Internships at Department of Human Services (Allegheny County)

About the Job

The Department of Human Services is seeking creative, hard-working, skilled and highly collaborative graduate and undergraduate students to help DHS do its best job of serving vulnerable people in Allegheny County.

We have a lot to do to deliver quality social services in equitable ways, and it takes staff to do planning, budgeting, analytics, program design, community engagement, training, research, and direct service delivery. Interns have accomplished amazing things by working in those (and many other) types of work, and they often decide to work here after graduation.

Where you'll work

Most interns are based at our downtown Pittsburgh office (One Smithfield Street), South Side (Wharton Avenue), or North Side (River Avenue), but we also have locations throughout the county.

What to do if you're interested

We have a wide array of possible internships available--when you click on the Apply button, upload your resume and a cover letter; and then answer a few simple questions at the end of the application. These questions ask you to indicate the program areas you're interested in (e.g., housing/homelessness, aging, immigrants and internationals...) and the types of work you'd like to do/build your skills in (e.g., analysis, research, client service, training, improving equity...) Our internship coordinator will then send your application to leaders in DHS who may be interested in talking with you; and will email you to let you know the status of your application.

Requirements

- Enrolled as a student at a college or university

- Can work at least 20 hours week/semester. (Up to 29 hours/week during the summer)

Compensation

$15/hour

(This does not vary by education level)

 About DHS

DHS is the largest agency in Allegheny County government. With a budget over $1 billion and its close community partnerships, DHS is able to reach and serve over 200,000 people a year.

Why intern at DHS?

• You can make a big impact here. We stand out as one of the best human services organizations in the country. But we need problem-solvers, innovators, and caring staff to use our resources to serve the most vulnerable people in the county, well.
• It is innovative. Most recently, the national attention and awards we’ve gotten are for how DHS integrates data; and uses data to improve the safety and well-being of children and to prioritize housing. If you’re excited about the chance to apply innovation and technology to making people's lives better, this could be a terrific setting for you.
• DHS has strong, principled community leaders who care about people and the public good and want to help improve human services with our partners from neighborhoods and organizations across the county. You'll be part of a team of talented, caring people to work alongside and learn from.
• Interning will give you an idea of whether this is a place where you'd like to take your next career step. Many of our current managers were DHS interns--and the network of former DHS interns leading other organizations across the US is vast. Having DHS on your resume is a good thing.