Summary: The Refugee Resettlement Department at Catholic Charities Community Services provides assistance to newly arrived families from diverse backgrounds who are resettling in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley through case management, employment-based, and educational services. The Case Manager will work within resettlement programs to screen prospective applicants/cases, complete the enrollment process, provide orientation, conduct comprehensive casework for the designated service period according to the specific contract guidelines.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities including the following.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Manage pre-arrival and post-arrival processes, including coordinating travel, securing housing, and ensuring basic needs are met in accordance with program guidelines.
- Assess eligibility of refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants/parolees, Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan and Iraq, certified victims of human trafficking and Parolees from Afghanistan and Ukraine for program eligibility.
- Provide core resettlement services and individualized support for newly arrived individuals and families, including home visits, intake, needs assessment, and case management in accordance with program requirements.
- Develop a detailed service plan and/or safety plan in collaboration with clients to outline specific actions and timeframes to address individual and family needs in accordance with program guidelines.
- Complete social service referrals including referrals to the Social Security Administration, SNAP benefits, Medicaid, housing benefits, SSI benefits, school enrollment, WIC, emergency food, TANF benefits, HSE or ESOL classes, legal services, etc.
- Use a strengths-based approach to ensure clients are provided with the tools they need to meet their goals objectives, and assess and monitor progress, modifying initial service plans as necessary.
- Ensure all program requirements are met in a timely and accurate manner to meet short-term and long-term goals for client’s well-being and independence.
- Advocate for and with clients regarding benefits acquisition, employment, immigration documents, and other services, and intervene as necessary.
- Maintain and update program rosters, electronic case note systems and physical case files throughout the service period using various internal and external databases. Write detailed case notes in a timely manner and maintain copies of documents and reports in case files.
- Write and submit reports as required; compile and report statistics as needed.
- Manage and track client direct assistance disbursements within the allowable parameters and program guidelines within each case, program, and designation.
- Participate in outreach by developing relationships with third-party referral organizations and service providers to best serve client needs.
- Perform work with clients in the field to ensure services are obtained.
- Participate in program meetings, staff development activities, case conferences and other duties as assigned.
- Work as part of a team to provide comprehensive trauma-informed, strength-based services to clients through coordination of cases and effective communication between team members and departments.
- Occasionally attend local, state, and national meetings or conferences.
- Other duties as necessary.
Qualifications
Education and/or experience required:
- A Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services or a related field of study, or equivalent experience is required.
- Minimum of two years of relevant work experience in the human services field, preferably with immigrants or refugees.
Skills, Licenses and/or competencies required:
- Highly motivated self-starter with strong problem-solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties, and manage time effectively.
- Excellent organizational skills, communication (oral & written), and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to manage deadlines and high-volume communication in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.)
- Ability to work and communicate effectively and sensitively in a multicultural environment.
- Fluency in English and Spanish
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position that will require working with underserved communities in the New York metro area. Days and hours of work are generally 9:00am-5:00pm Monday – Friday. Position requires a willingness to travel as needed to sites primarily in the Lower Hudson Valley, and to NYC, on occasion. Some weekend and evening hours, if needed.
Working conditions and physical demands required:
The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Ability to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area using reliable transportation, traversing streets, ascending/descending stairs, and exposed to outside weather conditions.
- Remain in a stationary position at a workstation and use a computer approximately 60% of the time, with 40% of time spent in the field and at home visits.
- COVID-19 Adjustment: Position will be onboarded remotely with a transition to in-person work depending on CDC and agency requirements at the time of onboarding. Updates to protocol are implemented on a regular basis.