Intern - Therapeutic Horticulture & Mental Health Engagement (6-Month Full-Time Internship)

Position: Intern – Therapeutic Horticulture & Mental Health Engagement (6-Month Full-Time Internship)

Department: General Services & Operations (GSO) / Community Garden Programme

Job Description:

The Intern – Therapeutic Horticulture & Mental Health Engagement plays a crucial role in supporting the smooth operations of IMH’s Community Garden initiatives. The programme uses structured therapeutic horticulture, gardening, and outdoor activities to engage clients within a healthcare setting.

This internship is designed for students in psychology, social sciences, or related disciplines who are interested in gaining structured, hands-on exposure to mental health programmes, client engagement, programme coordination, and operational support within a hospital environment.

Although Community Garden sessions are conducted on specific mornings each week, interns are required to work across the week to support preparation, coordination, audits, and programme-related tasks.

Job Responsibilities:

1. To support the planning, preparation, and execution of Community Garden sessions.
2. To assist and progressively lead structured therapeutic horticulture and gardening activities under supervision.
3. To observe participant engagement (e.g., mood, interaction, participation) and support appropriate activity adjustments.
4. To support volunteer coordination and ensure appropriate volunteer–client engagement boundaries.
5. To participate in ward-based engagement activities related to community garden programmes.
6. To assist with vocational-style gardening and landscaping activities that support client skill-building.
7. To support initiatives under the IMH Landscape Master Plan, including ground-level checks and documentation.
8. To assist in ward, bed, tenancy, shared space, and landscape-related audits across IMH grounds.
9. To support programme coordination, logistics, scheduling, documentation, and follow-up work.
10. To undertake other operational or administrative tasks as assigned in support of the programme.
11. Able to commit to the full internship duration. Please indicate travel plans (if any).

Internship Structure & Schedule:

1. Interns are expected to work 5 days per week during standard working hours.
2. Community Garden sessions are typically held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings.
3. Alternate Saturdays (Time-Off-In-Lieu provided).
4. Outside of session times, interns will support preparation, coordination, audits, and programme-related tasks.

Requirements:

Competency

1. Service-oriented, confident, and have a passion for helping others.
2. Good communication and interpersonal skills.
3. Comfortable interacting with individuals with mental health conditions.
4. Comfortable working outdoors and performing light physical gardening tasks.
5. Able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary environment.

Educational and Professional Requirements

1. Year 2 or Year 3 undergraduate in Psychology, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
2. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
3. Able to commit to a 6-month internship.
4. Flexibility to attend university classes during the academic term can be discussed, subject to programme needs.

About IMH:

The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in Singapore, established in 1928, is a premier 2,000-bed psychiatric hospital nestled in Buangkok Green Medical Park, providing comprehensive mental health services across 50 inpatient wards and 7 outpatient clinics, while also playing a pivotal role in training the next generation of mental health professionals through the NHG-AHPL Residency Programme and collaborations with local academic institutions.