Meet Intern Charlotte
We recently interviewed Charlotte McIntosh about (she/her) experience as one of our interns. Here’s what she shared:
Tell us a little about your background.
My background is in mental health, working in treatment facilities for adults and adolescents. I have worked with adolescents with eating disorders where I used to live in Virginia, which is also where I grew up. After I moved to Washington, I worked at a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Center in Bellevue before starting school. Currently, I am in my first year of my Master of Social Work at UW, and my internship here is part of that program.
What types of tasks/responsibilities have you been doing in this internship role?
I have been working with participants who reach out looking for information and referrals to help them get the resources and support they need. I also have a few participants who I have been working with one-on-one for peer support to determine and make progress towards their independent living goals. I have also gotten the opportunity to work on some of the support groups and lessons that we offer here like the Health Community Living group and the RISE peer support group.
What are you enjoying most about your internship experience?
I really enjoy being able to connect with new people and a specific demographic that I had not had as much contact with in previous positions. I like being able to work with someone on their specific goals, strategize and then have an ongoing relationship to watch them as they make progress. I have also been grateful to get to work on the groups we offer here. I have always liked working with groups because building community is so important to me, both in my personal life and in the kinds of supports that I believe are most beneficial for folks. We hear so many people talking about lacking community and friendship, so it can be really meaningful to be able to come together with others under a shared identity and common goal.
What have you learned about Disability Empowerment Center?
I have learned a lot about disability, independent living philosophy, the systems we work with on a federal and at a state level, as well as the peer support model. It has been really beneficial to me to get a greater understanding of the resources available to folks who need them. It has also been so valuable to me to work with other peers who are disabled themselves doing this work. It has always been important to me for organizations like this to come from a place of lived experience, and it is great that Disability Empowerment Center is doing that as a central part of the work.
What do you like to do outside of work (and/or school)?
I like to do a lot of arts and crafts! I have made many different projects and types of art over the years. I used to be really into Diamond Art which is basically a paint by number but instead of painting you are using rhinestones on sticky paper. Any sort of repetitive motion is so soothing to me, so I also do crochet and cross stitch, which are my two main crafts right now. I also like to draw sometimes, and I mostly do that as a therapeutic self-expression. In my previous roles I did quite a bit of art and crafts groups so I’ve made a lot of art focusing on self-reflection, expressing and releasing emotions and also just for fun! I am also a big fan of TV shows, especially comedies, and would love to chat with anyone about their favorite shows.
Do you have any secret skills or something else to share that most people wouldn’t know about you?
My main secret skill is crafting, and I’ve also I recently gotten into gardening. The house where I live now has a pretty big front and back yard to work with. The interesting bit is that I actually love pulling weeds! I don’t own any indoor plants, but I will gladly go out in the yard and pull weeds for an hour. It is so satisfying.