Allegheny County Department of Human Services Internship Openings

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, and research. 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.

• 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.

• The Analytics Intern will serve in ATP to conduct research and analysis to inform improvements in how human services are designed or delivered. This includes services to support people with substance use disorders and/or mental health challenges, services to strengthen families, especially those with young children, child welfare services, services for older adults and services for people who need developmental supports. The intern may also conduct research and analysis on local systems including public education, health, or criminal justice or work to support ways to improve operational analytics within DHS. Interns must be proficient in one or more of the following: querying relational databases, data visualizations, R or Python, mapping in ArcGIS or R.

• The Product Management Interns will collaborate closely with seasoned product managers, analysts, engineers, data scientists, and stakeholders. During your internship, you'll gain hands-on experience in the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from ideation to launch. Your key responsibilities will include requirements gathering, data analysis, and active participation in agile development processes. Qualifications for this role include pursuing a degree in Business, Computer Science, or related fields, strong analytical skills, excellent communication abilities, familiarity with engineering concepts, and an eagerness to contribute to real-world projects. (June 1, 2024)
• The Product/UX Design Intern will collaborate with seasoned product managers and engineers to tackle real-world problems. Your internship will involve hands-on experience, including conducting user research, creating user story maps, building prototypes, and designing delightful user interfaces. Qualifications for this role include pursuing a degree in Interaction Design, Visual Communication, or related fields, proficiency in design tools like Figma, a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, and an eagerness to contribute to real-world design challenges. (June 1, 2024)
• The Justice Collaborations Intern will be introduced to opportunities in county government human services with a focus on the intersection with the criminal legal system. Through this internship, student interns will gain first-hand knowledge of DHS as a whole as well as the needs of individuals and families in our community who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. Throughout the internship, interns will have weekly supervision meetings and opportunities to interact with other student interns. Students in Social Work, Public Health, Public Policy, and other relevant programs are encouraged to apply. Applications are being accepted for internships over the 2023-24 academic year. Specialized skills required: active listening, strong oral and written communication skills including for stakeholder facilitation purposes
  • The Justice Collaborations team develops, plans, and implements cross-system projects to improve human services supports for individuals in crisis and ensure justice-involved individuals have access to human services and remain in the community whenever possible. We also strive to reduce racial disparities through this work. Our team uses a person-centered, harm reductive, and anti-racist approach in planning and implementation. Interns with the Justice Collaborations team will work with the team to identify a project that allows them to practice and exhibit competencies that are expected from their academic program and support the work of the Justice Collaborations Team.
  • Examples of projects may include:
    Researching evidence based and promising practice models to inform the development of new program or process.
    Supporting facilitation of a stakeholder workgroup to assess and/or address a systemic challenge.
    Mapping a system process and identifying potential improvements.
    Coordinating cross-system collaboration for complex cases.
    Collecting and collating grant data for reporting.
    Developing a training for stakeholders.
    Throughout the internship, students will:
    Exhibit professional conduct.
    Attend weekly supervision meetings.
    Conduct a project that demonstrates academic program competencies and present it at the end of the internship.
    Participate in opportunities to learn about justice partners and DHS program offices.
    Attend DHS All Staff Meetings.
    Attend Justice Collaborations Team Meetings.
    Perform all functions using an anti-racist framework. (May 2024 - May 2025)

• The Finance Intern will serve on the fiscal team to assist Budget Analysts and Revenue & Claims Managers with the analysis and completion of invoices, drawdown requests, financial reports, funding confirmation letters, and additional requests from program offices as necessary. This position provides a great opportunity to learn about complex government funding streams and the fiscal responsibilities of a county department. Interns must have previous knowledge and/or experience in accounting and excel. (June 1, 2024)
• The Human Resources Intern will be a motivated and talented summer intern to support our HR team over the summer of 2024. The goal of this internship is to help further develop business skills in our unique environment where you will be exposed to local and federal government processes and the state civil service.
  The primary focus will be working with and supporting the HR Department while gaining knowledge of and interacting with other Human Service professionals throughout the internship. As our HR intern, you will be working on a variety of HR projects involving personnel record management such as: re-vamping/re-organizing of ~800 employee personnel files; setting up new filing cabinets for personnel files with labels; creating job aid for how to set-up personnel files; scanning/uploading documents into Human Resources Information System (HRIS), including clearances and filing of personnel documents. (June 18, 2024)
• The Facilities Intern will work in the facilities area and will assist with DHS Safety initiatives such as building evacuations, safety trainings, replenish/maintain first aid kits, develop safety tips for the DHS Digest assist. They will also assist in tracking physical and technology assets, process mapping & documentation, relocations/moves, assist with the sorting and delivery of mail and much more.
• The Intern for the Office of the Director of Administration will assist the Director of OA with two projects:
  • Provider Applications of Interest (AOI)- Potential providers that have submitted AOIs to indicate that are interested in doing business with DHS. Responsibilities for this project will include: reviewing and logging applications of interest, sending acknowledgements to applicants, coordinating application reviews with Procurement and programs and outreach/follow-up with providers.
  • OA Communications Planning: OA will be developing and internal and external communications plans to ensure that we providing timely and relevant information to our customers. Responsibilities or this project will include: meeting with members of the OA leadership team to identify audiences/types of communications needed, assisting with drafting the communications plan and coordinating with OEE for review/input/support on implementing the plan.
  • Strong communications skills (written & verbal), good organizational skills and experience with MS applications. (June 2024)

• The BDAS Intern (Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, OBH) will build and maintain relationships with individuals and communities affected by drug and alcohol issues; provide information and support to individuals seeking help for drug and alcohol problems; advocate for the needs and rights of individuals with drug and alcohol issues within the community; co-organize and co-facilitate workshops, and events to raise awareness and reduce stigma around drug and alcohol use; collaborate with other community organizations, health professionals, and government agencies to ensure individuals have access to a comprehensive range of support services; Co-develop and implement community-based initiatives to prevent drug and alcohol misuse and promote healthy lifestyles; co-conduct outreach activities to reach individuals who may be reluctant to seek help for their drug and alcohol problems; provide training and education to community members and organizations on drug and alcohol issues and how to support individuals in need and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of community engagement activities and adjusting strategies as needed.
• The Special Projects Intern will work with the OBH Special Projects unit and the Community Wellness Team in the Bureau of Program Operations, OBH to help design and implement activities to advance outreach and recovery, such as with ACCR and Stand Together to promote community wellness. Candidate will also have the opportunity to shadow Justice Related Services given interest in forensic mental health.

• The Recruitment Assistant Intern will be a detail-oriented and proactive Recruitment Assistant to support our team. The ideal candidate will assist with various administrative tasks related to the hiring process, including managing candidate data, sourcing candidates, and organizing hiring documentation. Key Responsibilities: Data Management: Collaborate with the Interview Scheduler to create and maintain spreadsheets for tracking data and conversion rates of candidates to hires. Document Preparation: Type and format documents for interview guides and other recruitment-related materials. Candidate Sourcing: Use social media platforms and Handshake to identify and source potential candidates. Administrative Support: Gather and organize hiring documents from department heads post-interview. SharePoint Management: Manage and update SharePoint with shared recruitment documents. HR Coordination: Coordinate with Human Resources to organize and maintain files for policies and procedures. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, SharePoint). Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Location: Human Services Building: 1 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh PA 15222

• As a Housing Intern, you will assist the Administrator in data entry, research, and small projects as needed. Attend meetings to learn about issues and potential solutions to affordable housing and homeless problems in Allegheny County. Familiarity with Microsoft Office products. (May 13- August 30, 2024)
• The Family Strengthening Intern will assist with revising and developing tools and policy documents for a range of Family Strengthening programs including Family Centers, Home Visiting programs, and Immigrant Services. This position will require evaluating current monitoring and program implementation tools, adapting them to meet current program needs and requirements, and creating new or supplemental materials. Candidates will also review current policy and procedure documents and revise or supplement them for accuracy and clarity. In addition, this position will assist in developing a scope and sequence for caseworker onboarding and continuous training. Candidates will work in collaboration with internal and external partners to analyze needs assessments, create timelines for implementation, and develop training materials. Some background in data analysis preferred. (June 1, 2024)

• The Community Engagement Intern will be providing supports to our community engagement efforts through our tabling program. The primary ask will be to aid in the thought process and development of training for DHS staff who volunteer to table events throughout the county. We are interested in creating a DHS resources training as well as develop a schedule for training on Mental Health First Aid, Narcan, First Aid and Safety (with a high focus on diversion techniques). The intern in this position will work alongside the Community Engagement Senior Manager and the Community Engagement Coordinator within the Office of Equity and Engagement. (May 20 - August 23, 2024)
• The Race Equity Interns will support the growth, development, and implementation of the DHS Race Equity Strategy. Their goal will be to analyze current DHS system processes, policies, and practices for equity, identifying specific areas contributing to racial disparities. They will learn and work with our Government Alliance on Racial Equity (GARE) tools and concepts to bolster their knowledge and skills in government-sponsored racial equity work while expanding their professional network. Race Equity Interns will spend time shadowing Racial Equity Fellows, and Equity Program Managers to learn skills in content development, group/one-on-one discussion facilitation, and general knowledge on race equity and its intersections. They will support Equity Program Managers in daily tasks and outcomes focusing on planning and project development. Act as boots on the ground for tabling and community events representing OEE and DHS as race equity personnel.
  Race Equity Interns should have a working knowledge of race, power, and oppression historically and contemporarily. An interest in government and policy work directly impacting the social determinants of health and wellness for our most underserved populations. Ability to work independently and collaboratively to meet deadlines and achieve strategic goals. A community-oriented mindset and commitment to serving the most underserved demographics, through a transparent, collaborative, and community-first approach. Data analysis skills would be helpful. (July 8 - September 18, 2024)

• The Video Production Intern will be passionate about video production looking for an opportunity to hone your skills while making a positive impact in your community. Join our team at the Department of Human Services in as a Video Production Intern! This is your chance to gain hands-on experience, work on meaningful projects, and showcase your creativity while supporting important initiatives that directly benefit our community. If you're a motivated individual with a passion for storytelling through video, we want to hear from you!
  You'll assist in every aspect of the production from finding video and story ideas, talking to key stakeholders of those ideas and projects, scouting shoot locations and setting up camera, lights and audio for production, interviewing subjects (in-person and virtually), creating animated videos on various platforms, and editing videos and delivering a final product. And you'll do it all while working collaboratively with the Video Production Manager, Video Producer and the communications team in the Office of Equity and Engagement! Video production skillsets (editing, filming, audio set up, graphics animation). (June 3 - September 2, 2024)
• The Project Coordinator will support the overall operation functions of the Office of Equity Engagement. The operations functions include project management, budgeting, invoicing, contracting, monitoring, and procurement. The ideal candidate will have an interest in gaining experience with managing projects with multiple stakeholders. Experience using a project management software is preferred but not required. (June 3, 2024)