Veterinary Social Work Internship

**We are now accepting applications for Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 on a rolling basis**

About this internship

The Veterinary Social Work Internship at PAWS Chicago offers BSW and MSW students a unique opportunity to apply social work skills in a public health and animal welfare setting. Based within our Community Outreach Department, the program operates on Chicago’s South and Southwest Sides, where access to care and community partnerships are central to addressing barriers in veterinary services. Veterinary Social Work is a growing field with approximately 200 VSWs in the country currently. Our VSW program is based in the human-animal bond and uses a harm-reductive approach.

Students will engage in client support, resource coordination, and interdisciplinary collaboration while learning how social work principles can advance equity, compassion, and access within veterinary medicine.

Interns gain hands-on experience across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice; ranging from direct client care and crisis support to outreach, program development, and systems change. The internship is strengths-based, flexible, and rooted in servant leadership and experiential learning, allowing students to shape their experience around personal interests and professional goals.

Duties and responsibilities

This internship offers a broad, practice-based experience across individual, community, and systems levels. The following examples reflect the types of work interns may engage in, depending on their learning goals and program needs:

Micro-level roles (direct practice)

• Conduct brief psychosocial assessments to identify barriers such as cost, transport, housing, or distress.

• Provide emotional support and crisis intervention during high-stress moments (illness, euthanasia decisions, rehoming).

• Facilitate end-of-life discussions and provide grief and loss support.

• Educate clients on resources and assist with service navigation.

• Support clear client–clinician communication to promote understanding and follow-through.

• Complete follow-ups to assess ongoing needs and connect to community supports.

Mezzo-level roles (community and program practice)

• Co-facilitate pet loss support groups and caregiver education sessions.

• Help deliver community events (vaccination, outreach, Pet Food Pantry) in partnership with other local community organizations.

• Participate in Diversion workflows to stabilize pet retention and coordinate services.

• Build referral relationships with neighborhood partners to strengthen outcomes.

• Develop and share culturally responsive outreach materials.

• Participate in interdisciplinary case reviews and team meetings.

• Assist in developing strength-based, culturally informed policies and program tools.

Macro-level roles (policy, program development, research)

• Conduct needs assessments to inform equitable program expansion on the South and Southwest Sides.

• Support evaluation projects on access-to-care barriers, Diversion outcomes, and social determinants of pet ownership.

• Help develop best-practice guidance for strength-based, culturally informed care.

• Assist with data collection and concise reporting for grants and quality improvement.

• Contribute to communications that frame outreach as public health and social equity work.

• Collaborate on cross-agency initiatives to build coordinated systems of care.

• Contribute to research or practice materials on the human–animal bond and related psychosocial needs.

Schedule and compensation

• In-person only. Some events may occur on evenings or weekends.

• LCSW supervision included.

• All PAWS Chicago internships are unpaid.

To learn more about Veterinary Social Work, please see the following resources:

https://www.aaha.org/newstat/publications/veterinary-social-workers-offering-hope-and-help/

https://www.iavsw.org/

• Current enrollment in an accredited BSW or MSW program.

• Passion for animals and alignment with PAWS Chicago’s No Kill mission.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Adaptability in fast-paced, community-based settings; problem solving and teamwork.

• Organizational skills and customer service orientation.

• Basic computer skills (email, Microsoft Office).

• This role is in person across multiple sites including the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, Chicago Animal Care and Control, and field.

• Ability to work around animals is required.
• Please state the term you wish to apply for.

Compensation & Benefits

This is an unpaid internship with PAWS Chicago.

Applications for this role are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis for future terms.