Children, Youth & Family
Jewish Child and Family Services / Virginia Frank Child Development Center (West Rogers Park)
Offering diagnostic and intensive treatment services for families with children under six who are experiencing pronounced emotional or developmental difficulties. Interns work along with an educational therapist, in a morning therapeutic small group program for young children. Afternoon projects may include preparing materials for the next day’s projects, monitoring supplies and cataloging and shelving in the children’s library, as assigned. Attendance at Wednesday afternoon psychiatric and staff meetings is required.
Jewish Child and Family Services / Residential Life (West Rogers Park)
An agency that works with children and families of children with emotional problems, interns work with seriously troubled children in one of the Group Homes for teenage and latency aged girls or boys. Populations and needs vary depending on the program:•
- Cummings Pre-transitional Group Home: Serves 5 (five) young men between the ages of 17-21 who no longer need the structure of a group home or residential treatment center, but are not ready for a Transitional Living Program.. They have a range of emotional and behavioral issues. The program provides 24 hour milieu based life skills training, coaching, vocational training and job linkages, individual counseling if indicated and case management.
- Rosenberg Group Home: There are two units in this home on separate floors in a three flat apartment building. Each unit can serve up to 6 (six) adolescent girls who have a range of emotional and behavioral issues.
- Price Pregnant and Parenting Teen Group Home: Provides services to 8 (eight) girls, who are either pregnant and/or parenting and their babies. These girls have a range of emotional and behavioral issues. There are parenting and child development groups offered at the home on a regular basis.
- Talman Aggregate Foster Home: Serves 6 (six) adolescent girls. The home follows a family model where a group of girls with a range of emotional and behavioral issues, live with a highly trained foster parent. Childcare staff provides additional structure and support during busy times.
- Campbell Aggregate Foster Home: Serves 7 (seven) adolescent boys. The home follows a family model where a group of boys with a range of emotional and behavioral issues, live with a couple that are trained foster parents. Childcare staff provides additional structure and support during busy times.
Opportunities will be made for interns to meet with clinicians as well as supervisors of the program to better understand the clients, their needs, and the role of a clinician in the residential programs. Requires flexible hours including some evenings and weekends. Must complete 2-3 day 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training in order to do one-on-one activities with youth. Availability of transportation would be helpful. TB test and medical exam required.
Jewish Child and Family Services / Therapeutic Day Camp (West Rogers Park)
Interns will team/staff, plan and implement therapeutic recreation program for the group home population. Opportunity to be part of treatment team and come to treatment team meetings on Tuesdays. Flexible hours into early evening required. Must complete 2-3 day, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training in order to do one-on-one activities with youth. Availability of transportation would be helpful. TB test and medical exam required.
Jewish Child and Family Services / Migdal Oz Residence (CILA) (Rogers Park)
Interns work in a small Community Integrated Living Arrangement for young adult males with developmental disabilities. Interns help the young men to build skills to better navigate the community as well as to become more independent within the home setting. Interns will have the opportunity to interact with the community in an advocacy role, as well as to interact with families and build meaningful relationships with the residents. Hours are flexible and may require weekends.
Jewish Child and Family Services / Early Childhood Autism Academy (Northbrook)
Join our team serving 3-8 year-olds with autism and developmental delays in a small classroom setting Monday through Friday 8:30-3:30. Gain experience working with special education teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists and social workers.
Keshet (Including Chicago Jewish Day Camps or Special Kids Network Teen Program)
Keshet is an organization committed to the belief that every Jewish child should have the opportunity to participate in the mainstream of Jewish life regardless of the child's disability. For school-age children, Keshet offers a fully integrated option. Interns would be required to integrate our campers into existing camp groups alongside their friends. Field trips are an integral part of this program as well as a possible overnight camping trip to the Perlstein Resort at Camp Chi. This is an exciting opportunity for those who want to learn more about individuals with special needs in a camp environment. TB and medical exam required.
JCC / Early Childhood Services (North/Northwest Suburban) (Florence G. Heller-Lakeview)
JCC Early Childhood Services continues to create a Jewish context for children to learn about themselves, their community and the world. Serving 2000 young children from 6 weeks through 5 years of age I 10 sites across Chicago, JCC is recognized and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for its expertise in the field of early childhood development. JCC Early Childhood delivers exceptional and appropriate educational experiences with each and every program from adult/child, full day childcare, half and full day preschool, kindergarten and summer fun programs. JCC partners with parents in creating a solid foundation for children socially, emotionally, cognitively, physically and spiritually-promoting future learning success.
JCC / Early Childhood Services / Social Service Team
The Social Service team provides support to our children, families and staff based upon a psycho-educational model. The members of the team receive training and supervision in the standards for quality early childhood educational experiences and essentials of child development, along with the techniques that support socio-emotional growth of children and families. They have a knowledge base that includes experience with large numbers of typically developing youngsters of the same ages as well as atypical development and assessment. They help to identify children that are in need of referral for early intervention services and act as liaisons to professionals that are working with children, Within an early childhood foundation they can assess how teachers are implementing curriculum, how the educational and psychological environment is impacting the situation, and make recommendations to help children reach their potential. They provide support to parents and assist them in developing parenting skills. A key concept in this approach to ECS is one of preventative mental health care. The social service team members are able to monitor children over time, see them grow from year to year and help families through a variety of life cycle events and crises.
This intern will work with JCC’s ECS Social Service Team to support children, families and teachers to facilitate delivery of the highest possible quality Jewish Early Childhood Experience in a manner that supports children, families, staff and community. Intern will help give child, family and teaching staff support necessary for a child with special needs to play and learn in an inclusive Early Childhood Program. Facilitation/Shadowing of a 2/3 year old in JCC’s Summer Fun Program or Full-Day Child Care - which will allow child with special needs to be successfully integrated in program and have the opportunity to succeed.
A major in Social work, Psychology or Early Childhood Education with the ability to work
with children, parents, teacher and Directors.
Ability to use behavior management techniques.
Availability of own transportation and willingness to travel between sites.
JCC Early Childhood Services/Teacher/Counselor (Kaplan JCC, 5050 Church Street, Skokie)
Work as a Teacher/Counselor in the morning Summer Fun program for 2/3 year olds and
Work with the teaching staff in the afternoon in a Full Day Child Care Setting. Summer Fun
Program planning with team and connecting with parents.
Majors in Early Childhood Education, or Recreation who are warm, caring and nurturing. Ability to work with a team
Response Center (Skokie and Buffalo Grove)
A multi-faceted center for teenagers with a normal range of adolescent concerns; offering individual, group and family counseling, substance abuse, violence, pregnancy and AIDS prevention, medical services and outreach. Specific assignments may include: out-reach program development, participation in teen leadership program events, assisting Director and Assistant Director with grant research information, attendance at community meetings, weekly staff meeting participation and in-service training. Development of short-term specific agency projects such as staff orientation manuals, flyers, newsletters, etc. Interns should have experience and interest in working with teen population and an interest in non-profit social service administrative learning experience. Evening hours with some ability to travel to additional site preferred.
