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Does anyone know any places where I can intern to work with at risk youth?

I use to want to be a police officer and make my way up to detective but after graduating college, I decided that it wasn't what I wanted anymore. However, I do want to work with at risk youth but I still have mixed feelings and I am not sure where I can intern or even begin to explore this option to see if it is what I really want to do. There are places that I have applied too and have not heard back and I feel as if I am running out of options and places to look. If anyone has any ideas or guidance that they can give me, I would truly appreciate it because the only way to know if this is what I want to do for a career, is to try it out.

criminal-justice social-work youth-leadership
Thank you comment icon @Stephen Brunner, if you see this reply, thank you for your honesty but I failed to be a little more specific. I am not looking for anyone to do the research for me, I was simply asking for guidance. If you did not have an answer to my question, you could have simply kept scrolling because I did not ask you for your two sense, you don't even know me so do not try to speak on whether you think I am professionally driven or not. Good day. Julie
Thank you comment icon I don't have an answer to your question, but wanted to reach out to let you know that your desire to work with at-risk youth is inspiring to me, and I am thrilled to hear that you're exploring this kind of occupational focus area. The lives of many will undoubtedly be better thanks to your selfless service Julie! Jared Chung, Admin
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Angela F.’s Answer

Julie-

Most facilities either have to have employees or people who intern through the universities. An internship in most agencies are generally unpaid internships. There are shortages of officers. Many officers work with at-risk youth daily. If you have a precinct, May want to talk with someone there about your specialized interest. Maybe they have positions open where you could work with children. If you are interested in working, I would also look at maybe the foster care system or juvenile justice. Not sure that career exploration after a degree means you’re well-equipped to work with troubled children. Whatever you end up doing, be sure of yourself. It sounds like you just want a job, any job…the way this is written. Maybe start with asking yourself what you really want. Being unsettled makes it hard to be a foundation for unsettled children. So build yourself up, think it through and know that no one was all knowing starting out.

Angela F. recommends the following next steps:

Be sure of who you are and what you want
You’re as good as anyone else
Be settled enough to be what others need especially with vulnerable populations
Maybe look at a masters program
Love who you are and what you do for others.
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Andrea’s Answer

Hi Julie!
There are several non-profit agencies in NYC that work with at-risk youth. I had the pleasure of working under the DYCD Train and Earn program as a career advisor/coach/work readiness instructor for out of school, out of work youth between the ages of 16 and 24. DYCD may have internship opportunities where they partner with local agencies. I also recommend checking out The Door as they have a variety of programming that help youth get their start.

If you would be interested in working with individuals with disabilities, my agency caters to this population. I'd be happy to connect you with the internship coordinator for more information. I'm not sure if you need to be directly affiliated with your school, but we can find out.

All the best to you!
Andrea
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erik’s Answer

Hey there! A great place to start would be with with your local Children and Family Services Department. You could also look into the juvenile court system and link up with probation officers or case managers there. I also know that New York has a POSSE Foundation chapter and they do amazing work!!!
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Eugene’s Answer

You could try volunteering or working with Wediko Children's Services (https://www.thehome.org/wediko). They do great work and have offices in NYC. They also have a summer program based up in NH, which is a bit more intense, but a wonderful experience.
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Bailey’s Answer

You can try to reach out to local psych hospitals and see if you can shadow or intern at the hospital. Another option is reaching out to psych doctor offices and see if you can intern as a medical assistant. You will most likely need a psychology or counseling education if you want to be more hands on. But you can defiantly try reaching out to individual offices to see if this career field is what you want. We are always short staffed in psych hospitals and pediatric units.
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