Volunteer Services

At the close of 2000, there were approximately 90 volunteers serving the Institute while working with researchers and clinicians. This did not include over forty students from a variety of clinical disciplines, such as Social Work, Recreation Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology and Nursing, who were completing internships under the supervision of P.I. staff. The majority of volunteers were people who wanted to contribute to the field of psychiatry as well as gain some invaluable experience for their future. In a few cases, people who were dissatisfied with their present careers volunteered their service as a means of sampling a career in mental health.

Each prospective volunteer was first interviewed by the Coordinator of Volunteer Services to determine what they may have to offer the Institute, and to determine what the Institute may have to offer them. A referral was then made to the appropriate department head or liaison. Areas that made regular use of volunteers during this period included several research projects, such as The Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Huntington's Disease Center, Biological Psychiatry, the Schizophrenia Research Unit, Developmental Psychobiology, and the Eating Disorders Clinic. Volunteers were also assigned to clinical units and departments, including the Children's Day Unit, where they led diverse patient groups, such as Creative Writing, Art Therapy, Newsletter Group, Gardening and Computer Class.