Fundraising for Clinical Psychology Internship in Jamaica

Hello everyone! I am Jessica, a 21 year-old from Warrington, and I am currently in my 3rd year at University of York studying Integrated MSci Psychology. I will be joining 'ProjectsAbroad' to spend three weeks working within Clinical Psychology in Ebeneezer Rehabilitation Centre, Jamaica at the end of June. My skills will be useful to patients who are being diagnosed and/or treated for mental illness, to organise educational sessions, observing and/or conducting clinical assessments, to increase my confidence with in-hospital interactions, to conduct research for policy drafts and health programmes, to engage with play therapy, and so much more! My Clinical Psychology skills will also develop through this experience and help towards becoming a practicing Clinical Psychologist. I have prior mental health experience with proudly being Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) trained and a UK Shout Volunteer.

I look at my time abroad not only as a way to give back but also as a way to gain a better insight into the world around me. I have done previous humanitarian aid volunteering in Ukraine, and I am hoping to gain more international mental health insight. Whilst I am volunteering, I will be living with a local host family. I believe that the long-term relationships that I hope to make with my project colleagues and host-family will be of great value to me, as well as them. At the end of my project, I hope to return with a better understanding of the country of Jamaica and the people that I have interacted with there.

I’m choosing to volunteer through an organisation called 'ProjectsAbroad'. ProjectsAbroad was established in 1992 as a volunteer English-teaching programme in Eastern Europe, and has since grown to offer a wide range of opportunities in volunteering, internships, and language courses in over 25 destinations around the globe. I will be joining a community of well over 50,000 volunteers past and present that have lent their time and effort to giving back around the world.

As this experience is unpaid, I will need to cover costs for things like flights, the ProjectsAbroad programme fee, and vaccinations. I have contributed a significant portion of my own funds to this, but I am also relying on the help of my friends and family. Even a small amount will get me one step closer to my goal. Thank you in advance for any support you can give!