Internship and Volunteer Opportunities

Internship and Volunteer Opportunities

Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center - 2600 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, TX 75212
Phone: (214) 698-2200


Juvenile Department Internships

The Dallas County Juvenile Department offers several non-paid internship opportunities to qualified college students. If you are interested in interning with the department, please contact the identified intern coordinator for the internship you wish to pursue in order to determine if an opportunity exists in your needed semester.

Probation: Interns are exposed to the work of probation officers. Provides students an opportunity to get hands on experience with managing a caseload and supervising youth in a community setting. If interested, please contact Rhonda Kerl, Post-Adjudication Manager of Probation Services at rhonda.kerl@dallascounty.org.

Research: The DCJD has a research team that is responsible for program evaluations, data analysis, and reporting. This internship provides the unique opportunity to experience researching in the practical world. If interested, please contact Dr. Daniel Pacheco, Manager of Research & Statistics at daniel.pacheco@dallascounty.org.

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Clinical: Our clinical division provides in-patient and out-patient treatment to residents in our facilities and youth on community supervision. We have specialized programs (drug treatment and sex offender therapy), as well as more general therapeutic interventions. These internships are overseen by our clinical division. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr. Frederica Adams at frederica.adams@dallascounty.org.

Legal: Interns accepted into this program may assist General Counsel with tasks not limited to legal consultation and representation to the Executive Director of Juvenile Services, Executive and Administrative teams, Juvenile Board, Academy for Academic Excellence and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program; review and/or draft, where applicable, contracts and the like, legislative matters, and policy development; research for briefs, memoranda, legal opinions and/or certain communications; review incident video, where applicable, to participate in disciplinary matters. You will receive a first-hand view of a General Counsel’s role in the Dallas County Juvenile Department. If interested, please contact Denika R. Caruthers, General Counsel at denika.caruthers@dallascounty.org

This internship program may require documentation other than the generalized documentation requirements listed below.

Education: Our education division provides two types of internship opportunities. The first opportunity is student teaching experience through an accredited college or university. Potential student teachers will be placed with a highly effective certified teacher in their subject area. This is great training for working with at-risk youth. The second opportunity is for tutoring in a core subject area. Tutors will be placed where the need is with our students. If interested, please contact Ms. Karen Ramos, Deputy Director of Education at karen.ramos@dallascounty.org

In order to be considered for an internship, students must:

  • Be enrolled in a college or graduate level internship class
  • Age 21 and up
  • Provide an unofficial college transcript to the respective intern coordinator
  • Provide 3 Letters of Reference to the respective intern coordinator
  • Complete intern training
  • Review and complete required paperwork
  • Pass a FAST background check

Once you have spoken to an intern coordinator and have determined there is an opportunity for you to intern with DCJD, please sign up for a training here. Please do not sign up for a training until you have determined where you will be interning if approved. You will be contacted by our Training Unit with additional instructions and necessary paperwork to review and complete prior to being approved to intern with our Department.

 

 

Volunteering

The Dallas County Juvenile Department is currently looking for long-term volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include youth mentoring, providing youth programming, school tutoring and advocacy.

Because each facility has unique residents and needs, they each have a designated volunteer coordinator. Please contact the facility you are most interested in volunteering with and they will match you to a volunteer need. 

 
Detention/Hill Center/Henry Wade Post:(214) 698-4431
Youth Village:(972) 225-9784
Medlock Treatment Center:(972) 225-9784
Letot Center:(214) 956-2003
Education:(214) 689-5506
All Other Programs:(214) 819-5140
 

In order to be considered, potential volunteers must:

  • Be age 21 and up
  • Complete volunteer training
  • Review and complete required paperwork
  • Pass a FAST background check

Once you have spoken to a volunteer coordinator and have determined there is an opportunity for you to volunteer with DCJD, please sign up for a training here. Please do not sign up for a training until you have determined where you will be volunteering if approved. You will be contacted by our Training Unit with additional instructions and necessary paperwork to review and complete prior to being approved to volunteer with our Department.

We are unable to accommodate one-time, special event volunteers or volunteers under the age of 21. However, these groups are encouraged to support the Juvenile Department’s work through supply drives or fundraising events. Please contact us at (214) 819-5140 if you are interested in hosting an event on behalf of the youth of the Dallas County Juvenile Department.

Once you have verified with a coordinator there is an opportunity to volunteer, please click the button below to sign up for training.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.