This is part of a series of articles published throughout the semester to highlight employers that are eager to build relationships with Elon students and alumni.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care.” NEDA is headquartered in New York City.
The National Eating Disorders Association offers several volunteer and internship opportunities through its national Helpline program. Both volunteers and interns receive and complete a comprehensive training in order to effectively support individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Volunteers and interns provide information and treatment options over the phone or through chat. This demonstrates a great internship or volunteer opportunity for students who would like to get a taste of what the field really looks like prior to graduate school. Both internship and volunteer opportunities for the Helpline are remote and students will receive training and supervision.
The difference between a volunteer and an intern falls under what the state of New York constitutes as an intern: they are either receiving academic credit or a stipend. All internships are unpaid and the number of interns per cycle changes as applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
These opportunities may attract many students interested in the social and behavioral science background, and they are open to all majors who want to learn and complete basic counseling training. NEDA’s volunteer program has a high retention rate; 37% of volunteers in 2020 were retained from the year prior.