Karmen was a CPS Intern for The Division of Child & Family Services during Fall 2025.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
At DCFS, I shadowed multiple caseworkers as they visited families, created safety plans, and provided resources. Outside of shadowing, I helped with documentation, transcribed interviews, took notes at meetings, attended court hearings, and supervised parent-child visits. Through my experience, I learned more about how CPS, law enforcement, and other agencies work together to improve child welfare. I gained skills in documentation, writing, and communication in difficult situations. I loved seeing psychology and social work in action, and my internship further strengthened my desire to become a therapist working with children.
What did you learn on your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
I was surprised to learn that therapists were so involved with CPS and could work in many locations, including schools, long-term care centers, with victim advocate agencies, non-profit groups, and private agencies.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
I decided to broaden my graduate school applications and apply to a social work Master's program, rather than just Marriage and Family Therapy programs.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
Interning with DCFS increased my desire to serve God's children. There's a lot more need in our communities than I was aware of, but I became more convince of how aware God is of us and His desire to strengthen us in helping each other.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
I would encourage anyone interested in social work, therapy, child education, or even law and law enforcement to intern with DCFS. This internship offers such a unique opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team, gain real world experience, and learn if these fields are a good fit for you.
Is there anything else you would like to say regarding your internship?
If you intern for DCFS, I would strongly recommend the Heber office. As a smaller office, you feel like a part of the team and you get to experience much more than you may at a larger office.
