The Ocean County Department of Juvenile Services offers a full spectrum of programs for interns whose interests lie in working with adolescents in secure and non-secure settings. Undergraduate internships are available in the diverse fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Addiction Studies, and Management. Graduate internships are also available in Divinity (M.Div.), Divinity/Social Work, (M.Div./MSW), Psychology, and Spirituality. Students working toward either certification or licensure in the field of Addiction Studies may also qualify to complete their required field placement hours. Interns will have the opportunity to work with a variety of departments, programs, and personnel in a multi-disciplinary team approach that allows students a comprehensive, more holistic educational experience.
Students interested in applying for an internship should be prepared to inform our staff of their internship requirements. For example, does the student need to be supervised by a bachelor or masters-level professional? Recently many academic institutions have begun to require a “shadowing” experience for their interns, especially on the graduate level in Social Work. In most cases, we are not able to offer this experience on the Master’s level. However, if the student can be supervised on the bachelor’s level, a shadowing experience is much more likely. Interns accepted for placement with the Ocean County Department of Juvenile Services will meet for individual and group supervision throughout the semester, as required by their institution.
Since we receive numerous requests each semester for placements in our Internship program, we regret that we cannot consider those requests from students who wish to volunteer for internships. Students must be enrolled in an academic institution at the time of their application, and the internship must be REQUIRED by the college or university. Additionally, students need to have completed their Junior year in order to apply.
Our most comprehensive and popular program for interns is the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center, a secure program where interns have the opportunity to work directly with juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system in a detention setting. Since we understand that all interns may not be qualified or interested in working in this setting, Ocean County Juvenile Services also offers opportunities in our non-secure programs, where interns may choose to complete some of their hours. These programs include the Ocean County School Mentoring Program, the RAISE Evening Program, and the Community Service Program. Each of these non-secure programs is described briefly below.
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