Client Advocacy Intern – Spring 2026

Washington, DC

Description
Be part of a diverse and dynamic team delivering quality services to/for child victims with equity, respect, and care!

Safe Shores – The D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center is an organization striving for excellence as a service provider and as a workplace. Safe Shores values respect, honesty, trustworthiness, professionalism, growth and learning, taking care to give care, innovation, teamwork, and collaboration. The Client Advocacy Intern is a respected and resourceful individual who can work well as a member of our team and is passionate about developing and implementing innovative, effective solutions to help children and families heal.

Working in a child-friendly facility, housing several public and private agencies, the Client Advocacy Intern is responsible for supporting clients and staff within the Client Advocacy Services program. Primary responsibilities include providing supervision and support to children and families at the center, supporting advocacy efforts through research and service delivery, assisting with maintaining program materials and supplies, maintaining a forensically sound, trauma-informed, and client-ready waiting area, and other duties as assigned. Client Advocates and interns are often the first points of contact for victims of child abuse and their caregivers. The focus of victim support and advocacy is to help reduce trauma for the child and family members and to improve case outcomes. This position is a mandated reporter for child abuse and neglect under District of Columbia Statute §4-1321.02.

The internship duration would be at least one semester, starting in Spring 2026, with the potential to extend into Summer 2026. This internship is ideal for undergraduate students available to work in person who need internship hours to complete requirements toward their degree program in the human services arena. Given that this is not paid employment, non-students are ineligible. There is a $2430 / semester food and transportation stipend, paid out monthly during the internship period.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.

• Welcome families to Safe Shores, bringing them upstairs and getting them settled into the playroom. Sit with children in the playroom as needed.
• Ensure client waiting spaces and playroom are tidied between appointments by making sure games and toys are orderly, clean, and in good condition.
• Provide support to child and family during the forensic interview process; engage children in developmentally tailored, forensically sound, and trauma-informed activities.
• Engage in self-reflective critique of their own interactions with the children (and caregivers, when applicable) and produce write-ups reflecting their observations and conclusions.
• Provide children and families with snacks and drinks.
• Prepare clothing bags for children as assigned.
• Administer Outcome Measurement System (OMS) surveys to caregivers after intakes with Client Advocates.
• Provide support and supervision during client groups as needed.
• Research local programs and other resources to develop materials and information that will meet the needs of current and future clients.
• Make phone calls to outside agencies and clients on behalf of Safe Shores’ Client Advocacy Services Program.
• Provide accurate responses to children and families’ questions as they arise and/or consult as needed to seek information.
• Collaborate with Client Advocacy Services staff and supervisors and communicate proactively.
• Observe at least three (3) forensic interviews and explore the developmental dynamics of forensic interviewing with a Forensic Interviewer.
• Observe the Multi-Disciplinary Team (Metropolitan Police Department, Child and Family Services Agency, United States Attorney’s Office, Office of the Attorney General, Children’s National Medical Center, and The DC Children’s Advocacy Center) as they observe forensic interviews, noting dynamics of the team.
• Assist Client Advocacy Services staff in inventorying, stocking, and maintaining all program supplies and materials.
• Participate in regular individual supervision, team meetings, trainings, and other meetings as required.
• Assist with data entry as assigned.
• Assist in the implementation of Safe Shores’ seasonal drives, as assigned.
• Support the development and sustainment of Safe Shores’ Caregiver Support Group, as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements
Education, Experience and Essential Qualifications:

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be enrolled in a bachelor’s level degree-seeking educational program related to children’s services, family sciences, human services, advocacy, psychology, mental health, clinical services, or a related degree program which requires internship hours as part of coursework.
• At least one year of experience working, volunteering, or interning in a professional setting.
• Availability to commit to a minimum of 16 hours per week.
• Demonstrates capacity to provide trauma-informed, client-centered, and culturally responsive services.
• Demonstrates strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills through the ability to handle complaints, mediate disputes, resolve grievances and conflicts, and negotiate with others.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks to maximize results and ensure deadlines are met.
• Ability to be a self-starter and work independently.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and collaborate with a wide range of professionals including law enforcement, social services, and medical and mental health providers.
• Ability and willingness to establish and maintain positive working relationships.
• Ability to be flexible, adjust to a quickly changing schedule and handle distractions and interruptions.
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity and ability to exhibit sensitivity in dealing with people of varied backgrounds, beliefs, and abilities.
• Excellent communication skills, positive attitude, and professional demeanor and attitude.
• Knowledge of local community resources and programs.
• Energy and enthusiasm for helping and working directly with children; commitment to children’s advocacy center mission/model.
• High level of comfort with technology and proficiency with MS Office applications and the internet; excellent writing skills.
• Ability to successfully pass Child Protection Registry clearance and criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with children and families.
• Formal training and/or certification as a victim advocate or crisis counselor.
• Oral and written Spanish language skills preferred.

COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Must be PC proficient and able to thrive in a fast-paced setting. Must have strong experience with Microsoft Suite of applications.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the intern is regularly required to use hands to touch or feel a computer, keyboard, monitor, telephone, Smart Phone, and talk or hear when interacting with employees. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk and sit, sometimes on the floor with children. The employee may regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Spring 2026 Undergraduate Intern

Job Description

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) is seeking a Spring 2026 Undergraduate Intern to provide general support to the Center’s small staff through research and writing projects. 

Applicants should be detail-oriented and have a strong interest in the Center’s work of serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. The Fall 2025 Undergraduate Intern should be a strong writer and researcher with a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel. They will work with various staff members on content for DPI’s website and reports, and provide occasional administrative support.

They will be working part-time and hours and schedule are flexible, but we prefer interns to work during normal work hours (M-F, 9-5pm ET). We are willing to work with your college or university for internship credit. Social Sciences, Communications, Criminal Justice/Criminology, Pre-Law, Data Analytics/Science, Computer Science, or Graphic Design (for Social Media Intern) other related field of study preferred. Start date and end date are flexible, but we hope interns would start in January. If you have questions, please contact Anne Holsinger at aholsinger@deathpenaltyinfo.org. These positions are unpaid, but DPI will work with you to obtain course credit for the internship, if desired.

DPI strongly encourages applications from historically disadvantaged groups, including formerly incarcerated people, Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women.

How To Apply

Applications are due ASAP but by November 21st, 2025. Please send a cov­er let­ter not­ing your expe­ri­ence and/​or inter­est in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment (includ­ing pre­ferred hours) and a resume in a sin­gle PDF to internships@​deathpenaltyinfo.​org. Please address your cov­er let­ter to Anne Holsinger, DPI’s Managing Director. Indicate in your email sub­ject line that you are apply­ing for the General Undergraduate Internship.

Spring 2026 Research and Data InternJob Description
The Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) is seeking an undergraduate or graduate student for our Spring 2026  Research and Data  internship. The Research and Data intern will work on a variety of projects related to DPI’s Death Penalty Census, website, and information architecture. The Research and Data  intern may also be responsible for conducting basic research on relevant topics, updating and creating website content, and short writing projects, as needed. Some possible projects include: 

• Restructuring DPI’s digital archive of case files
• Researching updates for DPI’s Death Penalty Census and entering relevant data into the Census database
• Digitizing records
• Assisting with research for upcoming reports or website updates (familiarity with the legislative process is a plus)
• Assisting with DPI’s automated data collection (knowledge of Python and or R is preferred) 

Applicants should have an interest in the Center’s work of serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment, and be comfortable with a small office environment. Hours and schedule are flexible as we are open to full-time and part-time interns. However, we prefer interns to work during normal work hours (M-F, 9-5pm ET). We also prefer candidates who are available to work a hybrid schedule, with 2-3 days per week in-person in our office in downtown Washington, DC. The office is Metro-accessible on the red, orange, blue, and silver lines. We are willing to work with your college or university for internship credit. Social Sciences, Criminal Justice/Criminology, Library Science, or other related field of study preferred. Start date and end date are flexible, but we hope interns would start in January 2026. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. If you have questions, please contact Anne Holsinger at aholsinger@deathpenaltyinfo.org. 

DPI strongly encourages applications from historically disadvantaged groups, including Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women. 

How To Apply
Applications are due by November 21st, 2025. If you wish to apply, please send a cov­er let­ter not­ing your expe­ri­ence and/​or inter­est in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment (includ­ing pre­ferred hours) and a resume in a sin­gle PDF to internships@​deathpenaltyinfo.​org. Please address your cov­er let­ter to Anne Holsinger, DPI’s Managing Director. Include ​“Research and Data Intern” in the email subject line.