Work with Us

Internships at Family Shelter Service

FSS has internship positions available throughout the agency. We accept applications all year long, provided there are still openings available.

Our Population

Our population varies greatly, but is predominantly women & children both in our residences & in the broader community whose lives have been touched by abuse. Many of our clients’ situations are complicated by issues of safety, legal proceedings, homelessness, race & cultural diversity, physical & mental disabilities, & addictions.

Training Opportunities

Interns providing direct service begin their training with our 48-Hour Domestic Violence Training class. In addition, the orientation process includes information sessions & visits to all of our different programs. Then interns are offered a multitude of learning experiences. Possible internship placements include answering the hotline, crisis intervention, case management sessions, community advocacy, young childrens groups, and counseling. Counseling opportunities include individual & family counseling, co-facilitating psycho-educational & support groups, & employment guidance. Community advocacy includes assisting with Orders of Protection, outreach to victims of incidents reported to the police, public awareness fairs & speaking events, and community task forces.

Interns that do not provide direct service usually follow a similar training path, however completion of our 48-Hour Domestic Violence Training class is NOT required to begin functioning in their position. Possible internship placements include assisting our Development Department or assisting our Direct Services Leadership.

NOTE: At Family Shelter Service, due to the nature of domestic violence work, there are very few (if any) opportunities to participate in these types of activities:

• traditional family & couples counseling,
• Certified career counseling,,
• administration & interpretation of formal psychological tests,
• formal DSM diagnosis of clients (symptom classification may happen informally to assist in developing service plans & interventions)

Ideal Student

• Enrollment in an academic program with good standing.
• Completion of our 48-Hour Domestic Violence Training class.
• Social Skills – flexible, emotionally & socially mature, able to function in a team.
• Participation in all supervision sessions & meetings as required.
• Working less than 24 hours per week outside of the internship.
• Is comfortable with basic computer skills, using the internet, & MS Office products.
• Has transportation to all of our facilities which are in DuPage county.
• Spanish-Speaking skills are highly preferred.

Training Philosophy & Supervision for Direct Service Positions

We at Family Shelter Service believe in a team approach to all that we do. First of all, we have a team of clinical supervisors & service mentors that oversee the professional development of all of our direct service interns. Secondly, our program trains 6-14 interns from a variety of schools to expose students & employees to different approaches & fresh perspectives. Supervision includes individual sessions, licensed-staff facilitated peer supervision groups, consultation for group facilitators, case presentations, topic discussions, & in-service sessions. As an agency we have embraced the Sanctuary Model and the Transtheoretical Model of Change. However, our team approach is flexible enough to accommodate different theoretical perspectives include aspects of cognitive-behavioral, family systems, strategic, psychodynamic, solution focused, Adlerian, and Rogerian. Family Shelter also seeks to promote an organizational culture of collaboration across disciplines, mutual respect, healthy conflict resolution, & self-care.

How to Apply

For information on How to Apply for an Internship with Family Shelter Service, download the most current documents:

• Internships at FSS (Revised 3/15/2011)
• How to Apply for Internships (Revised 3/29/2012)
• FSS Intern Application (Revised 12/15/2011)
• Internship FAQs (Revised 12/15/2011)
• Violence Prevention Educator Internship (Revised 01/14/2011)

Please read the Application Instructions BEFORE completing an application.

Position Descriptions

For a more detailed description of what activities an internship would include, download the most current Position Description:

• Case Management Specialist (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Children’s Services Assistant (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Community Advocacy (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Counseling (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Residential Assistant (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Development Assistant (Revised 1/26/2011)
• Counseling Services Assistant (Revised 3/15/2011)
• Violence Prevention Educator (Revised 01/14/2011)