Social Work Unpaid Internship

About Our Job

Denver Human Services offers a structured, unpaid experiential learning internship for college students enrolled in social work or related programs. This internship is an unpaid experience and does not replace any paid positions.

What We Offer

All City and County of Denver emerging talent positions are supported by a trained hiring manager and encouraged to attend up to 4 sessions of professional development each season (Winter/Spring, Summer and Fall).

Location

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

What You’ll Do

• Shadowing & Field Observation: Accompany professional caseworkers during home visits to observe engagement strategies with families and placement providers.
• Structured Group Instruction: Participate in educational group sessions focusing on casework theories, system functions, and safety assessment frameworks.
• Legal and Clinical Observation: Observe the legal process by shadowing staff during court-involved cases and listening to professional interviews with adults and children.
• Collaborative Meetings: Attend multidisciplinary internal and external meetings as a learning observer to understand coordination across systems.
• Specialized System Exposure: Gain insight into unique program areas, including the Bilingual (Spanish-speaking) team, the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, and the Sexual Abuse Intervention Team.

Program Structure & Values

• Hybrid Learning Model: Blends at-home educational modules, office-based instruction, and community-based observations.
• Term: Follows the traditional Academic School year.
• Time Commitment: Twelve to twenty hours per week, as required by their academic programming.
• Academic Credit: May qualify for college or academic credit.
• Academic Flexibility: Scheduling aligns with university requirements and supervisor availability and can accommodate academic schedules and demands.
• Student Status Requirement: Must be currently enrolled as a student in a social work or related program.
• Diversity & Inclusion: In alignment with the City and County of Denver’s core values, students will observe and learn about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practices that support a diverse urban community.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Current enrollment in an accredited college program leading to a certificate, licensure, associates, bachelor’s, or higher degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Guidance and Counseling or closely related field, or a recent graduate (completed specified program within 1 year of completion).
• Experience Requirement: None.
• Education and Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• Licenses and Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Mandatory Documentation Required to Be Considered for This Position

• Resume: 1-2 pages, with the most current information.
• Transcripts – either official or unofficial, dated within your current academic term.

About Everything Else

Job Profile WW1122 Unpaid Intern To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here. Position Type Contractors (Fixed Term) Position Salary Range $0.00 - $0.00 Target Pay Unpaid Internship Agency Denver Human Services Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor. The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice. Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.