American Youth Work Center has worked hard to create and maintain strong connections with our training site agencies. This is a list of organizations to which AYWC sends its practical trainees. 

Children and Youth Opportunities

The Children’s Village (Dobbs Ferry, New York)

The mission of The Children’s Village has been to provide safety and care to society’s most vulnerable children. Today, we serve more than 700 children in residential programs, and provide programs and services in the community to approximately 3,000 children and 1,700 family members each year. All our programs are designed to give children the stability and nurturing they need to believe in themselves and to gain the skills and attitudes necessary to become productive, caring adults.
www.childrensvillage.org 

Sasha Bruce Youthwork (Washington, DC)
Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY) delivers comprehensive services to meet the urgent needs of at-risk youth and their families and is a key provider of youth and family services in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding community. As a private, non-profit agency, SBY offers unique programs designed to provide a wide-range of services to young people and their families. 

SBY views youth and families as having the strengths and competence for creating solutions to their problems and for improving their lives. A family or youth who believes they have the ability to change and can envision a life without the presence of a particular conflict is more apt to attempt to be successful in changing.
www.sashabruce.org 

Spurwink School (Portland, ME)
The Spurwink School, established in Maine in 1960, is a not-for-profit agency providing a broad array of treatment, habilitative and evaluative service throughout its residential, day, community-based, outpatient, public school-based and clinic programs. The Spurwink School is looking for couples to be Therapeutic “Foster” Parents to children who exhibit moderate to severe behavioral difficulties. Presenting conditions include developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavior disorders, medical disabilities and a need for special education services. As a Therapeutic Foster Parent you will provide support as part of a comprehensive treatment team, to 2 to 4 clients within an agency owned community based detached residence. Applicants who are interested in applying; please submit £50 per couple, refundable upon interview.
www.spurwink.org 

Outdoor Wilderness Programs/Emotional Growth Schools 

Eckerd Youth Alternatives (various locations)
Eckerd Youth Alternatives is a private, not-for-profit organization with an enormous vision – to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. Since 1968 that vision has driven us to develop innovative alternatives to help youth lead successful, productive lives. 

Our vision translates into action through a continuum of eight program types in nine states. We are committed to keeping at-risk kids out of trouble, getting troubled kids back on track, creating therapeutic residential settings where kids can heal and learn, supporting youth in their communities, so they stay headed in the right direction and preparing foster youth for independent living as adults. For the youth and families we serve, Eckerd programs offer help, hope and encouragement.
www.eckerd.org 

Rite of Passage (Arizona and Colorado) 

Rite of Passage is a leading provider of programs and opportunities for at-risk youth. For over 20 years, we have focused on measurable results, quality services and unsurpassed programming for our youth. We have created an environment and choices that assist youth in making the transition from incorrigible teens to goal-oriented young men and women. 

We attribute our success to our caring staff and our supportive approach to working with youth. At Rite of Passage, we incorporate a cognitive behavioral treatment model as our underlying theoretical framework. Recognized as an evidence-based practice, the cognitive behavioral model supports our emphasis on safety, responsibility and restorative justice principles. We strive to provide the most comprehensive, normalized, pro-social program in the least restrictive environment, at the best value.
www.riteofpassage.com 

Vision Quest (various locations)
Founded in 1973, VisionQuest is a national program with over 1000 youths and 1500 staff with facilities in Arizona, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida and Oklahoma. VQ is an alternative solution to the alarming problem of juvenile delinquency and incarceration. Most of its clientele have been in and out of lock-up or mental health facilities for many years. Based on court recommendations and VQ staff evaluations, youth are placed in one of VQ’s Impact Camps, where youth are nurtured in a rugged, outdoor environment: the Wagon Train enables youth to learn a new sense of time and distance as they travel and set up camp across the country, caring for the animals and attending school; the Boot and Hat Camp seeks to ‘snap’ kids out of their damaging behavior in exchange for learning discipline and regimentation; Buffalo Soldiers celebrates the contributions of African-Americans in the U.S. military by learning discipline and respect and performing elaborate precision drills; and HomeQuest serves as a bridge between the youths’ experiences at VisionQuest and the life they return to in their own neighborhoods.
www.vq.com

Human Services opportunities-Working with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities 

Justice Resource Institute (Framingham, MA)

Justice Resource Institute is one of the largest human services providers in the Massachusetts.  Disability Services of JRI offers an array of service options and individualized supports for people with disabilities. We work closely with individuals with disabilities, as well as their families, and state agencies to design, develop, and implement community programs and supports that are of high quality, innovative, and consumer-responsive. We provide opportunities for people to live in staffed homes and apartments in their communities and to grow through job training, supported employment and day habilitation services. Our therapeutic services and community supports staff work with many individuals in different settings including in their homes.

www.jri.org

Keystone Human Services (Harrisburg, PA)
Keystone Human Services is a family of nonprofit organizations working together to serve the community. Keystone is committed to creating an environment where all people can grow, make choices, and be valued and contributing members of society. In this vision, we see the welfare of all people being vested in the welfare of each individual.

Within our intent is a deep commitment to decrease the dependence of individuals and families on formal services. All that we do should contribute to the strength, independence, community presence, and capacity of each individual. When an individual or family does need formal services, those services must be effective, and, where appropriate, time limited. 

Our vision is that of supporting people within their communities, in natural settings such as home, work, neighborhood, and school. We believe our role will increasingly change from that of a provider of services to that of a facilitator and community organizer. 

www.keystonehumanservices.org 

WORK, Inc. (Quincy, MA)
Nationally recognized as a pioneer in developing community based programs for individuals with disabilities, WORK is one of Massachusetts’ most successful non-profit providers of rehabilitation services. Founded in 1968, this organization supports over 1,000 people on a daily basis. Their belief is that: “All individuals have the ability to grow, the right to make choices and participate in community life. Everyone also has the right to the education, experiences, supports and environments necessary to foster growth and make choices.” The types of services provided by WORK include employment and training, residential supports, day rehabilitation and cooperative career education. These services are provided to individuals with developmental disabilities, chronic mental illness, deafness, physical disabilities and mobility impairments. 

www.workinc.org

Preliminary Requirements

• · Be 22-35 years of age
• · Not a citizen of the United States and its protectorates
• · Be a graduate (or about to graduate) from an accredited undergraduate
  or graduate school outside the United States
• · Have at least 1 year experience in the Social Work field
• · Be able to speak, read and write English fluently
• · Have professional interest in Social Work

Required behavior and attitude once accepted

If accepted into the Practical Training Program, you must sign a contract stating that you are entering the United States of America under AYWCs legal sponsorship in complete accordance with the U.S. government’s regulations governing exchange visitor programs, for the sole purpose of receiving practical training in a social service field and participating in cultural activities. You are also required to:

• 1.Perform all duties related to the training position that you have accepted.
• 2.Be responsible for all transportation costs to and from the American training site.
• 3.Have a properly endorsed, valid passport and a valid J-1 visa before entering the United States.
• 4.Accept one months insurance coverage provided by AYWC (your administrative deposit fee covers this expense). You must accept this insurance to receive the visa documents necessary to enter the United States.
• 5.Immediately inform AYWC of all changes in your travel or start date plans for our prior approval.
• 6.Apply for a U.S. Social Security card 10-days after reporting to your assigned placement (required by law for tax-reporting purposes).
• 7.Agree that you will leave the United States immediately if you voluntarily terminate your placement before the agreed-upon date. AYWC must automatically report your decision to leave the Practical Training Exchange Program to the U.S. Department of State, which has the authority to deport you or to permanently exclude you from re-entering the United States in the future.
• 8.Have an international driver’s license when you depart for your placement. You will be responsible for getting your own driver’s license. You may have to drive as part of your placement requirements. Rare exceptions are made for those with a physical handicap.
• 9.Be aware that you may have to buy your own car in most placement sites in order to perform your duties. This possibility can be discussed with you during your interview.
• 10.Pay all required federal, state and local income taxes and any other applicable taxes or fees in compliance with all regulations.
• 11.Abide by all policies and regulations set forth by the training site agency, the American Youth Work Center and the U.S. Department of State.
• 12.Not seek out or accept any other paid employment in the United States while in this program. This is illegal and will forfeit your status as a J-1 visa holder.
• 13.Prior to receiving DS-2019, pay AYWC a non-refundable $250 administrative deposit fee.
• 14.Arrive for placement with at least U.S. $2,000 – $3,000 of personal funds. This can be in an accessible bank account or available via a major credit card. Do not bring large amounts of cash.

What you can Expect

All American training site agencies in the AYWC Practical Training Program have signed a contract stipulating that they will:

• 1.Provide orientation, training and supervision of the practical trainee as required by the U.S. Department of State and regulations governing exchange visitor programs.
• 2.Pay the practical trainee the prevailing wage for similar positions held by American social service workers, and provide the same fringe benefits, which usually include medical and health insurance benefits and up to 12 days of accrued annual leave and 10 additional holidays. Fringe benefit package details should be discussed with the individual agency.
• 3.Help the practical trainee find housing.
• 4.Begin health insurance coverage for the practical trainee within one month of placement under the same terms offered to employees.
• 5.SOME TSA’s offer up to U.S. $500 in resettlement expenses payable at the time of arrival. If provided, this will be deducted from the trainee’s final paycheck if he or she is dropped or terminates the program early.

For more information, see AYWCs application and placement process

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