United States: Senior Caseworker, Home Study and Post-Release Services

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC is at work today in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities. The IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration (RAI) department creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to gain stability and control of their future. RAI serves more than 100,000 individuals each year, through a diverse portfolio of programs aimed at five core outcomes: Health, Safety, Economic Wellbeing, Education and Power.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The IRC’s Home Study and Post-Release Services (HSPRS) for unaccompanied children in the U.S. is growing from six current IRC offices to more than 17 offices throughout the US. This is a national, multi-million-dollar project with ambitious delivery goals in a short time frame. This position is part of an anticipated 36-month contract.

The goals of the Home-Study Post Release Services Program (HS/PRS) are to:

• Assess the safety and suitability of a sponsor before an unaccompanied child is released from custody into a sponsor’s care (Home Study)
• Provide case management support via remote and / or conducting in-home visits to ensure the continued safety and stability of children in sponsor’s homes and linking children to resources in the community (Post Release Services).

The Home Study and Post Release Services Senior Caseworker (Level 2) conducts home studies to determine a potential sponsor’s ability to meet an unaccompanied child’s needs upon release from the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s custody and provides post release services to help unaccompanied children and sponsors meet their presenting needs. The Senior Case Manager (Level 2 ) is responsible for assessing safety, developing a strengths-based service plan, providing psychoeducation, developing safety plans where needed, ongoing assessment, and referring and connecting children to community-based services.

Major Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conduct an initial in-home assessment with child and sponsors followed by regular weekly or monthly contact depending on safety and need for six months or until their 18th birthday or the child obtains legal relief; requirement that there at a minimum be in person contact at 14, 90- and 180-days.
• Develop individualized service plan that guides the provision of high quality, trauma-informed case management services.
• Complete home visits to meet with children and their sponsors post-release, to assess the safety of the child, flag any safety and protection concerns, and assess needs across multiple life domains.
• Conduct a comprehensive assessment to provide a recommendation for the purpose of reunifying children with their potential sponsors, including conducting interviews with shelter case managers, clinicians, the minor, sponsor, and all household members. This includes completing an in-person home visit and documenting findings in a comprehensive report within 10 days of referral.
• Conduct a mental health assessment of the child and/or sponsors, using validated instruments.
• Continually assess ongoing changes in behavior and general conditions that could impact the safety, wellbeing, and success of children
• Partner with crisis support staff to develop safety plans and ensure appropriate crisis intervention support when necessary, including involving Child Protective Services, law enforcement and various local stakeholders that can include placement disruptions.
• Provide referral and connection to: Legal services; Education and English language classes; Medical care and behavioral healthcare; Placement stability and safety services; Assistance with immigration proceedings; Assistance with guardianship proceedings; Family stabilization/counseling; Substance abuse treatment; Gang prevention services; Youth programming (such as youth mentoring, tutoring, afterschool and vocation programs, sports clubs, or other extracurricular clubs, etc.); Services related to cultural heritage and other traditions; and Integration and independence support as appropriate.
• Use a child centered, developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed approach to address the needs and concerns of children and sponsors.
• Maintain a strong understanding of trauma-informed principles and approaches, protection and safeguarding, and mandatory reporting.
• Provide timely documentation of all check-ins, in-home visits, referrals and referral outcomes, and progress and outcomes in case file.
• Build and maintain relationships with community services providers in relevant areas.
• Maintain accurate records in electronic case files and required databases.
• Submit required reports and documentation in a timely manner.
• Ensure the confidentiality of children and their cases.

Job Requirements include but are not limited to:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or other relevant behavioral science
• Written and verbal fluency in Spanish and English
• Minimum of two years of related professional experience working with children, family reunification/ preservation, kinship care, foster care, child welfare, and/or conducting home studies required, or one year of related experience with a master’s degree
• Experience working with immigrant populations; experience working with unaccompanied minors preferred
• Knowledge of local community social services and navigating the social service system
• Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment
• Proven ability to contribute both independently and as a key team member
• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills combined with the ability to prioritize duties and manage time effectively
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook), Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other platforms
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to travel up to 70% of the time up to 200 miles. Often nights and weekends. May need to do a rotation of being "on call" at a regular interval.
• Possess a valid driver’s license and access to a personal, insured vehicle that is reliable and in good working order.
• ORR approval of candidate is required along with clearance from Child and Abuse Neglect background checks and FBI fingerprints. These checks will be initiated by the IRC after acceptance of the position.

*Working Environment:***The Level 2 Caseworker provides virtual case management however the caseworker will be required to attend in person meetings at the discretion of the local office. A variable work schedule / hours including non-traditional hours such as evenings and weekends will be required to accommodate sponsors’ and children’s schedules.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

How to Apply: 

Please apply on IRCs website: https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/45070?c=rescue