Spring 2027 Unpaid Social Work Internship (Sioux City)
About The Position
This is a non-merit internship position. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of Family Well-Being & Protection (FWB&P), Child Protective Services, is seeking a Social Work Intern for the Western Iowa Service Area based out of the Woodbury County HHS (822 Douglas St, Sioux City, IA 51101) covering Sioux City and surrounding areas. The internship provides opportunities to work alongside Child and Family Service Case Managers, focusing on ongoing case management and support services to families after the initial assessment phase. Interns will assist families in navigating challenges, building stronger futures, and connecting them to community resources. There may also be opportunities to observe parts of the Child Protection Worker role, which involves conducting initial assessments for child abuse or neglect.
Requirements
- Currently enrolled as a student at a college or university.
- Ability to work in the United States.
- A valid driver's license is required.
- Must pass a level 1 background check (Criminal History, Child and Adult Abuse Registry, Sex Offender Registry and National Criminal History) if offered the internship.
- Must be currently enrolled students in a degree program at an accredited educational institution.
Nice To Haves
- Critical thinking skills and plan development
- Strong observational and analytical skills
- Exceptional customer service, including de-escalation of conflictual or adversarial situations
- Ability to respectfully engage families as partners in planning for safety and establish a working relationship with families
- Excellent oral and written communication and report composition
- Teamwork, collaboration, and consultation
- Integrity
- Strong work ethic
- Ability to multi-task
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines
- Ability to speak more than one language
Responsibilities
- Manage a diverse caseload of children and families requiring ongoing service provision to ensure safety.
- Address the needs of children and families, including safety, basic needs (food, hygiene, education, health, mental health).
- Evaluate the ongoing safety and risk of children by conducting home visits and providing timely professional documentation.
- Upload/e-file timely, accurate, and detailed documentation for court-involved cases and manage schedules.
- Respond to situations decisively and effectively as family needs change, with supervisory consultation.
- Engage families in creating family-centered plans that assess strengths and needs and address danger and risk concerns.
- Assess ongoing risk to children, develop safety plans, and make recommendations to county attorneys and courts.
- Collaborate with medical/mental health partners, schools, legal partners, law enforcement, and community resources.
- Provide professional and timely documentation of referred and provided services.
- Attend court hearings.
- Attend and participate in training sessions.
- Understand and use multiple computer programs and data systems.
- Conduct initial assessments in response to reports of child abuse or neglect (observation role).
- Gather physical and documentary evidence and analyze information with accuracy and efficiency (observation role).
- Apply Iowa Code, agency policy, and professional judgment to complex situations (observation role).
- Conduct home visits, detailed interviews, and thorough narrative documentation (observation role).
- Confront crisis and high-stress situations calmly (observation role).
- Maintain confidential information (observation role).
- Obtain information from various sources and interpret data (observation role).
- Interact in a team environment to manage group processes and encourage cooperation (observation role).
Benefits
- Mileage reimbursement ($0.50/mile if using own vehicle)
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
