Intern, Therapeutic Horticulture & Volunteer Engagement (IMH)

Intern – Therapeutic Horticulture & Volunteer Engagement

Join us in Adding Years of Healthy Life Through Life-Changing Careers, Where Passion Meets Purpose. Make a meaningful difference whilst growing in a supportive environment that nurtures your wellbeing and career aspirations

Internship Period: 7 December 2026 – 12 July 2027

This is a full-time internship based on a five-day work week, Mon-Fri, from 8.30am to 6.00pm (inclusive of 1 hour break).

Reasonable flexibility may be considered for occasional compulsory university or academic commitments, subject to prior approval, programme and operational requirements. Any regular or recurring academic commitments that may affect the intern’s ability to fulfill the stated working hours should be declared and discussed prior to appointment.

Approved absences during working hours will be managed in accordance with the organisation’s applicable leave and time-off arrangements.

Occasional weekend or after-hours support may be required on an ad hoc basis for programmes and events. Time off will be provided accordingly.

About the Internship

 Interested in gaining hands-on experience in mental health, psychology, community engagement and programme management?

This internship provides university students with an opportunity to gain practical experience within a mental healthcare setting, supporting programmes involving clients, volunteers and community partners.

A key component of the internship involves IMH's therapeutic hydroponics programme, where horticulture activities are used as a platform to support meaningful engagement, participation, skill development and social interaction. 

The role also involves supporting the programme's outreach, publicity and content development, providing opportunities to translate programme activities and stories into accessible content for wider engagement.

Supervision and Learning

Interns will work closely with the programme team and receive guidance and supervision throughout the internship. Regular check-ins will be conducted to review progress, provide feedback and discuss learning needs.

Through the internship, interns will have opportunities to develop practical skills in programme planning and implementation, client and volunteer engagement, therapeutic horticulture and hydroponics, community engagement, and programme outreach and communications.

Interns will also be encouraged to reflect on their learning and gradually take on greater responsibility based on their readiness, interests and programme needs.

What You Will Do

Therapeutic Hydroponics Programme – 60%

• Support the planning, coordination and co-facilitation of therapeutic horticulture programmes for inpatient and outpatient client groups.
• Support participants with different abilities and needs by adapting activities, instructions and levels of assistance to encourage meaningful participation and independence.
• Assist in observing participants' engagement, response and progress during sessions, and contribute to programme feedback, data collection and evaluation.
• Support programme administration, scheduling, preparation of materials and coordination of client sessions.
• Coordinate and support volunteers involved in hydroponics programmes, including briefing, deployment and engagement during sessions.
• Support hydroponics tours, outreach activities, programme launches and community engagement events.
• Support the development of publicity and engagement content for the hydroponics programme, including social media posts, simple brochures, posters and other communication materials.
• Conduct simple interviews with clients, volunteers, staff or community partners, where appropriate, to capture programme experiences and stories for approved content.
• Take photographs and short videos of programmes, activities and events, and carry out basic photo and video editing using mobile devices or simple applications/software.
• Assist with basic copywriting, captions and written content for social media, publicity and outreach materials.
• Assist with the preparation and organisation of equipment, materials and resources required for programme delivery.
• Gradually take on greater responsibility in facilitating selected programme components under supervision.

Volunteer Management & Community Programmes – 40%

• Support the planning and coordination of volunteer programmes and community engagement activities.
• Assist with volunteer recruitment, orientation, deployment and engagement.
• Support the Volunteer Orientation Programme (VOP) and other volunteer initiatives.
• Communicate and coordinate with volunteers, volunteer group leaders and relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain volunteer attendance, records and programme documentation.
• Support programme administration, data collation and basic reporting.
• Assist with volunteer events, outreach activities and engagement initiatives.
• Support logistical preparation, registration and post-event follow-up.
• Where required, assist with simple publicity, communication and content materials for volunteer programmes and events.

Physical & Work Requirements

This is a hands-on and physically active internship. Applicants should be comfortable with:

• Working outdoors in warm and humid weather conditions.
• Standing and walking for extended periods.
• Kneeling, squatting and bending during horticulture activities.
• Carrying and moving programme materials, equipment and moderately heavy items (up to 10kg).
• Handling plants, water and horticultural materials.
• Participating in seeding, planting, transplanting, harvesting, packing, cleaning and other hands-on hydroponics activities.
• Moving between hands-on programme work, client engagement and administrative or content-related tasks as part of the workday.

Applicants should be comfortable with the practical, physical and outdoor nature of the role.

Who We Are Looking For

We welcome university students currently pursuing a degree in Psychology, Social Sciences or a related discipline.

The ideal candidate should:

• Have a strong interest in mental health, psychology, community engagement or social services.
• Be interested in gaining practical exposure to working with individuals with mental health conditions.
• Be observant, patient and comfortable adapting communication or activities according to participants' needs.
• Enjoy interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and be comfortable supporting and facilitating group activities.
• Be comfortable approaching and interviewing people for simple programme stories or content, where required.
• Have good written and verbal communication skills, including confidence in basic copywriting and writing short social media content.
• Be comfortable taking photographs and videos using a smartphone.
• Have basic confidence in photo and video editing using commonly available mobile apps or simple software.
• Be able to create simple digital or publicity materials, such as social media posts, posters and brochures.
• Be comfortable with hands-on, outdoor and physically active work.
• Be organised and able to manage programme, administrative and content-related responsibilities.
• Be responsible, adaptable, creative and willing to learn.
• Be able to commit primarily on a full-time basis from 7 December 2026 to 12 July 2027.
• Be able to support occasional weekend or after-hours programmes when required, with time off provided accordingly.

No professional photography, videography, graphic design or hydroponics experience is required. Applicants should, however, be comfortable using smartphones and common digital tools for basic content creation. Training and guidance will be provided where required.

This internship may be particularly relevant for Psychology and Social Science students interested in future careers in mental health, psychology, social services, rehabilitation, healthcare, community development or other helping professions, while also providing practical exposure to programme communications and public engagement.

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.