JFS Perspectives

Spring is here, which means graduation season is upon us and our JFS Senior Solutions interns are wrapping up their work this week. Before they left, we asked them a few questions about their internship experience and what they're doing next.

Lindee Burns

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked about 30 hours/week and saw a small caseload of about 10 to 12 isolated senior clients either weekly or every other week. I did assessments, provided companionship to the seniors, and helped them with errands. I also helped one day/week at Colorado Senior Connections in Edgewater and often helped with their special events. In addition, I attended community meetings, seminars, and local events to learn about senior issues.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: My passion is working with seniors, so I really enjoyed this opportunity! I loved working with the people at JFS. JFS values its employees; everyone is so dedicated and committed, and they believe in the mission of the agency. I received a lot of support from the Senior Solutions staff, which is really important and especially helpful in social work and case management. I also learned a lot about community work from Alison Joucovsky, Colorado Senior Connections coordinator, about what it takes to enter a community without alienating them, find out what programming the population wants/needs, and create programs to fit their needs.

Another important lesson I learned is that sometimes just being present with someone (an elderly client) is helping – you don’t need to always do something. For example, I saw a 102-year-old woman with dementia and sometimes just being there with her was all she needed.

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am graduating from Colorado State University with a master's in social work on Friday, May 13th and looking for a job working with seniors. I am having a baby at the end of August, so I may wait until after baby is born to start a job.

Jason Polk

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked 16 hours/week at JFS and provided companionship and emotional support for seven senior clients. I usually visited them weekly and got to know them well. They opened up a lot to me – some talked about their problems and some just told jokes.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: JFS was a good place to intern – the staff was supportive and interested teaching the interns. I learned a lot about the Jewish culture, which I enjoyed. This was my first experience working with an older population and I became more aware of the personal struggles that seniors face.

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am working on my master's degree in social work at Newman University in Colorado Springs and graduating next year. I have an internship next semester through Denver Health at Lake Middle School in their school-based counseling department.

Renate Fettig

Q: What were your responsibilities at JFS during your internship?
A: I worked 16 hours/week with a caseload of eight senior clients that I visited in their homes, took on errands, and was there for them when they wanted to talk.

Q: What did you learn during your internship or what was your favorite part of the experience?
A: My favorite part of the internship was working with the JFS staff. I learned so much including how to be a team player, how to discern what the clients really meant when they said they wanted certain things, and about the Jewish religion from my clients and the staff. I also had to learn to like getting up early to beat rush hour since I live in Boulder! I am really going to miss working at JFS!

Q: What are you doing next?
A: I am finishing my bachelor's degree in social work from Metro State University this Sunday and starting a one-year master’s program next fall at Metro. I have an internship next fall at Halcyon Hospice.

Congratulations to Lindee, Jason, and Renate for completing your internships and doing such a great job at JFS! We appreciate all your hard work and wish you the best of luck in your careers!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department