Internship Opportunities
Prospective UCAN Interns,
UCAN welcomes the opportunity to be a part of your educational and professional development in the field of human services. We also welcome the opportunity for you to share your fresh perceptions, enthusiasm, and talent with us and the children and families of Chicago.
UCAN values the input and perspective of student interns and considers them valued members of the treatment team. We are invested in making your educational experience at UCAN one that gives you real-world human service experience and enhances your professional development. UCAN interns participate in ongoing training and development opportunities including UCAN orientation, individual supervision, group supervision and team meetings, mentoring and shadowing, agency-wide training sessions, outside training opportunities, in-service and on the job training. The resources and expertise of UCAN are available to interns on the same level as they are available to employees.
"I was so grateful for the vast learning opportunities with supportive supervisions and trainings. I could learn about the impact of trauma on abused children, effective therapeutic interventions, and how to be a good team worker. There were so many possible areas for personal growth and development that I could not summarize them in a word, but I definitely deepened my knowledge on the social service system, the healing power of relationship, and people's strengths."
Naoko Kyuki, Teen Parenting Service Network intern
UCAN offers unpaid internship opportunities in a variety of programs, departments and office locations each year. We work very closely with the Field Placement and Practicum offices at the local Universities to make sure our internships meet your educational requirements. Although all students are welcome, our internships are geared for students who are earning a bachelor's or master's degree in Social Work or a Master's degree in Counseling/Clinical Psychology as part of their degree requirement. At times, we also may have internships available in administrative areas such as Human Resources, Development/Fundraising, Quality Improvement and Government & Community Affairs. Although internship availability changes year to year, generally UCAN has the following types of internships:
- Human Service Case Management
- Therapy/Counseling (including expressive therapies such as dance, music, art, and recreational)
- Family Support
- Youth Development
- Employment Services
- Student Teaching
- Development/Fundraising
- Government and Community Affairs
- Human Resources/Organizational Development
"I am completely enamored with the investment this organization puts into their interns. Our ability to attend trainings and give input while being encouraged to be a part of the team is refreshing and exciting! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this group; I am thoroughly enjoying it!" - Tom Kaufman, U-LEAD intern
To see current internship opportunities and/or apply online, please click here. The Field Placement supervisor will follow up with you. Once you have completed the online application, you can apply for multiple internships that meet your interests and qualifications.
If you have any questions about internships, please contact Takita Harris, HR Coordinator.
