinators available to provide assistance as and when needed.
Basic WiFi is available at the accommodation and internship participants may optionally purchase a local SIM card with data (you will need to ensure that your phone is unlocked for international use). The local team can assist you with this at the orientation, if need be. Please note that the accommodation WiFi is for study and communication purposes but may not be used excessively for streaming/gaming, as this will exceed the limit. Guests will be encouraged to purchase your own data for heavy intertest usage. Laundry can be done at local Laundromats at an additional fee.
For those seeking alternative arrangements for customized group bookings, additional/unique arrangements can be made (at an additional cost) upon request (subject to availability). Please enquire for more information.
Please note that the accommodation pictured in the photo gallery of this webpage is provided as an example. The exact room that you’re assigned may differ from the photos.
Meals
Internships in Belize include two meals per day, Monday through Friday, provided by the homestay (daily breakfast and dinner). During the week, interns need to budget independently for their own lunches, and on weekends, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In Belize, the most common options for breakfast are stew, refried beans, and flour/corn tortillas (with habanero onion sauce!). You will find that meals are fresh, varied and balanced, and you can expect tortillas, beans, polenta, stir-fried vegetables, coconut curry, fresh seafood, eggs and rice.
It is important to be aware that vegetarian and other dietary requirements must be communicated in advance. There is an additional weekly surcharge if a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or vegan diet is requested. This is in order to provide specialty grocery items, which are often more expensive (e.g. soy milk, gluten free bread/pasta, protein supplements, etc). The extra cost is US$40 per week, which will be charged in advance. If there are special snacks you like to have, please budget for them and take care of your own preferences independently.
A weekly budget of approximately US$50 should be more than generous for covering lunches during the week, weekend meals, any extra snacks and treats, plus costs required for using public transportation. Bear in mind that your weekly spending budget will be determined by your own personal spending habits and lifestyle choices, so please plan accordingly.
Essential country information
| Capital | Belmopan |
| Population | 405,272 thousand |
| Languages | English |
| Currency | Belize Dollar |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
Weather and climate:
Belize has a tropical climate with distinctive wet and dry seasons. The climate varies by region, as temperatures change according to elevation and proximity to the coast. (Coastal and elevated areas are typically cooler).
The hottest months of the year in San Ignacio, Belize, are usually March through June (May is often the hottest month). This period is hot, humid and mostly cloudy. During this period, the average daily high is above 91°F (33°C). The temperatures are cooler from November through February. In January, which is usually the cooler month, the temperature typically ranges from 66°F - 82°F (or from 19°C - 28°C).
The chance of rainy days in San Ignacio varies throughout the year. The months that typically see more rain are late May through late November. September is often the rainiest month. December through April can be a drier time of year.
