Oakland Family Services Intern Institute

Oakland Family Services offers a variety of internships! The Intern Institute provides bimonthly trainings for all of its interns. At these meetings, interns have an opportunity to do case presentations. Various agency staff present topics related to clinical treatment, programming and administration issues that further an intern’s knowledge about Oakland Family Services and the human services field. All internships at Oakland Family Services are unpaid internships.

  • Internships are available to master's level students only. This placement offers an opportunity to provide individual and family counseling to a caseload of clients of various ages and to co-facilitate groups. Training and experience in mental health and substance use disorders is obtained. The program requires students to be enrolled in a formal internship program with their school.

  • Students who are interested in learning about office management, customer service and overall skills needed to run a front (reception) office will learn a wide variety of skills.

  • Students enrolled in an early childhood degree program would have an opportunity to learn assessment skills and do in-home assessments for children ages 0-3. This department also takes interns enrolled in other undergraduate programs to co-facilitate parenting groups. Internships for this program are both center- and community-based. The program requires students to be enrolled in a formal internship program with their school.

  • This department takes interns who are interested in learning about billing, customer service and payroll.

  • This department provides internships to bachelor's level students who are in a two-semester internship. An intern would get the opportunity to learn about the foster care system and courts, have a small caseload of foster care families, observe supervised visits and do home visits. The program requires students to enroll in a formal internship program with their school.

  • Human resources places interns who are interested in learning more about hiring, management, and implementation of agency policies and who are interested in licensing requirements of an agency. This department accepts both bachelor's and master's interns. An intern does not have to be enrolled in an internship program for this opportunity.

  • Internship opportunities would appeal to master's level interns who are interested in research, program development and evaluation, and grant and contract development. This internship does not have direct service hours with clients. This placement is not available every semester. The program requires students to enroll in a formal internship program with their school. 

If you are interested in a placement, please complete the Intern Placement Questionnaire. After responding to all questions, click ”Submit,” and your information will be sent to the Intern Institute. Your completed questionnaire will be reviewed and responded to within one week.

Are you free for an inside look at how Oakland Family Services builds brighter futures for families in our community? Consider attending one of our Building Brighter Futures tours!