Outreach and Assistantship

Assistantship Placements

Placements and Assistantships (1997-Present).
The Auburn University MFT Program has a long history of providing paid internships and assistantships working with diverse children and families within the tri-county area. We serve underprivileged, traumatized, and discriminated communities. The clinical assistantships and internship opportunities provide students with agency experience working with clients experiencing mental illness, social stigma, physical disability, and relationship struggles/conflicts. The majority of clients served in each of the community agencies are diverse, underserved, and disadvantaged. The services provide services based on models of equity, inclusion, and a desire to strengthen diverse families.

Family and Children’s Services at INTEGREA: Community Mental Health System
The crown jewel of the Auburn MFT assistantship/internship sites. INTEGREA is the community mental health agency serving four counties (Lee, Tallapoosa, Russell and Chambers). The assistantship was secured by Thomas Smith, Ph.D., in 1997 and has since been maintained by Dr. Smith and Dr. Ketring. It has offered students the opportunity to work in community mental health with a diverse clientele in outlying counties, working with a range of mental and behavioral disorders along with individuals experiencing physical disabilities or neurodivergence. Alumni have outlined the internship as one of three aspects of the program that support the uniqueness of Auburn MFT training. It was also listed as the alumni's number one training experience to prepare them for practice. Most clients are ethnically, racially, sexually, or religiously diverse, with most therapists earning 350 clinical hours. The therapist-in-training are supervised by the four AAMFT-approved supervisors (Sarah Cox, Ann Bethea, Dallas Davis, and Caroline May) at community mental health.

Circle of Care: Center for Families Internship
The Circle of Care offers an internship opportunity as a satellite office of the AU MFT program. Scott A. Ketring, Ph.D., secured and maintained the assistantship since 2019. The therapist selected works within the agency markets within the community to receive clients and works with diverse rural clients seeking support for child and adolescent struggles, relationship difficulties, and coping with mental illness. Many of the families are ethnically/racially diverse and come from rural poverty, lacking education. Some of the clients are undereducated (GED or less), and homeless. The therapist also tracks client outcomes and supports the COC's efforts to seek additional community support funding. Dr. Scott Ketring has supervised the therapists for the entirety of the assistantship 2019-Present.

Circle of Care: Center for Families Supervised Visitation
The Circle of Care offers an assistantship opportunity for the AU MFT program. Scott A. Ketring, Ph.D., secured and maintained the assistantship since 2022. The MFT Student works within the agency to market services to the lawyers, judges, and community DHR to secure supervised visitation clients. The assistantship has decreased from 13 to 10 hours per week, and the responsibilities are being revamped. The student works with rural, disadvantaged, and underserved parents, many of whom don’t know their rights. Many of the families are ethnically/racially diverse and come from rural poverty, lacking education. Some of the clients are undereducated (GED or less) and homeless.

I Am My Brother’s Keeper (IAMBK)
The IAMBK Circle of Care offers an assistantship opportunity for the AU MFT program for three hours per week. Scott A. Ketring, Ph.D., secured and maintained the assistantship since 2019. The program reaches out to underserved youth within the Opelika, Auburn, and Tuskegee communities. Almost 100% of the participants are racially/ethnically diverse youth seeking support for academic, artistic, therapeutic, and social skills training. The services reach pre-adolescents and adolescents who can benefit from tutoring, training, and play therapy. The therapist works to provide group and individual therapy to participants. Because the services are a satellite office, the therapist also tracks client outcomes and supports the IAMBK efforts to seek additional community support funding. Dr. Scott Ketring has supervised the therapists for the entirety of the assistantship from 2019 to the present.

Mt. Meigs Juvenile Sexual Offender Treatment: Multi-family Group Therapy
The Mt. Meigs Sex Offender Treatment Program offers multiple assistantship opportunities for the AU MFT program. Margaret Keily, Ph.D., secured and maintained the assistantship from 2006 to 2018. Upon her passing, Raven Livingston took over the program and has directed the assistantship and the multi-family Group Therapy to the present. Students work with juvenile sexual offenders, many coming from underserved communities with economic disadvantages and racial discrimination. The students help facilitate the multi-family group therapy on the weekends and track client outcome data for publications, support for treatment, and tracking client outcomes. Dr. Margaret Keiley and Dr. Livingston have supervissupervisedts for the entirety of the assistantship 2006-Present.

Family Links, LCYDC – Previously Twin Cedars, Keeping Families Connected (KFC) – Previously Lee County Supervised Visitation
The assistantship was secured by Thomas Smith, Ph.D., in 2003 and has since been maintained by Dr. Smith with support by Dr. Ketring. The assistantship currently provides .50 funding for students providing supervised visitation to children and their non-custodial parents. The MFT Student works within the agency to market services to the lawyers, judges, and community DHR to secure supervised visitation clients. The assistantship has decreased from 13 to 10 hours per week, and the responsibilities are being revamped. The student works with rural, disadvantaged, and underserved parents, many of whom don’t know their rights. Many of the families are ethnically/racially diverse and come from rural poverty, lacking education. Some of the clients are undereducated (GED or less) and homeless. Each year, multiple families are served who are undocumented immigrant non-English speaking clients. Dr. Thomas Smith supervised the therapists for the entirety of the assistantship 2003-Present.

Nourish Wellness
Scott A. Ketring, Ph. D., secured and maintained the 13-hour assistantship to support medical family therapy services within the Lee Country region since 2022. Dr. Ketring supervises and trains the therapist, collaborating with the owner and director, Katie Wolson. Nourish Wellness is a multidisciplinary pediatric wellness center that provides holistic care to patients who wish to prevent or treat lifestyle illnesses such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, or hypertension. The collaborative care team includes a pediatrician, nurse, pharmacist, dietician, mindfulness expert, kinesiologist, marriage and family therapist, and social worker among other care providers. The organization seeks to bring wellness to the patients served. The student therapist provides mindful meditation training and family therapy services for families experiencing food insecurities, obesity, and debilitating physical health struggles. The families served often experience poverty, food insecurity, and nutrition miseducation. Nourish, AL is a hunger initiative that delivers fresh produce to food-insecure families in the community each week. Community partners deliver these produce boxes to our Nourish families each week. Through the deliveries, relationships are built with families that help us to nourish their whole selves.

Community Outreach/Giving Back to the Community

Community Outreach Services (1999-Present)
The Auburn University MFT Program has a long history of providing services to underprivileged and traumatized communities. Community outreach is a tool to teach students how to have a financially stable therapy practice and offer pro-bono services. The history of community outreach is listed. A more in-depth history is presented online.

Safe Harbor (1999-2011 & 2019-Present)
The MFT Center offers eight free sessions to clients referred by Safe Harbor who have experienced sexual assault. The agency was assured that clients would only be referred to students who have completed the HDFS 7610: Trauma Course.

Active-Duty Military Personnel and Family Members (2002-2017)
At the start of the Gulf War, the AU MFT Center reached out to the Chaplains and Military One Source to offer free therapy to active-duty military personnel and their family members. The MFT leadership recognized that these families faced higher stress that impacted marital, adolescent, and child relationships and functioning. This was especially true during traumatic phases of deployment. The faculty marketed the services at various conferences and were listed among services with Military One Source.

Beauregard Tornado (2019-2022)
In March 2019, the Beauregard community was devastated by a category-four tornado. Several staff members within the college lost family members in the tornado. Members of the MFT family joined the efforts to provide disaster relief and participate in Habitat for Humanity Housing outreach. The Program Director lead multiple groups throughout the next four months. The MFT Center offered eight free therapy sessions for those affected by the tornado. The MFT undergraduate intern was a part of the community and helped with marketing for the MFT Center. Most tornado victims faced income challenges, had their homes destroyed, and had loved ones killed. The majority of victims were ethnically diverse, facing various life stressors.

COVID Pandemic Faculty and Staff and Family Members (2020 – 2021)
The pandemic of 2020 impacted the tri-county Alabama citizens. The AU MFT Program offered twelve free sessions for all faculty and staff of Auburn University during the pandemic. Likewise, the Faculty offered free training for MFTs throughout the state to transition to online teletherapy and telesupervision services. The PD worked with the Alabama MFT Board to transition. The Governor’s office recognized these efforts for the efficiency in transitioning services. The MFT Program had services for teletherapy approved by the last week of March. This transition occurred less than two weeks after the pandemic started and was the swiftest response on the Auburn University campus. The other mental health services used the transition as a model to transition their services. Staff members are considered economically challenged and are.

Dadeville Shooting (2022-2024)
The Dadeville shooting occurred while the PD was at a conference that focused on mass shootings. The PD included within the trauma course information about mass shootings and treatment. The AU MFT Program marketed services to the Opelika, Dadeville, Tallassee, and Alexander City Schools for 12 free therapy sessions for shooting victims and their families. Student therapists also provided valuable services at their internship placements for shooting victims and family members. Most shooting victims faced income challenges and were ethnic minorities facing various life stressors.