Family Stabilization Specialist

IRC Background

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. The Denver office opened in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees and is slated to resettle more than 600 refugees in the coming year. We provide wraparound program services and integrated supports to positively impact clients’ safety, health, education, and economic wellbeing. Our approach is client-centered, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed, and multigenerational. Current programming includes:
•Participating in learning and dialogue to deepen understanding and awareness of systemic inequities and systems of oppression; 
•Building an internal culture that reflects a commitment to antiracism and gender equality for clients as well as staff, volunteers, and the broader community; 
•Engaging clients more deeply in making decisions that affect them, whether at the individual, household, program, or organizational level; 
•Using our power and influence to advocate for policies and laws that address inequities experienced by the people we serve and seek systemic change for the benefit of all who are impacted by these inequities.

Since launching its first psychosocial support programs in response to needs expressed by clients in the wake of anti-refugee and anti-immigrant policies implemented in 2017, the IRC in Denver’s programming to promote client safety and wellness has grown significantly. Within its Safety and Wellness Department, the IRC in Denver delivers a continuum of services that includes:

•               The Family Stabilization Program (FSP), operated under contract with the Colorado Refugee Services Program (CRSP) to provide more intensive services that address threats to safety and daily functioning for specific categories of clients, including those who are survivors of domestic violence, live with severe and persistent mental illness, present with child welfare or elder abuse concerns, deal with substance abuse, experience suicide ideation, and/or identify to a group facing discrimination.

•               Targeted services to promote school enrollment and engagement, social emotional and academic learning, artistic expression, and leadership development among children, youth, and young adults.

•               Psychosocial Support Services (PSS), which offers a menu of group programs and community interventions, including New Roots community gardening, the We Can Do It! women’s skill-sharing group, cultural adjustment support groups, and other offerings that promote age- and gender-equitable access to opportunities to build resilience and increase social connectedness.

•               The Survivor Wellness Center, which promotes full rehabilitation for primary and secondary survivors of torture through a holistic model that combines case management, psychosocial support, legal representation, medical and mental health services.

Job Overview

As an integral part of the IRC in Denver’s Safety and Wellness services, the Family Stabilization Program aims to support clients who face barriers to thriving in the United States that cause safety concerns or impair their daily functioning. Within the Family Stabilization Program, the Family Stabilization Specialist (FSS) is responsible for delivering services that promote stabilization, using a framework that is driven by a belief in the capability of all clients, a commitment to empowering clients and promoting self-efficacy, and a strong orientation toward trauma-responsive and compassionate approaches to help clients set and move toward goals. The FSS ensures that services are delivered in a timely, professional, and efficient manner, in accordance with client needs; IRC quality standards, policies and procedures; local and state regulations; established federal guidelines; and donor requirements.

The Family Stabilization Program is embedded in the Reach Program operated under contract with the Colorado Refugee Services Program (CRSP). The Family Stabilization Program addresses needs related to safety concerns and impaired daily functioning for clients. This includes but is not limited to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, clients living with severe and persistent mental illness, those experiencing suicide ideation, elder abuse survivors, child abuse survivors, people struggling with substance abuse, and people who experience marginalization, discrimination, and other significant challenges related to LGBTQI+ identities. Family Stabilization Program staff work in close coordination with one another and with multidisciplinary teams within the IRC, colleague resettlement agencies, external providers, and CRSP to promote stabilization of clients enrolled in the Family Stabilization Program. While the Family Stabilization Program team is housed at IRC, each FSS team member is assigned to either IRC or one of its colleague resettlement agencies—Ethiopian Community Development Council’s African Community Center (ACC) or Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFS)—with clients from their assigned resettlement agency comprising the bulk of their caseload.

FSS staff receive and review client referrals, conduct assessments and intakes, engage in service planning, initiate supported referrals to connect clients to appropriate services and resources within the community, advocate for client access to services, follow-up to gauge client progress throughout the service period, assess readiness for case closure, and close cases when appropriate. FSS staff also play an important role in conceptualizing and delivering psychoeducation and other low-level, non-clinical preventative interventions, including programming designed for gender-, age-, culture-, and language-specific groups that is offered by the IRC in Denver’s Psychosocial Support Program. As needed, they may offer consultation to resettlement agency staff working with cases enrolled in FSS, or with cases that face significant barriers but do not meet FSS criteria and where FSS staff may have insights and strategies to offer that would benefit colleagues in their efforts to support those cases.

FSS staff supervise interns and volunteers engaged with the program, and participate in relevant committees, teams and work groups within the IRC, the Reach program, and the broader community. They also contribute to the IRC in Denver’s efforts to advance its Strategic Action Plan. These positions operate with limited daily supervision and moderate latitude to use independent judgment. They take initiative in designing strategies and tactics that meet client needs and satisfy program requirements, drawing on clinical frameworks to determine the best path forward in partnership with clients.

Major Responsibilities

Major responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Client Services

•               Responding to cases referred into the program, using a triage framework to prioritize as needed.

•               Conducting intakes and assessments and developing service plans for new and ongoing cases.

•               Assessing and determining appropriate levels of treatment and connecting clients to such treatment, whether provided in-house or through supported referrals to external partners.

•               Serving as an advocate for higher risk and more vulnerable clients whose safety is compromised or who face significant impairment in daily functioning.

•               Building trust and rapport with clients to help coach them toward short- and long-term goals.

•               Incorporating a multigenerational approach that holistically serves entire families.

•               Developing safety plans with clients as needed and working through crisis situations, such as suicide ideation or domestic violence, to restore and maintain client safety.

•               Following up on identified FSS client issues until fully resolved and coordinating with resettlement and other staff to address issues that are outside the scope of the FSS role.

•               Evaluating client progress in accordance with Reach program requirements and administering assessments that may be appropriate.

Service Coordination and Capacity-Building

•               Working collaboratively with resettlement agency staff and other refugee service providers to promote FSS client success and wellbeing, including engaging in consistent communication, building effective referral processes, and promoting shared expectations around FSS services

•               Providing consultation on FSS cases or potential FSS cases and participating in case planning.

•               Partnering with resettlement agencies and other service providers to deliver training and technical assistance that increases their capacity to effectively serve clients who are higher-risk or working through complex needs related to the FSS categories.

•               Seeking out partnerships that increase FSS clients’ access to mainstream community services and acting as a liaison to build and sustain relationships with providers and resources.

•               Working with the Psychosocial Support Program and Survivors of Torture Program to conceptualize and implement preventive and responsive programming based on client-identified needs, trends in FSS cases, and input from clients and community partners.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

•               Assuring accurate and timely recording of case notes, client services, and other data and documentation in the ETO and Geneva databases.

•               Assessing, evaluating, and reporting program performance and escalating issues as needed.

•               Using evidence-based tools to gauge impact, capture outcome data and inform program design.

•               Performing administrative tasks such as completing required documentation, reports, casefile quality assurance reviews, and similar items.

•               Identifying needs for additional training or process improvement and contributing to solutions.

•               Assuring compliance with the Reach Program guidelines and all other federal and state guidelines, program requirements and IRC contractual obligations.

Other

•               Attending meetings with CRSP and others as requested.

•               Actively participating in training, case consultation, supervision, and internal meetings.

•               Performing other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Safety and Stabilization Supervisor

Position Directly Supervises: Graduate-level Family Stabilization Services social work interns and volunteers engaged in the FSS program portfolio

Job Requirements

•               Graduate degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related field, or at least three years of equivalent clinical work experience.

•               Clinical licensure or desire to work toward licensure preferred.

•               Lived experience as a refugee or immigrant is strongly preferred.

•               Experience in refugee resettlement and/or direct service with refugees or a similar population.

•               Ability to read and interpret IRC, state, and federal guidelines and instructions.

•               Ability to write reports and correspondence in a professional context.

•               Adept in leveraging resources and forging partnerships to better support clients; familiarity with local service provider landscape and resettlement context a plus.

•               Strategic and creative thinker and problem-solver.

•               Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly when working cross-culturally and with individuals with limited English proficiency who require language assistance.

•               Fluent in English, both spoken and written; bilingual in one or more client languages an asset.

•               Superb organizational, planning, time and task management and logistical skills.

•               Strong decision-making capabilities, solid judgement and ethics consistent with the IRC Way.

•               Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), internet applications and databases.

•               Use of a reliable personal vehicle required, with valid driver’s license and current insurance.

Working Environment

•               Standard office work environment combined with considerable time in the field and in neighborhoods where refugees live.

•               Travel in and around the Denver metro area to facilitate service delivery, build community relationships and represent the IRC with community partners.

•               Hours outside of typical office hours required regularly.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to be considered for this position.

Compensation and Benefits

This position is a full-time, regular, non-exempt position scheduled at 37.5 hours per starting hourly wage of $24.00 - $28.00 depending on qualifications and experience, with the higher end of the range requiring clinical licensure. As a regular, full-time employee, the Family Stabilization Specialist is eligible for the IRC’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

•               Generous paid time off with 20 days of paid vacation per year, 10 days of paid sick leave per year (not inclusive of paid COVID leave), and at least 9 paid holidays per year.

•               Outstanding medical, dental, and vision care benefits with low employee premiums.

•               Optional health care and dependent care flexible savings accounts and commuter benefits.

•               Life, accident, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance.

•               A 403(b) retirement savings plan that offers employer contributions and a matching contribution program.

•               A comprehensive employee assistance and resilience program.

•               Business travel medical insurance, access to Guardian Nurses, and more.

In addition, the IRC in Denver actively promotes learning and growth for its team members, through staff development accounts that allow staff to engage in individualized goal-aligned professional development, access to a range of talent development offerings to build skills in a wide array of areas from humanitarian principles to management skills, and opportunities to lead and engage with colleagues from across the IRC through communities of practice, special assignments, and designated roles that represent the Denver office, whether here in the U.S. or globally.

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.

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