Anna Cruz

Journal Entry- Week 1

AHS 8100
1/18/15

I began my internship this week at the Youth Advocate Program, in Vineland, N.J.
This week I met the receptionist, director of the program as well as a few of the
therapists. The supervisor had me familiarize myself with the client files so that I may see
what the office does on a daily basis. I was able to look through treatment plans that were
already processed. In doing so, my supervisor felt comfortable letting me sit in on a
session with a client in order to become familiar with how an entrance interview is done.
Once the session was done the supervisor and I sat and discussed what I thought about
the session. I looked through the notes of the session and was able to conclude a
diagnosis. In diagnosing the client I learned that you must listen to all the facts and go
over them again after the session in order to come to a diagnosis.
I learned that my strengths are going into the session with an open mind. In saying
open mind I mean that I was already briefed on the case but I didnt go into session
assuming that the briefing was my focus of session. I wanted to see what the client had to
say and how they felt about any situations that were present. I feel that I need to pay
closer attention to the key words that the client was repeating. I was a little nervous when
I was left alone with the client for a few minutes, which I know is a weakness. I am
aware it was my first week and I have a long road of learning ahead of me. I look forward
to learning more about different scenarios and the many different clients I will come in

contact with. Therefore, I want to improve on paying closer attention to details that may
seem small but are critical in determining the root of the issue. I also want to improve on
being more talkative with the client so that they may gain my trust.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 2
AHS 8100
1/24/15
I have just finished my second week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I continued helping the supervisor finish a treatment plan for a
client. I was also quizzed by the supervisor as to what paperwork should be given to the
clients guardian to fill out. I had to go over the documents with the client explaining why
we needed her signature. The supervisor went on to say I did very well. As the week
continued I was given a folder of sessions from various counselors and had to go through
them for accuracy. I had to make sure all documents for filled out properly to meet the
guidelines of the agency. The supervisor stated this is something that she does to make
sure that the counselors are meeting agency guidelines. Therefore, she let me go through
them so I can get a feel as to what a supervisor needs to get done on a monthly basis. I
was able to update a program for a client that has been having sessions for two months. I
looked through progress notes to then decide what improved and what needs to be
improved.
I am beginning to get used to what needs to be done so far. She still has a lot of
things she wants to show me. I am doing the best I can learning and retaining what I have
learned so far. It is challenging when the clients programs are all different and based on
the needs of the client. I learned that my strengths are multi tasking and being able to stop
one thing and jump into another. I want to improve on being able to differentiate with the
programs and being able to distinguish which programs are best for different clients. I am

looking forward to being able to jump right in and be able to know the proper program
needed for each client. I also look forward to being able to see the progress of the
counselors and how each of them handles their case load.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 3
AHS 8100
2/1/15
I have just finished my third week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to able to diagnose and prepare a treatment plan for a few
clients. I was able to assist the Supervisor with these plans with reviewing other client
files. I also was able to assist with treatment plans by reviewing the diagnoses book and
treatment plan book. The resources have been a great help to me in learning as much as
possible about various diagnoses and various treatment plans available for clients. I have
also assisted in going through the new hire files to verify that all proper documents are in
files. I was able to set up training for new staff that required updating on certifications.
I met with Supervisor to discuss how my internship training was going and if I
have any questions or concerns with what I have learned so far. I decided to take that
opportunity to discuss the learning contract. We discussed the goals and how we would
achieve those goals. I have a great amount of learning to achieve in order to be able to
make important decisions for this internship position. I am still learning and beginning to
understand the mission of the organization. It has its challenges and as I encounter
various challenges I am learning how to resolve them. I want to improve on handling
situations in a quicker manner. I also want to learn to separate my feelings from the
situation and understand that I have to do the best that I can in order to help even if at the
end my best doesnt help. I need to understand that sometimes individuals cant be helped
because they dont want the help. I learned that my strengths are I want to be able to help

everyone although I know that I may not be able to help everyone. I am looking forward
to being able to learn what is needed to be able to work at the Youth Advocate Program.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 4
AHS 8100
2/8/15
I have just finished my fourth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to able to attend a meeting with the new Clinical
Psychology Supervisor and staff from both offices. She had us all introduce ourselves as
well as what title we hold or what we specialize in. She also went on to introduce herself
and her title and background. It was interesting to hear everyones backgrounds since
they were quite diverse in various fields. I found this interesting due to it explains why
everyone works as team between both offices. The meeting was held in order to meet
everyone and so that she may ask questions on how they would like to meet with her
weekly or monthly. Since the therapists are required to meet certain times a month or
weekly.
I was able to update treatment plans on my own this week, with a review for a
final approval after I was finished. I was able to learn how to search for medical
insurance approval as well since at times the sessions are after hours we have to do this
task ourselves. I am learning many aspects of the office and I am looking forward to
learning much more. I am enjoying this internship, since I am able to learn various tasks
from all titles not just supervisor. I feel this is important since as a supervisor you want to
be able to relate to any issues that may come up in the future with all titles.
This week was a lot easier and more relaxed. I know that it will not always be
relaxed. I want to improve on learning more about all the titles since I know this will be

beneficial in the supervisor title. My strengths are being able to multi task, and I realized
this is an important aspect to this organization.
.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 5
AHS 8100
2/15/15
I have just finished my fifth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to able to meet a few more of the therapists and advocates
that work for the agency. I was also able to meet the director of the Gloucester office. I
am meeting everyone gradually. I am excited to learn more about the talent that this
agency brings to those that they serve. I was also able to meet with some of the guardians
of the clients we serve. I have also had the opportunity to meet some of the new clients
that have been referred to our agency. This past week I also met a family service
representative from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. I have learned that
DCP&P pay our agency for services provided to some of their clients. As I continue with
my internship I am learning an abundance of information as far as which agencies we
affiliate with. There are several agencies and departments and they are all different in the
means of services they request of our agency or provide for our agency and those we
service.
This week I continued to update plans for those that are due for updates. Im
learning how to update without asking too many questions and using my judgment on the
previous treatment plan and the review of session notes. Im getting familiar with the
various cases as well as the clients. I am also familiarizing myself with the various
treatment plans and how to put together a treatment plan with just the diagnoses. My
strengths are my eagerness to learn the various methods of treatment plans and being able

to put together a treatment plan that will produce positive results. My weaknesses are
becoming familiar with the various diagnoses some can be different but with similar
symptoms. It can be a difficult to match diagnoses to a client depending on the
symptoms. Im still in the learning process and Im gradually learning the various
diagnoses and symptoms. I continue to look forward to the many challenges as I continue
to gain learning experiences within this agency.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 6
AHS 8100
2/22/15
I have just finished my sixth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week was I was able to continue meeting the staff that works for the
agency. I have also met a few clients of some of the other therapists. I was able to sit in
on their activity session about domestic violence since they are teens and have
boyfriends. It was pretty interesting to hear their thoughts on the scenario that was
presented to them. I was able to see how the therapists discussed their thoughts and
explained how serious domestic violence is in this world.
This week was also a short week due to the holiday and snow days. Therefore I
wasnt able to sit in on many sessions. However, I did make two treatment plans for
siblings that just started to attend sessions with our agency. I was able to set up files for
future clients. I was also able to help other staff with organizing their client notes in order
to make treatment plans. My strengths are keeping an open mind and trying not to let my
personal opinion or feelings get in the way of my task. My weaknesses are when I have to
do a treatment plan for siblings and their diagnoses are completely different. Its
challenging due to the fact that they are around each other at home and in school but have
different issues. I would think that since they are siblings and live in the same household
would have similar issues. This is not always the case and I am learning that all clients
are different even if they live in the same household.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 7
AHS 8100
3/1/15
I have just finished my seventh week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to continue updating treatment plans and making new
ones for new clients. I have learned that the updating of treatment plans is based on the
notes of sessions. In reviewing the notes I must determine the percentage of progress
made from first session with client. Most treatment plans are for three months and the
sessions are scheduled once a week for an hour. When the three months are up depending
on percentage of progress the therapist determines whether treatment needs to continue. I
am continually learning new things weekly, and I am looking forward to the many things
I have yet to learn.
This week was also the end of the month in which all therapists must submit their
weekly sessions for the month. These session notes must be reviewed and signed by the
therapist supervisor. I was able to help with reviewing the notes and making sure the
dates coincided with the billing notice for each client. I was also able to determine if any
of the sessions needed corrections made. I found that many sessions must have been
typed after the date so the dates of billing and the date of session was off by a day or so.
This can be an issue, therefore I verified with supervisor who corrected the issue. My
strengths are continuing to keeping an open mind and trying not to let my personal
opinion or feelings get in the way of my task. My weaknesses are trying to get everything
done before I leave for the night. I dont like to leave things unfinished especially at the

end of the week. I know I have to take my time with the workload since rushing can bring
mistakes. I am learning that rushing through work is not ideal and can cause issues later.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 9
AHS 8100
3/15/15
I have just finished my ninth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to continue updating treatment plans and making new
ones for new clients. I have learned to look for specific details in the notes of therapists
that will help in determining the clients diagnoses. I continue to reviewing the notes
where I must determine the percentage of progress made from first session to most recent
session with client. I was able to sit in with a client for about five minutes and make
conversation with her. I found it very intriguing to be able to talk to client and listen to
her talk about school and her family. As the weeks get closer to the end of my internship I
am continually learning new things weekly, and I am looking forward to the many things
I have yet to learn.
This week was also the week where all paperwork from therapists had to be
submitted and signed. I was able to organize all the paperwork and learn what is done
with the paperwork once it is reviewed and signed off on. My strengths continue to be
keeping an open mind and trying not to let my personal opinion or feelings get in the way
of my task. My weaknesses continue to be trying to get everything done before I leave for
the night. Although, I am learning slowly that I cant do everything in one day and I do
my best not to get flustered when Im close to end of the night and my work isnt all
done.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 10
AHS 8100
3/22/15
I have just finished my tenth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to continue updating treatment plans and making new
ones for new clients. I was able to sit in on a session where the family needed a translator.
This was definitely a challenge although I am bilingual I still had a hard time. I am of
Puerto Rican descent and the family was of Mexican descent. Both cultures have
similarities but also many differences. The language can be different in the sense that
many words have different meanings in both languages. I also had a hard time with the
paper work that she needed to fill out since we didnt have it available in Spanish. I was
told I was needed for translating but only about ten minutes before they were to come.
That is not enough time to prepare for a new client session. I feel that we could have been
better prepared for the session if they knew in advance I could have been told sooner. In
knowing sooner I would have been able to search for the bilingual paper work and have it
ready for the client when they came in. It caused the session to run longer than allowed
and the next client had to wait for their session.
This week I learned that I must be prepared for sessions in advance. I think as a
professional you should be prepared in advance of sessions so that youre not stuck. It
would have been an issue if I wasnt there to translate. Another issue I think about is my
internship is over in a few weeks and who will translate for them when I leave. I havent
seen a bilingual staff other than myself at this location. In the mean time, this client will

be in next week and I was asked to translate. Since I am aware that they are coming in I
will be prepared for them. My strengths are that I like to be prepared for my clients and I
want to be able to be prepared for things ahead of time. My weaknesses are that I thought
that both languages were the same and this taught me that I cant always assume things
and I should research things more thoroughly.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 11
AHS 8100
3/29/15
I have just finished my eleventh week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to continue updating treatment plans and making new
ones for new clients. I was looking forward to the bilingual client to come in this past
week and she didnt. I was hoping to be able to converse with her again about her son and
see how much progress he made since last session. I was able to update a plan for another
therapist that I wasnt familiar with. This was challenging since I am used to other
therapists cases. It was difficult to understand her notes and what her diagnosis was. I was
able to view several different types of cases, such as behavioral, court, out of county, and
social services cases. It was interesting to see that the treatment plans are different format
for some of the departments.
My strengths are that I like to work on different things and I noticed that it keeps
me interested. My weaknesses are that I need to be prepared to work on similar cases and
stay within my mindset on getting each individual case on the proper treatment plan
regardless of their similarities.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 12
AHS 8100
4/5/15
I have just finished my twelfth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate
Program. This week I was able to able to attend a meeting with the Clinical Psychology
Supervisor and staff from the Vineland office. She wanted to know how everyone was
doing and if there were any issues. Some of the therapists had some issues and concerns
with some of their cases. It was interesting to hear her give advice to them and gave them
an assignment based on that particular case to present next meeting. I felt that it was a
good idea to see how much progress the therapist makes with the client. Unfortunately I
wont be there to hear how much progress they made since my internship will be done.
I was able to continue to update treatment plans on my own this week. I was also
shown how to discharge clients for non-compliance. Although they are discharged, they
are still able to come back at anytime. The agency has a no turn away policy regardless if
they were previous clients that didnt follow through with their scheduled visits. My
strengths are being able to multi task, and I realized this is an important aspect to this
organization. My weaknesses are trying to put aside my feelings with certain cases. I
understand that we cant get too involved with the cases; we have to put our feelings
aside and do what is in the best interest of the client not what we feel is best for them.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 13
AHS 8100
4/12/15

I have just finished my thirteenth week of my internship at the Youth Advocate

Program. This week I was helping getting files in order for review. I continued to make
treatment plans for clients. I was also able to review employee files to verify licensing
and documents. I have learned to check therapists notes to make sure they are correct. I
continued to learn how to discharge clients for non-compliance. My strengths are being
able to multi task, and I realized although it is not an easy task it is important. My
weaknesses continue to be trying to put aside my feelings with certain cases. I understand
that we cant get too involved with the cases; we have to put our feelings aside and do
what is in the best interest of the client not what we feel is best for them.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 14
AHS 8100
4/19/15

I have just finished my fourteenth and final week of my internship at the Youth
Advocate Program. This week I was able to do an intake session on my own. It was
interesting although I was very nervous I did pretty well. I look forward to learning more
in my future. This week I continued making treatment plans for new clients. I also
updated treatment plans for those that have been seen for past three months. The
treatment plans are to be updated every three months to see if client is making progress. It
is also updated to see if any new issues arise, then we would add more strategies to the
plan. I continued to review employee files to verify licensing and documents. I continued
to check therapists notes to make sure they are correct. I continued to learn how to
discharge clients for non-compliance. My strengths are being able to multi task, and I
realized although it is not an easy task it is important. My weaknesses continue to be
trying to put aside my feelings with certain cases. I understand that we cant get too
involved with the cases; we have to put our feelings aside and do what is in the best
interest of the client not what we feel is best for them.

Anna Cruz
Journal Entry- Week 15
AHS 8100
4/26/15

This is the fifteenth week of my internship. Although I have already finished I

would like to take this week to reflect on all I have learned. It was a great pleasure to
work with all the staff at the Youth Advocate Program. I learned about diversity, and there
are so many different types of people. I learned that not all people are the same and we
have to get to know people in order to be able to work with them. I also learned that not
all children learn the same or think the same way. I have learned that although some
clients may have the same diagnoses they are all completely different. Everyone with the
same backgrounds doesnt follow the same traditions and cultures.
My strengths are being able to multi task, and I realized this is an important
aspect to this organization. My weaknesses are getting emotional in some cases when
listening to the stories of the clients or reading the notes afterwards. I know this will be
my biggest challenge in this field. I have to remember that my goal is to help as many as I
can and I know that I wont be able to help everyone but I can try my best to do so.