LADC - Paid Internship Program

Paid Internship Program

Common Ground offers a paid internship program for students and aspiring Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC) and mental health practitioners. Internships at Common Ground are designed to provide students with the best training possible, equipping them for a successful career in the field of alcohol and drug counseling 

Throughout their time with Common Ground, interns will experience opportunities to facilitate group sessions, conduct chemical health assessments and more. 

How to Apply

Our program is highly competitive, and all applicants will undergo a comprehensive application process. If selected, we are confident interns will experience the evidence-based teaching and thorough preparation needed for their future of practice. We are confident all students will leave an internship at Common Ground feeling excited and equipped for their future as a clinician.

To apply to be considered for the the Common Ground Paid Internship Program, please submit an application or email your cover letter and resume to info@commongroundmn.org. If you have any questions or wish to contact Common Ground to follow-up to your application, please contact our Treatment Director, Tara Markus at tara@commongroundmn.org.

About Common Ground

Common Ground is a premier treatment facility in Southeast Minnesota with locations in Rochester, Red Wing and Winona, MN providing outpatient treatment services to adult men and women facing substance use issues.  Common Ground also provides medium- intensity residential treatment services to males in Winona, Minnesota. 

Common Ground’s services are based on the belief that each individual has unique goals, needs and reasons for seeking our services. ”Meeting you where you are" is more than a tagline; it is the value we employ in our interaction with every client we serve. 

APPLY TO THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TODAY

Client Testimonial

Red Wing Womens Group Members’ Personal Success Story

What have you learned or been able to achieve while attending treatment at Common Ground outpatient?

“I fought my battle with addiction for many years before I came to realize I couldn’t fight alone. I have learned about myself and why I made choices I have in the past. I have been able to find a comfortable environment where I can open up, knock down the walls I built, and share with a non-judgmental group.”

What would you tell someone that is looking at starting their recovery journey?

“You are not alone. You have a story, you have had experiences in your past that have led you to where you are today. Your experiences can help others feel like they’re not alone. Help yourself by helping others. I absolutely enjoy group and its honestly what I look forward to in my day.” — Red Wing Women’s Group Member

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. — Thomas A. Edison.

Mondays with Mattea — Why Helping Others is Good for Your Recovery

There are a lot of ways you can strengthen your recovery, but one of the most important is giving back to others. Not only is giving back to others a recovery principle, but there are scientifically proven benefits to giving back — like being happier, living a longer life and gaining positive self-esteem.

This week, make small, simple changes to start helping others. Starting small will help you learn what works for you and over time, it can help you form a habit that will become a foundational part of your life.  

Here are a few reasons to start giving back:

1. It will get you out of your own head.
   We all know the feeling — our problems can become a burden, marked by consuming thoughts about ourselves and our problems. Helping others will help move you out of that mindset and instead, onto others. Most times, the problems we’re experiencing will work themselves out in time and we can only do the next right thing. Today, make the next right thing about someone else, whether that means buying them coffee, helping them complete a task or just offering a listening ear.
   

2. It will give you purpose.
   In recovery, our priorities change. Giving back to others can help you learn something new about yourself and you’ll find purpose in your past experiences, especially on the days when you’re battling guilt, shame or self-doubt. If you’re not sure what you’re meant to do in this next chapter of life, it’s common to find out while helping another person. And the best part? Helping someone today can be your purpose today.
   

3. It will remind you where you’ve been (and why you don’t want to go back).
   Helping someone in early recovery isn’t just important for their recovery, it’s important for yours, too. On days when you feel like you’ve got it figured out or don’t need to keep up with your recovery program, seeing someone new in recovery can remind you why you should keep doing what works — because in doing what works, you’ve found a community, a new lifestyle, and have remained sober. Don’t go back, only move forward.
   

4. It will keep you engaged in your own recovery.
   Working the steps, going to recovery support meetings, or doing step work with someone else will help keep you accountable to your own recovery process. As you make it a priority to help others, you’ll need to invest in yourself first. ‘An empty cup cannot fill another’ is more than just a phrase — it’s true. Giving back can be an important reminder to fill up your cup so you have more to contribute to your friends, family and recovery community.
   

5. It will get you out of your comfort zone.
   Trying new things is important in recovery, and that doesn’t just mean trying new hobbies. As you grow more mature in your recovery, sometimes you need something new to wake you up and jumpstart your passion again. Helping others can be just what you need to get out of your comfort zone. And helping others doesn’t always have to be in the four walls of a meeting — it can be a stranger, a formal volunteering commitment or even one of your friends or family members.

After I graduated from Common Ground in 2008, I never thought I would own this treatment center one day. But leading this organization today has given me a purpose and sense of happiness I never knew was possible before recovery. Seeing hundreds of people find recovery every year makes my experience matter, among so much more.

Celebrities in recovery give back through their story, by starting sober homes and donating money — you can give back in all of these ways, too, but you can also keep it simple. Today, try starting small. Speak up in a meeting, share your story, or pay for the next person’s coffee when you’re in line today.

How are you going to give back this week? Remember, every small thing matters in recovery.