Health and Wellness Promoter

IRC Summary:  The IRC in Northern California was established in 1975 in response to the needs of the growing refugee population. Over the past 40 years the IRC has resettled nearly 60,000 clients in Northern California. Originally focused on reception and placement the IRC in Oakland one of four offices in Northern California provides a range of services including resettlement and economic empowerment services, immigration, community gardening and case management for victims of trafficking.  The Oakland office provides further psycho-social services to support newcomer population’s wellness, emotional health and promote the healthy integration of refugees into new communities in the Bay Area. 

Job Overview: The IRC in Oakland’s Community Health and Wellness programs ensure that all newly resettled refugees have access to on-going psycho-social support to serve their adjustment needs as well as ensure additional culturally and linguistically sensitive mental health referral support services are available. The Health and Wellness (H&W) Promoter will be responsible for the implementation of psycho-social programing serving the newcomer population in the Bay Area. The H&W Promoter will provide outreach and engagement, education, screening, and referral services. The H&W Promoter will work with the Clinical Advisor and Prevention and Early Intervention Coordinator to create personalized wellness plans that include traditional healing practices and cultural aspects, as well as follow up with individuals to prevent escalations in mental health crises.

Major Responsibilities:

• Work with IRC staff to identify, refer and assist clients determined to have a high probability of physical and emotional distress with navigating community resources.
• Facilitate community-based group support activities to promote emotional well-being and healthy adjustment and provide opportunities for refugee connection and support.
• Coordinate and conduct educational activities including home visits to promote community integration and self-care among refugees and other populations in the Bay Area.
• Conduct emotional distress RHS-15 screenings and provide appropriate referrals to community mental health and/or other service providers.
• Conduct outreach to existing Afghan, refugee, immigrant and asylee communities to encourage participation and increase referrals to health and wellness programming.
• Ensure accurate tracking and data entry of client notes, outreach, workshop attendance and assessments, into corresponding databases including ETO.
• Ensure that program services are provided in accordance with the quality assurance standards of the IRC and program funders.
• Work closely with staff to enhance and implement Health and Wellness Program goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Prevention & Early Intervention Coordinator

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Health and Wellness Promoter will develop working relationships with internal direct service staff including MG, ICM, AT, and R&P staff, Health and Wellness staff at other IRC sites.

External:  Health and Wellness Promoter will develop working relationships with other refugee resettlement agencies, ethnic Community- Based Organizations, Community leaders and other stakeholders.

Job Requirements:

• Associate degree with an emphasis in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Public health, or an equivalent field of study.
• 2+ years of relevant work experience acquired through relevant work experiences. A significant portion of this experience would include responsibilities in community-based services, social services, education, capacity building, and/or humanitarian relief.

• Understanding of community integration, resettlement, and migration trauma.
• Cross-cultural awareness and communication skills.
• Experience with psycho-social programing preferred.
• Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Experience working with underserved populations.
• Proven ability to contribute both independently and as a key team member.
• Very well organized and has excellent reporting skills.
• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties, and manage time effectively.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; Fluency in additional language relevant to current refugee populations (Farsi, Dari, or Pashto).  

Work Environment:  

• A combination of standard office environment, remote work, and ‘field’ time within the service delivery area to perform the above outlined responsibilities.
• Travel to field site operation often. Access to reliable and insured transportation required. 

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 vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for this position.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits.  In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles. 

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