About Our Job

Who We Are

At Denver Human Services (DHS), we envision a healthy community where people are connected, supported, safe, and well. One in three people in Denver turn to DHS for support at all stages of life. Our employees help children, at-risk adults, families, and individuals navigate social and economic pressures by connecting them to services and experts who support their overall well-being.

About Protection & Prevention

Denver Human Services works to protect Denver's children, youth, and at-risk adults by providing services and advocacy while promoting family stability, respecting diversity, and working to create and strengthen connections to community resources. We work to prevent abuse by providing education, resources, and support to parents, families, and community organizations. Interns will be paired with social case workers located at the main Castro building or at our satellite office.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive hourly rate commensurate with education. 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). You will be onboarded with a cohort of peers to help you develop your network across the City and go through similar programming throughout your time at the City.

What You’ll Do

Denver Human Services (DHS) will be accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Child Welfare & Adult Protective Services Internship Program in April and May 2025. This internship is intended for college students interested in Child Welfare and/or Adult Protective Services enrolled in a social work program or a related field requiring an internship. Students will have the opportunity to learn how case workers engage and support the most vulnerable children and families within the community and then practice those learned skills with clients. We are committed to providing a rich, educational experience for students to observe and eventually participate in the day-to-day work of case workers engaging with families. Students will have the opportunity to shadow case workers managing caseloads, conducting home visits, preparing for and attending court, interviewing adults and children, attending and participating in internal and external meetings related to parents and/or children, assessing the safety of children, documenting comprehensive reports, etc. The various components within child welfare work collaboratively to provide opportunities for students to become familiar with the child welfare system as a whole and its impact on families and children.

Within DHS, the Child Welfare/Adult Protective Services Division is comprised of Ongoing Child Protection, Ongoing Youth Services, Intake sections and Adult Protective Services, which includes approximately 30 teams. Each of these sections’ functions with support from other areas including Kinship/Foster Care Support, Independent Living, Placement Support Services, Prevention Services, CORE Services, Family Team Meetings, Visitation, and many others. Three unique opportunities within Denver Human Services are the Bilingual, Spanish-speaking team, the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program, and our Sexual Abuse Intervention Team.

Internships will be a hybrid model of working from home, in the office, and in the field. The internship is flexible with hours based on the student's school schedule and the schedules of the field and task supervisors.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are cornerstones of our values at the City and County of Denver. We celebrate uniqueness and strive to be a world-class city where everyone matters. The staff at DHS, as well as the clients we support, are a representation of the diverse community of Denver.

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to experience:

• Home visits with families, individuals and placement providers
• DHS’ role in court involved cases
• Interviews with adults and children
• Internal and external meetings related to parents, individuals and/or children
• The process to assess the safety of children and at-risk adults
• Documentation requirements
• Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) work internally & within the community

Interested students should apply at Denvergov.org when applications open April 2025. Please contact Emily Rogers Emily.Rogers@DenverGov.Org for questions or information. We would love for you to join us for a rich, educational experience! This is a competitive placement opportunity with valuable learning opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you.

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