Meet Kendall Cade, an SIS Senior majoring in Human & Family Development with a Minor in Nonprofit Studies. Read more on her internship at Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) that was in partnership with Youth Initiatives in their Intervention, Prevention, and Education (IPE) program.
Congratulations to the rising juniors and seniors embarking on the next steps toward immersing yourselves in human service professions. I know that locating internship sites can be overwhelming and stressful, and I hope my internship insights can help alleviate some of those feelings! I found Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) through a simple Google search of human service internships in the local Fairfax community, and they also are featured on the HDFS internship webpage.
My internship cycle with NVFS was in partnership with Youth Initiatives, specifically the Intervention, Prevention, and Education (IPE) program. NVFS is an integral community resource that supports families and individuals in overcoming impediments facilitated by social inequities. As an IPE Youth Counselor, I provide youth and families with the framework for improved self-sufficiency and removing systemic barriers that encourage dysfunction and at-risk behaviors. My primary responsibilities were consistent in providing crisis intervention to deter at-risk youth from continuing engagement in maladaptive behaviors through individually curated service plans implemented by weekly client care meetings, increasing active parent/guardian involvement, and strengthening community relations. Through my internship, I was exposed to essential casework skills, such as binder management and organization, the referral system, and fostering ties in the community, effectively allowing me to integrate educational and professional resources through the hands-on opportunities.
My coursework played a significant role in the ease with which I assimilated into my role. HDFS 300 especially, as it expanded on applicable theories (e.g., Family Systems, Sociocultural theory, Social Learning, etc.) while introducing the role and importance of the human service profession. My experience developing through my major, encouraged by my internship, reaffirmed the importance of investigation. My advice to students exploring internships, regardless of any major, is to ensure your major aligns with you off paper! Don’t treat this experience as a means to satisfy the credit; think of this experience as an opportunity to find out if you will be happy both in the present and the future. I would advise students to immerse themselves in their placements truly but also respect that it is a learning experience, not a full-time job. Make sure you advocate for yourself and your commitment!
My role with NVFS opened doors for me outside of IPE. Through a community partnership fostered through IPE work, I am working independently with a local community program leader to co-create a mental health workshop for at-risk youth. Though this project is special to me, the most exciting and rewarding moment during my internship was seeing my client grow and become both excited and confident in having a future free of risk and dysfunction. My time with NVFS gave me a great introduction to what professional life will entail while pursuing higher education and working to achieve my professional goals of actively practicing marriage and family therapy and owning a private practice, including a nonprofit. Working with a nonprofit organization this year reinforced the significance of their role in strengthening both individuals and the community.
My biggest challenge was the language barrier, and I needed proficiency. Most of NVFS’s serviced demographic is Hispanic or Spanish speaking, requiring counselors to be reasonably fluent in Spanish. I took Spanish, consistently earning my Biliteracy Seal and passing the AP Exam; however, being out of Spanish and pursuing ASL caused language barriers and my need to rely more on senior support than I would have liked. Though we made it work, it was a personal struggle that taught me a valuable lesson early: lean into your community—learning to utilize available support systems extended beyond my internship benefited me academically, professionally, and personally. Overall, I recommend that those who are bilingual apply! NVFS is a great organization and community, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with them this year!
April 29, 2025