Community Partnership Between Monmouth County and Brookdale Offers More Opportunity for Students to Thrive.

Like so many county offices today, Monmouth County’s Division of Social Services (DSS) found itself stretched to its limit. Staff were working tirelessly to keep up with the community’s growing demand for vital human services – from financial and medical assistance to housing and food services. With an urgent need for additional support, DSS turned to its Monmouth ACTS network for help.

Monmouth ACTS – an innovative public-private partnership – connects County divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services with local community organizations to improve access to services. Always looking for creative solutions, Monmouth ACTS leaders saw an opportunity to strengthen the DSS workforce while supporting aspiring social service professionals.

In partnership with Brookdale Community College, Monmouth County launched Career Pathways, a unique initiative that provides employment opportunities in the Monmouth County DSS for students enrolled in the College’s Human Services program. It aims to provide students with real-world experience through a hands-on, paid internship while helping attract the next generation of human service professionals through education, training, professional growth opportunities and the opportunity to apply for full-time employment. Today, the program has successfully been in place for three semesters.

“We had six interns eager to come on board last spring,” said Jennifer Dingler, social work supervisor at DSS.

The Career Pathways interns gained direct experience in income maintenance services, social work, and field work.

“I developed a weekly rotation calendar so the interns could experience our full range of work. Some days they processed SNAP applications and assisted in the call center; on others, they reviewed case management files and shadowed us in the field,” Dingler explained.

Freehold resident Erica Conover participated in the Career Pathways program while studying at Brookdale. After completing her internship and earning her associate degree, she transferred to Rutgers University, where she anticipates graduating in 2026.

“When I was a receptionist at a behavioral health clinic, I saw the clear need for human services in the community. That’s when I knew I wanted to get into this field,” said Conover.

During her internship, Erica spent two days a week immersed in hands-on learning. She visited day programs, observed how social workers interacted with clients, and shadowed her mentors during field work.

“Seeing how broad social work really is was eye-opening,” Conover said. “At the County, I learned how the different roles connect, and I had mentors who truly cared about my growth as a student and as a person.”

Three of the six interns from that semester were hired by DSS – clear evidence of the program’s success in building workforce capacity and creating meaningful career paths.

“The Career Pathways partnership is a perfect example of why Monmouth ACTS exists. It brought Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth County Division of Social Services together to create a true win-win scenario – for students, our County workforce and its future generation, and the community at large. We’re proud to see Monmouth ACTS making a real difference in Monmouth County,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone.

“The Monmouth County Division of Social Services plays a critical role in our community, providing vital services like financial, medical and food assistance, social work and child care services and so much more,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley. “Through Monmouth ACTS, we were able to give DSS the added support they needed to better serve our residents – all while helping students find meaningful career pathways in human services.”

For more information about Brookdale’s Human Services program CLICK HERE.

For more information, visit https://monmouthacts.org/.