After Care Educational - Vocational Intern

About St, John’s

Founded in 1826 as a home for orphaned children, St. John’s has evolved into a nonprofit social services agency providing residential care to New York City youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. We offer holistic, trauma-informed support to young people up to age 21. 

Our main campus in Rockaway Park, Queens, houses a Residential Treatment Center, Close to Home Non-Secure Placement programs, administrative offices, clinical services, and an on-site NYC Department of Education school. We also operate a Non-Secure Detention residence in Richmond Hill and Limited Secure Placement programs in Brooklyn and Staten Island. 

St. John’s is dedicated to helping youth heal, grow, and build the skills they need to achieve their goals and return to family or a stable, supportive environment as engaged members of their communities. 

Summary Job Description: 

The Aftercare Educational & Vocational Intern assists the Aftercare Educational & Vocational Specialist in preparing youth for educational, vocational, and workforce opportunities prior to discharge and during community transition. The intern will help implement workshops, support individualized education/career plans, and learn to coordinate with internal teams and community partners.

This role is primarily observational and supportive but includes opportunities for meaningful youth interaction under supervision.

Principal Responsibilities: 

• Assist the Aftercare Educational & Vocational Specialist with planning and facilitating workshops (e.g., career readiness, study skills, job search strategies)
• Support youth in completing education and career-related assignments or activities
• Help maintain records of youth participation and progress, entering notes under supervision
• Support communication with schools, community agencies, and employers
• Observe and learn how individualized plans are developed and implemented
• Attend team meetings, trainings, and professional development sessions as assigned
• Shadow direct interactions with youth to understand trauma-informed, youth-centered approaches
• Assist with administrative tasks related to youth educational and vocational planning
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the Aftercare team

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to:

• Understand the components of individualized education and vocational planning for justice-involved youth.
• Support youth in developing basic career readiness skills (resume building, interview preparation,goal-setting).
• Assistin coordinating community-based work,volunteer, and educational opportunities.
• Gain exposure to multidisciplinary team meetings and documentation processes in a human services setting.
• Develop communication skills with youth, families, and community partners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of trauma-informed approaches and safety practices when interacting with youth

Minimum Requirements:

• Currently enrolled in a relevant college program (Human Services, Social Work, Education, or related field)
• Interest in working with youth in child welfare or juvenile justice settings
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability tomaintainconfidentiality and professional boundaries
• Positive attitude, willingness to learn, and ability to work collaboratively

Travel Requirements:

This position may require travel between 2 to 3 residential programs located in Queens, Staten Island, or Brooklyn. Travel to St. John’s administrative offices for meetings, trainings, etc. is also required.

Disclaimer: 

This internship is unpaid and credit-bearing, in accordance with each participating school’s academic requirements.

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of a person in this position.

Internship Structure and Supervision: 
This position is a structured educational internship. Interns are not assigned independent caseloads, are not counted toward staff-to-youth ratios, and do not provide independent clinical, supervisory, or crisis intervention services. All activities are conducted under the supervision of designated staff in accordance with agency policy and regulatory requirements.