Refugee Services Case Manager I Part Time
Refugee Services
Part-Time (19 hours/week); Non-exempt
Reports to: Refugee Services Program Manager
AGENCY OVERVIEW:
Through the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic Charities of Oregon achieves lasting solutions to poverty and injustice by partnering with clients to meet their economic and educational goals, and to support their physical and social well-being. Catholic Charities is the official domestic relief agency of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Catholic Charities of Oregon’s (CCO) Refugee Services programs have been assisting refugees since the early 1940s, helping more than 10,000 people make Oregon their new home. CCO is an affiliate of the national voluntary agency United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and is one of only three agencies in the state of Oregon who provide resettlement services. Through its programming, CCO assists individuals and families who must leave their homelands due to the fear of persecution based on reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and/or political opinion. The services offered through these programs (funded through both federal and state agencies) address a wide array of needs, ranging from initial resettlement to long-term intensive case management, in order to promote successful integration into United States society while maintaining the respect and dignity of each individual and their unique culture and traditions.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The role of a Case Manager I is to provide services which promote clients’ ability to become self-sufficient. For newly arriving refugees, this includes greeting them at the airport, locating stable housing, and working towards meeting their initial basic needs. After arrival, case workers will assist clients in accessing services such as English Language Learning, employment services, health care, eligible public benefits, community organizations, schools, and more. In addition to physical items and support, case managers also provide psychosocial care as individuals work through the cultural transition to the United States, process their often-traumatic life experiences, and prepare for their future here. Among these other services, newly arrived refugees also participate in a comprehensive Cultural Orientation program. Finally, case managers partner with clients to develop strength-based action plans for attaining long-term self-sufficiency and identify achievable steps to put those plans into action.
PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Prepare and coordinate reception for newly arriving refugees in a warm, culturally, and linguistically appropriate manner.
- Maintain an active caseload of 10-15 cases.
- Conduct intake meetings with clients to explain available agency services.
- Facilitate referrals and applications with partner agencies to ensure clients’ access to public services and resources.
- Connect clients with community networks and support systems to ensure their long-term integration into the community.
- Work with and provide support to volunteers who are supporting clients.
- Provide transportation for clients, as needed, to attend required appointments.
- Ensure that clients are being served in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner and provide education and advocacy when necessary.
- Develop strengths-based service plans with clients to identify barriers to self-sufficiency and outline the necessary steps to overcome these barriers.
- Assist clients in removing barriers to employment.
- Provide eligible clients with all Cultural Orientation topics and assessments as required by USCCB and US Dept. of State.
- Ensure all required documentation, client files and data conform to agency and contract requirements.
- Work with community partners to learn about resources that are available and make referrals when applicable.
- Collaborate with the Refugee Services team and other agency departments to provide holistic, wrap-around, services to all clients.
- Be available and willing to help in emergency situations, occasionally outside regular working hours.
- Works within a strength based, culture, and trauma informed approaches.
- Meets standards for documentation and data entry in Catholic Charities’ Electronic record.
- Participate in trainings and coordination meetings as requested by Supervisor.
- Adherence to Catholic Charities policies and procedures.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in human services or equivalent lived and or worked experience required; Bachelor’s degree in Social Work preferred.
- Ability to communicate concisely and effectively, both verbally and in writing in English and a second language common to refugee populations such as Arabic, Amharic, Burmese, Farsi, Rohingya, Sango, Somali, Swahili, Tigrinya and Zomi preferred.
- Multi-cultural/multi-lingual experience required; work specifically with refugee populations and interpreters strongly preferred.
- Prior experience providing case management, psychosocial support, job training and/or other social services provisions required.
- Experience with community networking and organizing and demonstrated knowledge of community resources.
- Ability to effectively work with standard office programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint.
- Demonstrate judgment and discretion in dealing with confidential matters.
- Commitment to Catholic Charities mission to work in partnership with vulnerable populations to achieve lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.
- Must be able to organize and prioritize work, be proactive, take initiative, follow through, and simultaneously manage multiple priorities to ensure goals are met in a timely manner. High attention to detail required.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Willingness to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities.
- Strong analytical and strategic problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work well in team setting, as well as independently; be flexible and adapt well to different dynamics in a fast-paced work environment.
- Ability to lift 50 pounds.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends.
- Travel between sites in Portland required. Must have driver’s license, access to vehicle and ability to obtain automobile insurance at levels required by agency (100/300/100).
- Satisfactory results from criminal, civil and/or motor vehicle background check required.
COMPENSATION: Compensation is commensurate with skills and experience.
TO APPLY: Submit your application, resume and cover letter at https://catholiccharitiesoregon.applicantpro.com/jobs/
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
For more information, or to apply now, you must go to the website below. Please DO NOT email your resume to us as we only accept applications through our website.