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
- To support the planning, preparation, and execution of Community Garden sessions.
- To assist and progressively lead structured therapeutic horticulture and gardening activities under supervision.
- To observe participant engagement (e.g., mood, interaction, participation) and support appropriate activity adjustments.
- To support volunteer coordination and ensure appropriate volunteerclient engagement boundaries.
- To participate in ward-based engagement activities related to community garden programmes.
- To assist with vocational-style gardening and landscaping activities that support client skill-building.
- To support initiatives under the IMH Landscape Master Plan, including ground-level checks and documentation.
- To assist in ward, bed, tenancy, shared space, and landscape-related audits across IMH grounds.
- To support programme coordination, logistics, scheduling, documentation, and follow-up work.
- To undertake other operational or administrative tasks as assigned in support of the programme.
- Able to commit to the full internship duration. Please indicate travel plans (if any).
Internship Structure & Schedule
- Interns are expected to work 5 days per week during standard working hours.
- Community Garden sessions are typically held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings.
- Alternate Saturdays (Time-Off-In-Lieu provided).
- Outside of session times, interns will support preparation, coordination, audits, and programme-related tasks.
Requirements
Competency
- Service-oriented, confident, and have a passion for helping others.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Comfortable interacting with individuals with mental health conditions.
- Comfortable working outdoors and performing light physical gardening tasks.
- Able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary environment.
Educational And Professional Requirements
- Year 2 or Year 3 undergraduate in Psychology, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
- Able to commit to a 6-month internship.
- 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.
