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Introduction: Founded in 1946, Church World Service (CWS) is a non-profit and faith-based global humanitarian organization that provides sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee and immigrant assistance around the world and in the United States (U.S.). CWS has assisted over 865,000 refugees and immigrants from across all faiths and backgrounds to start new lives in the U.S. and to integrate into their communities. Join us in this life changing work.
Primary Purpose: As part of the CWS National Children Services team, the Casework Specialist supports casework activities to promote the safety and wellbeing of unaccompanied children released from ORR care and residing with their families in the local community. Casework Specialists are responsible to assist caseworkers with referral coordination and data entry.
Essential Duties:
- Assists with data entry, preparing case files and resources for caseworkers, and obtaining case file documentation when needed.
- Has regular conversations with casework staff regarding client needs.
- Organizes in-kind materials and tracks in-kind donations
- Works in partnership with community engagement team to communicate areas of client need in order to strategically position resources and requests
- In collaboration with caseworkers/case managers, follow up with families to ensure they have access to needed resources, as needed.
- Accompanies caseworkers to home visits, as needed
- Provides support to caseworkers in primary functions of Post Release Services including: working closely with family members to enroll children in school, accessing mental health and medical services, securing legal representation, etc.
- Identifies resources in the local community and in communities where clients reside
- Work with and identify community partners which can be a resource to clients and caseworkers working with clients to address specific issues.
- Contributes to the local resource directory and ensures it is organized and resources are current.
- Assists in scheduling home visits and interpretation services, as needed.
- Assist Intensive Case Managers with coordination of interviews, gathering file information, and communication with othere agencies and ORR shelters, as part of the Home Studies process.
- Supports the Houston team in data tracking and reporting as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Experience:
- 2-3 years of experience providing program or case management support in a social service setting
- Previous work experience with unaccompanied children, immigrant youth, or refugees strongly preferred
- Prior experience in social and human services programs and practices including: trauma informed care, targeted case management, child well-being, resource referral and linkage preferred
Skills:
- Research skills to support caseworkers in linking clients to resources in the community
- Demonstrated skills in customer service, communication and ability to engage children and families by phone and online platforms
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals
- Schedule and manage workloads to meet deadlines
- Manage time effectively and prioritize tasks
- Ability to use Microsoft applications and client databases
- Superior written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required
Education:
- Associate degree in behavior sciences or 5 years working in human services agency, Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or equivalent field preferred.
Special Requirements:
- CWS’ U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Policy requires all new staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as soon as reasonable, no longer than 60 days of employment. Any employee who is pregnant, who is nursing, who has a disability, or who has a medical condition that prevents them from safe vaccination, or who rejects vaccination because of sincerely held religious beliefs, may contact the CWS Benefits Administrator to request reasonable accommodation as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- Able to sit for an extended period in an office setting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
- English and Spanish fluency required.
- Standard work hours with occasional evening or weekend assignment
- Successfully pass PREA, FBI and Child Abuse and Neglect Checks.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required.
CWS offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
- 403 (b) Retirement Plan
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Life Insurance and AD&D
- Long Term and Short-Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Commuter Benefits
- $250 professional development stipend (also can be applied to relevant professional licensure)