Spring 2027 Unpaid Social Work Internship (Orange 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 Sioux County HHS in Orange City, IA. The internship focuses on providing support to Case Managers and potentially observing Child Protective Workers. Interns will work alongside professionals to help families navigate challenges and build stronger, safer futures. The primary focus for interns will be on ongoing case management and support services, preparing and supporting children and families for success, and connecting them to community resources. There may be opportunities to observe aspects of Child Protection Worker roles, which involve 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.
- Applicants 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 documenting contacts.
- Upload/e-file timely, accurate, and detailed documentation for court-involved cases and manage schedules.
- Respond decisively and effectively to changing family needs, 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 professionals, 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.
- Assess ongoing risk to children, develop safety plans, assess strengths and needs, and make recommendations to county attorneys and courts (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Interact with law enforcement, medical/mental health professionals, schools, etc. (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Apply Iowa Code, agency policy, and professional judgment to complex crisis or chronic abuse/neglect situations (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Conduct home visits, detailed interviews, and thorough narrative documentation (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Confront crisis and high-stress situations calmly (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Maintain confidential information and ensure safety is a top priority (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Obtain information from various sources and interpret data (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Interact in a team environment to manage group processes, facilitate cooperation, and achieve goals (for Child Protection Worker observation).
- Interact with employees and customers in a positive customer service manner (for Child Protection Worker observation).
Benefits
- Mileage reimbursement: $0.50/mile if you have to use your own vehicle.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
