Spring 2026
Spring 2026 – Masters Level Paid Internship
Posted on 10/5/2025
Youth Villages
1,001-5,000 employees
Provide evidence-based children's mental health services
No salary listed
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Hybrid
 Training |
|---|
- Must be pursuing a Master's degree in the Social Service field.
- Shadow counselors in home/ community based family sessions with a dedicated specialist
- Carry reduced case loads and implement interventions
- Facilitate individual, group, and/or family therapy sessions
- Utilize evidence based practices through treatment process
- Participate in treatment team and clinical consultations as well as individual supervision
- Assist with clinical assessments and documentation in our medical records system
- Access clinical trainings
- Provide transports as needed (school dependent)
Youth Villages delivers mental and behavioral health services for children and families across 23 states and Washington, D.C., using evidence-based treatment models that are family-centered and include ongoing aftercare. Programs are designed to strengthen the child’s support system and help them live safely at home, with outcome tracking since 1994 showing consistently high success rates (for example, 86% of children remained living at home 12 months after completing a program). The organization works at scale with more than 3,600 staff and thousands of families annually. It differentiates itself through rigorous outcomes data, long-term follow-up, and recognition from institutions such as Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report. The goal is to improve long-term well-being and stability for children and their families by providing proven, structured interventions and sustained support.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Memphis, Tennessee
Founded
1986
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Recent $100k Joey Logano Foundation grant and $25k Nantahala grant accelerate Scholars initiative.
- 4:1 state match multiplier on private donations scales LifeSet funding across North Carolina.
- Renovated Morristown offices enhance staff training capacity and client service delivery capabilities.
What critics are saying
- Morristown building safety scandal involving drug use damages organizational reputation through association.
- Tennessee foster home shortage forces partnerships diluting brand control and exposing to partner failures.
- Reliance on small grants and state matches creates vulnerability if philanthropic funding declines.
What makes Youth Villages unique
- LifeSet program achieves 48% college graduation rate versus 13% national average.
- Evidence-based Intercept in-home services expand across multiple states including Rhode Island.
- Convenes national child welfare leaders through Achieving Success Executive Workshop for collaborative innovation.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Paid Parental Leave
Phone/Internet Stipend
Professional Development Budget
Company News
Youth Villages awarded $25,000 from Nantahala Health Foundation. Youth Villages today announced it received a $25,000 grant from the Nantahala Health Foundation. This support will help young adults leveraging support as they step into independent adulthood. Grant funds from the foundation will be used to sustain and support the LifeSet program and Youth Villages Scholars initiative in western North Carolina. LifeSet is one of the nation's first and largest evidence-informed programs designed to help young people transition successfully into adulthood. Specialists work one-on-one with participants to secure safe housing, build healthy relationships, and achieve education and employment goals. The Scholars initiative provides monthly stipends, technology, school supplies and other essential resources for young adults enrolled in LifeSet. The funds will also support specialists and mentors, who work directly with each Scholar. "The young people in our LifeSet program are resilient and capable, but most struggle in the transition to adulthood, especially when working to overcome childhood adversity," said Erica Ellis, director of development for Youth Villages. "With partners like the Nantahala Health Foundation, we walk alongside these young people, helping them rewrite the script for what's possible and helping them chase their dreams." LifeSet and our Scholars initiative provide young adults with one-on-one support. The need is urgent: only 13% of youth who age out of foster care nationwide graduate with a two- or four-year degree, compared to 48% of Youth Villages Scholars. This partnership also activates a powerful 4:1 state match, meaning every private dollar raised brings in four public dollars to sustain and grow LifeSet across North Carolina. The Nantahala Health Foundation has worked since 2019 as a regional catalyst for innovation and collaboration, Nantahala Health Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, and the Qualla Boundary to improve health and wellness outcomes for all. By addressing the root causes of health inequities and removing barriers to quality health care, education and economic opportunities, the Foundation's impact is felt in its partnerships with regional change-makers. The Foundation has awarded more than $4.3 million in support to some 232 programs, totaling a financial investment of more than $20 million throughout the region. Additionally, the Foundation has invested more than $254,000 to build the capacity of more than 150 regional leaders, equipping them to collaborate effectively with others and grow the people they serve, resulting in a richer, more inclusive, connected, and thriving community.
Youth Villages awarded $100,000 from Joey Logano Foundation. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Craig Cannon, Senior Public Relations Coordinator, Youth Villages 980-312-2957 | [email protected] Grant supports nonprofit's LifeSet program and Youth Villages Scholars initiative. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 7, 2026) - Youth Villages today announced it received a $100,000 grant from the Joey Logano Foundation to empower young adults who are aging out of foster care and moving toward independence. The Joey Logano Foundation has been a partner of Youth Villages since 2016, contributing more than $900,000 to programs that help youth in North Carolina. This latest gift will sustain and expand the Youth Villages Scholars initiative, which provides monthly stipends, technology, school supplies and other essential resources for more than 40 young adults enrolled in the LifeSet program. The funds also will support specialists and mentors, who work directly with each Sholar. "We want to see youth who have been through the foster care system have a healthy chance at living independently and embarking on a path to a bright future," said Brittany Logano, Founding Vice Chairman of the Joey Logano Foundation and wife of 3X NASCAR Champion Joey Logano. "That is exactly what they receive with Youth Villages' Scholars program. It is wonderful to hear success stories from Scholars who were raised in the system and defeated all odds to take on their dreams of going to college or a trade school, graduating and creating a joyful life for themselves." LifeSet is one of the nation's first and largest evidence-informed programs designed to help young people transition successfully from foster care to adulthood. Specialists work one-on-one with participants to secure safe housing, build healthy relationships, and achieve education and employment goals. "Every year, hundreds of youth in North Carolina age out of the foster care system, with most lacking the support or guidance of a stable network," said Erica Ellis, director of development for Youth Villages. "The Joey Logano Foundation is helping us ensure these young adults reach their full potential by supporting our Scholars initiative." The need is urgent: only 13% of youth who age out of foster care graduate with a two- or four-year degree nationally, compared to 48% of Youth Villages Scholars. This partnership also activates a powerful 4:1 state match, meaning every private dollar raised brings in four public dollars to sustain and grow LifeSet and the Scholars initiative across North Carolina. About the Joey Logano Foundation. The Joey Logano Foundation invests in organizations offering second chances to children and young adults during times of crisis and works to inspire others to live a life of generosity. Since 2013, the Joey Logano Foundation has invested over $6,000,000 in various organizations across the country offering first and second chances to children and young adults during difficult times in their lives, especially those in the foster care system. Together Youth Villages Inc. has impacted 250,000+ children and young adults. To learn more, visit www.joeyloganofoundation.com About Youth Villages. Youth Villages is a national leader in mental and behavioral health committed to finding the most effective solutions to help children, families and young adults overcome obstacles and live successfully. Working through direct services, partnerships with other high-performing agencies and advocacy, Youth Villages Inc. collaborate to bring positive change to child welfare, children's mental health and justice systems. Its 5,000 employees serve more than 47,000 children and young adults in more than 100 locations in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Youth Villages has been recognized by the Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report and was identified by The White House as one of the nation's most promising results-oriented nonprofit organizations. Share on social. Give to Youth Villages. Every day, Youth Villages serves thousands of troubled children and their families and Youth Villages Inc. need your help.
Achieving Success brings national leaders together to strengthen child welfare. Earlier this November, child welfare leaders, policymakers and lived-experience experts from across the country gathered in Providence, Rhode Island, for the annual Achieving Success Executive Workshop hosted by Youth Villages. The three-day convening brought together representatives from eight states and national organizations including the Child Welfare League of America, the American Public Human Services Association, Chapin Hall, FosterClub and Foster Care Alumni of America. It also featured parents and young adults with experience in child and youth services systems, whose insights helped ground discussions with real-world perspectives. Together, participants shared ideas to strengthen family support, improve outcomes for young people and build more connected systems of care. Collaboration, creativity and lived experience. Take a look at some of the moments that made this year's Achieving Success so powerful. The event's sessions explored new approaches to prevention, permanency and support for youth aging out of foster care. Presentations included Map2Impact, a data initiative from Chapin Hall and Youth Villages that helps states use administrative data to identify high-impact opportunities for family-based services. The agenda also featured insights from the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth Playbook, a national effort co-designed with young people to share best practices and policy recommendations for supporting those moving into adulthood after foster care. Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages, noted that bringing together diverse perspectives from policymakers to young adults who have experienced care helps drive meaningful change. "At one time, we thought we had to do everything ourselves," Lawler said. "What we've learned is that the best progress comes from partnership with other organizations, with states and with people who share the same goal of helping children and families thrive." Panels featuring lived-experience experts brought the discussions to life with personal stories and practical insight. When I was younger, success meant just surviving. Now, as an adult, it means building a life filled with love, stability and self-respect. A shared commitment to progress. The workshop was the first Achieving Success event held in the Northeast. Leaders from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Connecticut, West Virginia and Indiana joined to discuss challenges and opportunities shaping child welfare systems today. Catherine Smith, chief strategy officer at Youth Villages, opened the convening by describing it as a space for "divine creativity," a place where state leaders, national partners and lived-experience experts could learn from one another. Throughout the sessions, attendees explored innovative ways to expand family preservation, strengthen kinship care and improve outcomes for young people as they move into adulthood. "I've been through things I wouldn't wish on anyone," said Tauryian Sparrow, another panelist. "Now, I use that experience to make sure the next generation doesn't have to go through the same. That's why I share my story - to create change." Looking ahead. As participants returned home, the conversations that began in Providence continue to shape ongoing collaboration across states and systems. For Youth Villages, the event reaffirmed the path to lasting change runs through shared learning and authentic partnership. Share on social. Give to Youth Villages. Every day, Youth Villages serves thousands of troubled children and their families and Youth Villages Inc. need your help.
It's part of the reason why the Dave Thomas Foundation for adoption is expanding its Wendy's Wonderful Kids program across the state, partnering with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and Youth Villages.
In 2022, Youth Villages, along with community partners, launched the Memphis Allies initiative in response to the city's escalating gun violence.