Internship with Career Center

THE ACTORS FUND

Career Counseling Internship

DEPARTMENT:  The Career Center

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA                                                                 DATE:  Fall 2017

The Actors Fund is the only national human services organization that serves everyone in the entertainment industry and performing arts community through its offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.  Founded in 1882, The Actors Fund provides vital social services programs, health care services, career services and supportive housing, as well as financial assistance.  These programs have been designed to meet the unique needs of professionals in every aspect of the entertainment field.

The Career Center at The Actors Fund is a full career services office, assisting people in identifying and obtaining sideline, parallel, and new careers. The Career Center’s services include career counseling, career coaching, workshops, training, special seminars, and career panels.  The Career Center clients develop and implement their career goals through meetings with career counselors, attendance at special seminars and attending workshops.  The Career Center helps its clients identify their marketable employment skills and helps them to obtain new ones.

CLIENT POPULATION: Clients are performing artists and entertainment professionals with a wide variety of functionality and presenting concerns, including a great deal of ambivalence about getting non-entertainment work, mental health issues, disabilities, poverty, homelessness, and substance use problems, among others.

PART-TIME:  14 hours per week for Fall and Spring (Intern may start in early August, if available.) Schedule to be determined with student intern; due to our workshop schedules, Tuesdays and/or Thursdays are preferred.

INTERN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Conduct individual career counseling sessions (5-6 clients per week); interpret assessments; participate in weekly workshops; conduct labor market, education, training research; update resources; and develop workshop materials as needed. Other duties and opportunities for training can be discussed, including self-directed research projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Masters level candidate in counseling, education, social work, or psychology related degree program. At least three years of experience in education, arts, community-based organizations, or related work experience.  Strong interest in working with the entertainment and performing arts community.  Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel are useful, as well as the ability and willingness to learn The Career Center clinical database.

Requirement: A background check will be required as there is a program at The Actors Fund that has minors under age 18.

COMPENSATION: A small stipend of $800 per semester will be provided upon completion of each semester.  Parking for two days per week in a nearby parking facility will be paid for by AWP.

REPORTS TO:  The Career Center Career Counselor, Dara Blaine, M.S

AWP Staff at The Actors Fund:

Joanne Webb, M.A.

Joanne Webb displays her talents as the Director of The Career Center at The Actors Fund, Western Region. Joanne’s position as Director of The Career Center includes leading a professional career development team in creating and managing new programs.  She prides herself in her proven ability to motivate and collaborate with creative people and organizations, enabling them to succeed in their strategic goals, enhanced through community alliance. This includes Arts Education, Entrepreneurship, and baby boomer/over 50 yrs. of age communities. Joanne focuses her expertise on encouraging artists to explore and successfully discover new career paths that utilize their creative talents and skills. Joanne has a BFA in Theater from Boston University and an MA in Psychology, Specialization in Applied Community Psychology from Antioch University.

Dara Blaine, M.S.

Dara Blaine is a career counselor and coach specializing in working with adults in transition. Dara began her career working as a camera operator/editor in the film industry and brings a solid understanding of the struggles faced by those pursuing entertainment careers to her work counseling clients at the Actors Fund. In addition to one-on-one counseling, she has been instrumental in developing and delivering new programs designed to answer the needs of this highly creative population, including trainings around creative career storytelling and developing portfolio careers. In her previous position as a career counselor at Beit T’Shuva, Dara counseled clients struggling to rebuild their careers in overcoming significant barriers to employment. Dara holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling, specializing in Career Counseling from CSU Northridge, and a BA in Media Studies from Carleton College.

Ross Berg, M.S.

Ross Berg graduated with his Master’s Degree in Counseling with a Specialization in Career Counseling from CSU Northridge in 1996. As a Graduate Student, Ross did Internships with Los Angeles Valley College Transfer and Career Center , CSU Northridge Career Center, CSU Northridge Volunteer Program, West Valley Occupational Center Career Services, Great Western Bank Human Resources, and Ventura Community College Career Center. After graduation, Ross worked as a Career Counselor at CSU Northridge and at UC Riverside.  After 15 years in the Career Counseling field, Ross left to explore Religious Services and ran a Temple in Los Angeles for close to 3 years; although deeply rewarding, Ross began to miss the one-on-one experience of helping individuals as a Counselor and decided to return to the field. The Actors Fund Career Center has been an ideal fit for Ross as he is both an Author and a Musician and is thus uniquely qualified to relate empathically to the challenges and rewards experienced by those in the field of creative arts.

Sophia Kozak, M.A.

Sophia Kozak is the Career Counselor for Career Transition For Dancers, Western Region, at the Actors Fund where she counsels, trains and manages the educational grant process with clients.   Sophia has worked with arts-based and social justice nonprofits for over 10 years. She brings her professional experience as a community organizer, healing arts practitioner, wellness coach and dancer to her role as Career Counselor. Sophia received her B.A. from UCLA and holds advanced degrees in Spiritual Psychology (Counseling) and Nonprofit Management.

Application Procedure:

An application consists of a statement of interest, cover letter, and resume.  Please forward materials electronically, with your name on any attachments, to: Joanne Webb at jwebb@actorsfund.org  (See application below.)

Internship Application

The Career Center

The Actors Fund

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Email:

University:

Name of Graduate Program:

Concentration:

Year in Program:   1st, 2nd. 3rd.

Graduate Program Supervisor/Professor:

Contact information for two references:

Name:

Tel:

Email:

Relationship to you:

Name:

Tel:

Email:

Relationship to you:

Statement of Interest Questions:  (Please use only one page to answer all four questions.)

1. Why are you interested in this internship at The Actors Fund?

1. What skills or experience do you have in entertainment, or related fields,

which will be an asset in counseling clients of The Career Center?

1.  Describe your approach/philosophy in helping clients get “unstuck” when facing roadblocks regarding career issues.

1. What are your future career plans and how do you think the experience of interning at The Actors Fund will contribute to your future career goals.

Thank you for your interest.