Community-based Programs

Join the Selfhelp Social Work Team

Apply today for the 2024-2025 MSW internship and scholarship program

Selfhelp Community Services has a rich history of supporting the field of social work through internship programs for graduate social work students. Selfhelp is training the next generation of social workers to serve New Yorker’s older adults. 

We are accepting graduate-level social work interns for the 2024-2025 school year. MSW interns are eligible for a unique scholarship program for those who are interested in a career with Selfhelp post-graduation. 

Apply Today

Be a Social Work Intern at Selfhelp

  • Selfhelp accepts full-time and part-time social work interns in both BSW and MSW programs.
  • Each semester lasts thirteen (13) weeks and with an expectation full-time graduate-level interns work twenty-one (21) hours per week. All internships are fully in-person in New York City or Long Island, except where work is noted to be virtual.
  • Interested students should contact their internship placement office and/or Selfhelp at internship@selfhelp.net.
  • Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis as long as spots area available.
  • Graduate-level social work interns are encouraged to apply to the Selfhelp scholarship program.
  • Provides a unique opportunity to work with older adults and learn from experts in aging services

Scholarship Program Details

Selfhelp Community Services will offer scholarships to 4 graduate-level social work students for the 2024-2025 academic year.

  • Full-time 2nd-year or advanced standing graduate students at accredited colleges in New York are encouraged to apply.
  • Students will receive up to a $10,000 reimbursement per semester towards their tuition, up to $20,000 value. Additional stipends will be given to students.
  • Each student will be asked to commit to the internship plus staying at Selfhelp for least one more year following graduation as an employee with Selfhelp Community Services.
  • Selfhelp will make every attempt to have selected students to be placed in a department based on their previous educational experiences, related practice, educational needs, and stated preferences. Students selected for the Internship Program will be placed into 1 out of 7 Selfhelp departments.
  • 2nd year students are committing to one year of an internship plus at least one year of full-time employment post-graduation. All students are expected to remain in their assigned department for two consecutive semesters to maximize their experience and learning within that work environment.
  • Each semester will last thirteen (13) weeks and with an expectation each intern works twenty-one (21) hours per week. All internships are fully in-person, except where work is noted to be virtual.
  • Deadline for applications is July 1st, 2024.
Download the flyer here

Scholarship Eligibility & Application Process

  • Applicants must be full-time graduate students at an accredited university, residing in the NYC area; preference will be given to students with a concentration in gerontological social work.
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 1st, 2024. Internships begin in the fall of 2024.
  • All applicants will be required to complete an online application with included essay questions to be reviewed by a panel of Selfhelp employees.
  • Selected applicants will be invited for an interview, after which 4 students will be selected for the scholarship program.
  • Questions? Email the Social Work Internship Program Supervisor, Christella Tuldanes-Madiega, internship@selfhelp.net
Click here to apply to the scholarship program

Spotlight on Selfhelp Social Workers

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Testimonials

I am placed in the housing department of Selfhelp, and I have been able to learn a variety of skills not only from my supervisors, but through the conversations I have with the tenants there. I am interested in social work in the field of geriatrics because of how little emphasis is placed on the aging population and the consideration of their needs in their life stage.
Jane KimSHASAM Bayside/Flushing MSW Intern, Selfhelp Scholar
Jane Kim
I am in my first year at the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. My interest in psychology and mental health care, special connections with my own older relatives, and a passion for helping others have led me to pursue geriatric social work. I previously interned with Borrow My Glasses, a gerontology education organization, and volunteered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. My experience as an intern at Selfhelp has been incredibly meaningful, touching, and educational so far. I have been met with kindness and support from colleagues, as well as appreciation and warmth from clients. I am so excited to continue my social work journey with Selfhelp.
Elizabeth HammerWashington Heights Holocaust Survivor Program MSW Intern, Selfhelp Scholar
Elizabeth Hammer
I was born here in America, but my family comes from Ukraine. I am bilingual with Russian as my second language. What drew me to social work was that it is a very diverse field and there are so many different opportunities while being able to help people in different ways. My experience with Selfhelp has been nothing short of amazing so far. Everyone at my internship is so supportive and encouraging and it definitely feels like a family setting. All of my coworkers were very welcoming when I started and always encourage me to ask for help and to not be shy. Overall, I'm very happy and thankful for a great field placement.
Matthew VeltmanRussian Holocaust Survivor Program MSW Intern, Selfhelp Scholar
Matthew Veltman
My first-year internship for my MSW was at the Selfhelp Queens North Case Management Program. I remember when the NYU Silver School of Social Work field placement application asked what population I did not want to work with, I specified the elderly. Thinking back now, I had no reason for excluding older adults from my learning process and after a decade of working with the most diverse homebound older adults, I am so thankful I was placed here. I learned invaluable case management, communication, and time management skills at Selfhelp Queens North. After I graduated with my MSW, I was hired here as a full-time social worker and went on to be promoted to a supervisor mentoring other prospective MSW students. Now, I cannot imagine not working with older adults!
Megha, LMSWSocial Work Supervisor Selfhelp Queens North Case Management Program
Megha, LMSW
"As a career changer and someone new to the field of social work, I felt that my internship at Selfhelp was the ideal learning experience. I had the opportunity to not only coordinate matches between volunteers and older adults, but also became a friendly visitor and virtual group facilitator. Though I was initially anxious about awkwardness, the clients’ experiences were so varied and fascinating, and I truly learned what it meant to stay in the moment and provide client-led services. I was able to lean on the patient guidance of my supervisor and the Queens North case managers and learned how to be more reflective of my own thoughts, words, and actions as a social worker. My time with the Friendly Visiting team at Selfhelp Queens North has been invaluable to my development! "
JacquelineFormer Social Worker Intern
Jacqueline
I was an intern at Selfhelp Kensington Case management program to pursue my BSW 18 years ago. I was hired as a case manager after I graduated. I am grateful for working at Selfhelp as they provide many opportunities, trainings and promote within. My former and current supervisors are a great mentor, and I am thankful to have supportive supervisors to help me growth in my career.
Fen, MSWProgram Director, Queens North Case Management Program
Fen, MSW
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Internship Placement Areas

Under the supervision of a Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI)-certified Social Worker, the Master of Social Work Intern is responsible for providing support and assistance to older adult clients in New York. Intern responsibilities may vary, according to the department they are placed with, including these 7 program areas:

  • Case Management
  • Community Guardian Program
  • Selfhelp Active Services For Aging Model (SHASAM)
  • Virtual Senior Center (VSC)
  • Holocaust Survivor Program
  • Older Adult Centers (OAC)
  • Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC)

Below are details of each area, including responsibilities and locations.

Apply Today

Selfhelp’s comprehensive case management programs help seniors through a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, advocacy, and referrals. Expert social workers assist in accessing entitlements and benefits, as well as financial assistance, home-delivered meals, and home care services. The goal is to enable vulnerable seniors to continue to live independently in their own homes. 

Responsibilities

  • Conduct case management services to clients including client assessments and reassessments.
  • Conduct home visits and telephone calls to clients.
  • Assist with entitlements and benefits.
  • Dependent on client needs and intern availability: may be matched as a friendly visitor for home or virtual visits to an older adult and/or facilitate virtual classes on Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center to homebound older adults.

Locations

  • Queens North: 45-25 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11355
  • Safety Net: fully virtual office

Selfhelp’s Community Guardian Program serves as a court-appointed legal guardian for clients referred by Adult Protective Services (APS), who are over 18 years of age and unable to manage their own financial or domestic affairs. Selfhelp is one of three agencies in New York City that serves in this capacity. Our goals are to keep clients comfortable and safe within the community, and maximally independent. Though each court order may differ in its instructions, guardians usually have the right to collect a client’s income and pay their bills. Client safety, independence, quality of life, and available funds are important considerations in the development of a suitable plan.

Responsibilities

  • Completing monthly risk assessments to ensure the safety of the clients.
  • Ensure clients have benefits/entitlements in place, as well as services remain safe.
  • Refer clients for needed services, and complete notes and service plans.
  • If needed, supervise heavy-duty cleanings.
  • Attend trainings and participate in meetings with other community agencies.

Location:

  • 520 8th Avenue, NY, NY 10018 with home visits and meetings in all NYC boroughs.

SHASAM (Selfhelp Active Services for Aging Model) is a voluntary comprehensive set of supports for residents of Selfhelp’s affordable housing buildings, appropriate for different stages in the aging process. The model grew out of Selfhelp’s eight decades of experience working with older adults. Selfhelp owns and operates 17 affordable senior apartment buildings in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties that provide housing plus SHASAM services to over 1,600 New Yorkers. Services include:

  • A culturally competent social worker in each building
  • Assistance and advocacy for entitlements and benefits
  • Educational and recreational programming
  • Health and wellness programming
  • Physical activity
  • Social events (in-person and virtual)
  • Aging services technology
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Referrals to partners for home-delivered meals, home care, subsidized housekeeping, mental health, case management
  • and more

Responsibilities

  • Conduct intakes and provide accurate information and referrals.
  • Screen and assist clients onsite at the center, with applications and re-certifications for entitlements and benefits.
  • Advocate on behalf of clients and arrange for the provision of services; develop, implement and follow up on care plans.
  • Facilitate and assist at social, recreational, and other group activities and events.
  • Maintain ongoing communication with clients, family members, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Maintain case notes in Selfhelp’s database and case file.
  • Maintain and report on data according to Selfhelp standards as well as other funding sources from digital and paper tracking systems.
  • Dependent on client needs and intern availability: may facilitate virtual classes on Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center for homebound older adults.

Locations:

  • Helen R Scheuer House – 45-25 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, Queens
  • Martin Lande House – 137-47 45th Avenue, Flushing, Queens
  • Scheuer House of Bayside – 206-11 26th Avenue, Bayside, Queens
  • Scheuer House of Flushing- 138-52 Elder Avenue, Flushing, Queens
  • Harry & Jeanette Weinberg House – 140-16 45th Avenue, Flushing, Queens
  • Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Apartments – 45-35 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, Queens
  • Selfhelp KVII- 137-39 45th Avenue, Flushing, Queens
  • Hunter’s Point South – 5303 Center Boulevard, Queens
  • Van Cortlandt Green – 6469 Broadway, Bronx
  • Parkchester, 1701 Purdy St, Bronx
  • Joseph & Pauline Charatan Residence – 333 Lenox Road, Brooklyn
  • Bishop P Philius and Helen Nicolas Residence, 1488 New York Avenue, Brooklyn
  • Apex House I – 498 Union Avenue, Westbury, Long Island
  • Wyandanch House – 11 Park Drive, Wyandanch, Long Island
  • Allan and Geraldine Rosenberg Residence – 81 S Bergen Place, Freeport, Long Island

Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center (VSC) is a vibrant and safe virtual community that offers lots of ways to interact and engage through live virtual classes, hybrid classes with centers, fun community events, direct video chats, and far-reaching discussions. Experiences span from literature classes to computer courses, health workshops to virtual travel and museum tours, and current event conversations to impromptu chats.  

Responsibilities:

  • Follow up with inactive clients of the VSC to monitor and provide support for engagement with the platform.  
  • Provide an array of support services to clients, including engagement via caring calls as well as technical support and connecting clients to resources as needed.  
  • Complete documentation of phone calls and assessment notes on client status in secure database. 
  • Offer new user interface trainings 1-2x per week to clients on enliveo platform and facilitate a weekly support group. 
  • Provide either: a Circle of Friend group (The Circle of Friends is an evidence-based intervention that enables socially isolated Older Adults to form friendships by attending 12 weekly meetings with the same group who connect via shared program interests), or a discussion class. 

Location: 

  • Remote 

Selfhelp’s specialized services for Holocaust survivors honor the pledge made by our founders: to serve as the last surviving relative to victims of Nazi persecution. Our overarching goal is to provide Holocaust survivors with the services they need so that they may live with the comfort and dignity they so richly deserve. Selfhelp’s Holocaust Survivor Program provides a broad safety net providing enhanced case management, social events, homecare, financial assistance, and more.  We serve survivors in Nassau County, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. 

Responsibilities

  • Enhanced case management – monitors every aspect of the client’s care, makes the appropriate referrals, and ensures that the client receives not only optimum care but also all entitlements for which they are eligible.
  • Subsidized Home Care – provided to individuals who need personal care assistance, services by Selfhelp’s Licensed Home Care Services Agency and other agencies. As clients are assessed for home care services and are placed on our waitlist, this information, in addition to unmet client needs, is entered into Selfhelp’s database each week.
  • Housekeeper/chore services coordination, assessment, and tracking – in-home support to enable them to remain living in the community.
  • Emergency Financial Assistance – assess for financial needs, often for medical and dental procedures, Medigap insurance, rent, utility bills, citizenship fees, food assistance, air conditioners, and other needed items and services.
  • Social Programs (in-person and virtual) – assist in planning, attending, and following up on events including coffee houses, virtual classes, and holiday celebrations.
  • Holocaust Education – support Selfhelp’s Holocaust education efforts. 

Locations:

  • Manhattan: 520 Eighth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY  10018
  • Washington Heights/Bronx: 620 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY  10040
  • Queens: 70-20 Austin Street, Forest Hills, NY  11375
  • Nassau County: 498 Union Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
  • Brooklyn: 626 Sheepshead Bay Road Brooklyn, NY 11224 (including a specialized program for Russian-speaking survivors)

Selfhelp’s five Older adult centers (formerly known as senior centers) offer a wide variety of life-enhancing programs such as computer classes, concerts, lectures, health and wellness workshops, as well as nutritious meals for seniors living in the surrounding communities. Selfhelp’s Older Adult Centers serve close to nearly 8,000 people. We take pride in creating programs and services that reflect the culture of each local community.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct intakes and provide accurate information and referrals.
  • Screen and assist clients onsite with applications and re-certifications for entitlements and benefits.
  • Advocate on behalf of clients and arrange for the provision of services; develop, implement and follow up on care plans.
  • Facilitate and assist at social, recreational, and other group activities and events.
  • Maintain ongoing communication with clients, family members, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Maintain case notes utilizing OAC database and case file.
  • Maintain and report on data according to Selfhelp and NYC Aging standards from digital and paper tracking systems.
  • Dependent on client needs and intern availability: may facilitate virtual classes on Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center for homebound older adults.

Locations:

  • Austin Street: 106-06 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375
  • Benjamin Rosenthal-Prince Street (Innovative OAC): 45-25 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY 11355
  • Clearview: 208-11 26thAvenue, Bayside, NY 11360
  • Latimer Gardens: 34-30 137thStreet, Flushing, NY 11354
  • Maspeth: 69-61 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, NY 11378

Selfhelp provides health and social services at four Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in Queens. NORCs are housing complexes with a large proportion of residents over 60. Because many of the tenants wish to remain in their homes and now require essential support to do so, NORC programs, including those managed by Selfhelp, provide senior residents with the supportive services they need to continue living in their own homes.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct NORC Assessments and evaluate clients’ needs.
  • Assist clients with benefits and entitlements. 
  • Assist with NORC group activities.
  • Conduct home visits, and assist clients during office visits, and over the phone.
  • Dependent on client needs and intern availability: may facilitate virtual classes on Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center for homebound older adults.

Locations:

  • Big Six Towers NORC: 59-55 47th Avenue, Woodside, NY 11377
  • Fresh Meadows NORC: 67-00 192nd Street, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
  • Northridge / Brulene / Southridge Neighborhood NORC: 33-45 90th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
  • Boulevard Gardens NORC: 51-42 30th Avenue, Woodside, NY 11377

Voices from our Community

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About Selfhelp

For 87 years Selfhelp has been serving the most vulnerable among us. Today, Selfhelp provides a broad range of services for more than 25,000 older and vulnerable New Yorkers each year while remaining the largest provider of comprehensive services to Holocaust survivors in North America. We are a trusted advisor and leader in aging services. Our overarching goal is to help our community live with dignity and independence.

Graduate-level social work students will have the opportunity to learn from expert practitioners and to work with clients who reflect the diversity of New York City. Selfhelp specializes in providing culturally competent care to older adults from throughout the world.

Read more about our history here and click here to read our 2023 Report to the Community.