Social Work Intern Manager

About Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a social outreach ministry that has been empowering communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless since 1998. Founded in Austin, Texas, the organization serves its homeless neighbors through three core programs: Truck Ministry, Community First! Village, and Community Works. Often referred to as the most talked about neighborhood in Austin, Community First! Village is a 51-acre master planned development that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. We are now embarking on a new phase of community expansion, adding more than 1400 new neighbors over the next 5-10 years.

About the Role

The Social Work Intern Manager is a key member of the Neighbor Care Team at Community First! Village. This role is responsible for leading, mentoring, and supervising a team of social work interns who walk alongside our formerly homeless neighbors. The Social Work Intern Manager ensures interns are equipped to provide direct care, emotional support, and resource connections while creating a meaningful and values aligned learning experience. This role also serves as a bridge between interns, Neighbor Care staff, university partners, and community resources.

This is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the Supportive Services Manager. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are flexible to fit need, but typically include 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. Some nights and weekends may be required. The Social Work Intern Manager will office at Community First! Village located at 9301 Hog Eye Road, Austin, TX 78724.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a cohort of up to 15 social work interns, including onboarding, training, weekly individual supervision, and ongoing mentorship.
• Ensure the internship experience meets academic, licensing, and ethical standards in coordination with university field placement advisors.
• Assist interns in providing trauma-informed, person-centered care to assigned neighbors.
• Collaborate with Neighbor Care staff and partner agencies to ensure holistic and consistent care for neighbors.
• Build trusted relationships with neighbors and model relational connection, compassion, and accountability in all work.
• Support interns in managing complex needs related to health care, recovery, housing stability/neighbor retention, eviction prevention, and community integration.
• Outreach to new universities for recruitment of students.
• Assist the Neighbor Care team during times of high need or low intern availability.
• Attend regularly scheduled Neighbor Care and all-staff meetings.
• Other Duties & Responsibilities as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Principles

• MLF is a faith-based organization whose ideals and philosophy come directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an organization, we strive to reflect this precept in our communications, both internally and externally.
• Commitment to serving those who have experienced homelessness and personal alignment with MLF's vision, mission, core values, and goals.
• LMSW or LCSW is required
• 2 - 3 years in a supervisory or management role, preferably with experience supervising social work interns
• Solid understanding of the Nine Competencies of Social Work Practice
• Demonstrated knowledge of trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and strengths-based case management
• Previous experience working with people experiencing homeless or other vulnerable populations preferred
• Demonstrate knowledge, experience, and effectiveness in serving and advocating for people who have been disenfranchised, including people of color, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, people who have experienced long-term homelessness, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and/or people living with mental illness or substance abuse disorder
• Demonstrated integrity, professionalism, and commitment to ethical social work practice
• Ability to mentor others with compassion, accountability, and emotional intelligence
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including strong listening skills and the ability to build trust
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proven problem-solving ability and sound judgment in complex, evolving situations
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, community-centered environment
• Positive attitude and collaborative spirit
• Flexible and joyful in approach; able to adapt to change with a "Semper Gumby" mindset
• Must have a valid driver's license

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Ability to move about all phases of Community First! Villages
• Ability to work in an office setting

Benefits

• Day one 100% Employer paid, Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD & LTD Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay
• Matching 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Corporate Discount Program
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness Partnership Benefits

MLF VISION

We empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

MLF MISSION

We provide food and clothing, cultivate community, and promote dignity to our homeless brothers and sisters in need.

GOALS

• Transform the way people view the stereotype of those who find themselves homeless
• Reconnect the homeless to self, family and community
• Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God-given talents to do purposeful work
• Connect human to human, heart to heart through the fellowship of food and hospitality
• Inspire people into a lifestyle of abundance by giving their best first

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision is supported by belief statements centered on our belief that homelessness is the result of a profound, catastrophic loss of family:

• God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life
• By virtue of being created by God in His image, we are all called to live in community and relationship with Him through each other
• The family is the original cell of social life
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself
• All members of the human family are equal in dignity
• The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Gen 2:15

CORE VALUES

MLF is committed to fostering a culture that prioritizes relational connection. We believe there is opportunity in every aspect of our work to be relational in a highly transactional world. In this culture, transactions are means to relational ends, not the other way around.​

​​This begins with the countercultural love poured out by Jesus Christ and grows as imperfect individuals strive to show this love to each other human-to-human, heart-to-heart.​

​​Each individual's openness to the journey of their own personal growth is essential in building our relational culture, and we believe this culture flourishes as we each continuously strive to more fully embody these four core values:

• Faith: We define Faith as the foundational belief that our world and all our work belong to God. This allows us to engage our work with joy and lightheartedness, knowing that we are not ultimately in control.
• Humility: We define Humility as rightly viewing oneself as a single piece of a grander story. This humility leads to a view of oneself that is neither too high nor too low.
• Generous Spirit: We define a Generous Spirit as a readiness to give more grace, mercy, and hospitality than is necessary or expected. This posture allows us to see others for who they are, not what they do.
• Integrity: We define Integrity as a wholehearted commitment to doing right by God, ourselves, and others. This wholeheartedness shows itself in consistently choosing honesty, responsibility and ownership in all actions and decisions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MLF is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in accordance with federal and state law.