Interning at Community Boards provides you with a valuable, real-life, hands-on experience. Interns get to interview prospective clients, develop cases, outreach to the community, and other tasks related to community mediation programming. We accept local and international students, as well as non-student individuals looking to expand their skill sets in the field.
Interns are expected to work for a minimum of 4.5 months (a semester) and at least one full day a week. Interning at Community Boards is non-paying. We welcome interns of all backgrounds. We look forward to hearing from you!
If interested in interning, please contact Cordell Wesselink, Mediation Program Manager, at 415-920-3820 ext. 109 or email at cwesselink@communityboards.org.
Qualifications
- Good telephone and communication skills
- Ability to empathize without taking sides
- Patience while working with angry, frustrated or upset callers
- Familiarity with data entry
- Fluency in Spanish, Cantonese or Mandarin would be helpful
Tasks
- Case Intake with Party 1
- Explain Community Boards’ services and role of mediation
- Listen to caller’s issue(s) and ask clarifying questions
- Determine if mediation is appropriate
- Provide referrals if mediation isn’t appropriate
- Collect demographic data
Case Development
- Contact Party 2, by mail and then by telephone
- Answer all concerns of Party 2, reinforcing Community Boards’ neutrality. Goal is to persuade the second party to participate in mediation.
- If parties agree to mediate, negotiate/schedule best date and time to mediate
Administration
- Enter data in MADtrac database
- Follow-up telephone “mediation satisfaction” survey
- Some clerical assistance