Minnesota Council of Churches
POSITION TITLE: Refugee Program Specialist: Employment Case Manager
EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Regular, 1 FTE, non-exempt
REPORTS TO: Manager of Employment Services
PURPOSE OF POSITION:
This exciting position plays an important role in welcoming and serving the needs of individuals arriving to Minnesota with refugee, SIV and humanitarian parolee status. This position works within employment services to assist program participants to seek, secure, and maintain employment leading to self-sufficiency as early as possible, following guidelines of Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services programs and contracts. The position also works to connect participants with needed resources throughout the community.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Encourage self-sufficiency and independence of newly arriving individuals and families with refugee status
- Provide orientation to potential participants about employment programs
- Conduct intake and assessments to determine client eligibility for programs
- Develop service plans with program participants, empowering them to reach agreed-upon goals and meet program guidelines.
- Assist clients to overcome barriers to employment applications, job search, and self-sufficiency
- Network with and develop relationships with employers
- Identify and match clients with appropriate job opportunities
- Provide ongoing case management and resource connections for program participants
- Work closely with MCC colleagues to ensure that refugees are integrated into the broader array of services available in the organization
- Provide translation and interpretation support for other Refugee Services projects, as needed.
- Maintain positive relationships with community partners relevant to program activities.
- Submit regular reports to track client outcomes, fulfill reporting requirements, and capture client success stories.
- Document services in case logs and maintain up-to-date case files
- Occasionally welcome arriving families at the airport
- Oversee volunteer activities within program and with clients
- Assist in emergencies as they arise
- Other duties as assigned
GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience working with refugees or recent immigrants
- Case management experience focusing on attainment of outcomes in areas of housing, employment, education, family functioning, or immigration preferred.
- Knowledge of local refugee and immigrant populations, the resources available to them, and the state and federal policies that impact them.
- Demonstrated understanding of American culture and ability to interpret cultural differences.
- Commitment to early self-sufficiency of refugees, asylees and immigrants
- Strong motivational and teaching skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational boundaries.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain detailed records and submit accurate reports in a timely manner.
- Strong English language communication skills, both oral and written.
- Demonstrated strong communication, negotiation, and mediation skills.
- Proven ability to work in crisis situations.
- Proven capacity to work in fast paced social service environment.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
- Bilingual proficiency in Arabic, Dari, Karen, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Ukrainian or other relevant languages preferred.
- Related work experience or post-secondary degree preferred
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook preferred. Proven ability to use basic office equipment including copiers, postage machines, and fax machines
- Driver’s license and access to reliable transportation required.
- Availability to work occasional weekend or evening hours
WORK ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS: Normal office conditions and regular office hours, Monday-Friday, with occasional evening and weekend hours. This position works out of the MCC’s office at 122 West Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, with regular visits to employers, service providers, and participants’ homes.
COMPENSATION: Starting pay range: $23-25/hour. This is a non-exempt, 40-hour/week position. Benefits include medical insurance, dental, life, retirement, sick leave, vacation, and holiday benefits. Candidates should submit a resume and letter of interest to employment@mnchurches.org
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) Refugee Services welcomes refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and other new Americans into new lives of freedom, hope and opportunity in Minnesota. Based in Minneapolis and Mankato, MCC Refugee Services has resettled those with refugee status in Minnesota since 1984. Through services providing resettlement, case management, employment, education and immigration legal services, MCC’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and inclusive staff works to ensure our newest neighbors are “abundantly supported as they move from addressing basic needs to achieving their dreams.”
The Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) is a statewide council with 27 member denominations from Historical Black, Native American, Mainline Protestant, Pentecostal, and Orthodox communions. The Council’s program areas include refugee resettlement and services, strengthening interfaith relationships, and racial justice. The broader mission of MCC is to build unity through justice for the common good. The staff at MCC reflects the broad diversity of Minnesota.
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