Youth and Family Advocate

Job Type

Full-time

Description

POSITION : Youth and Family Advocate

JOB CLASS / GRADE : Specialist 1 / Grade 8

WAGE : Starting at $48,600 per year based on experience

FLSA; EEO; WC : Non-Exempt ; Professional ; 8864

LOCATIONS : IRCO Greater Middle East Cultural (GMEC) Centers

& various school locations within Washington and Clackamas Counties

FTE; FT / PT; STATUS : 1.0 FTE; Full-Time with Benefits; Regular Status

NUMBER OF POSITIONS : (1)

APPLY AT : www.irco.org

STATUS : Full-Time with Benefits

PROGRAM(S) : Oregon Refugee Children Assistance & Support (ORCAS)

SECTOR : GMEC

REQUIREMENTS : Bilingual in English and a GMEC language used by participants like

Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Kurdish, Persian.

Work is performed in person at schools or other assigned work locations

like GMEC. This is not a remote or hybrid work position.

Understanding of the experience of refugees is required.

Experience working with school aged youth under 19

Must pass school background check

Must possess a valid driver's license and verification of current

auto-insurance, and have full use of automobile during work hours

This job announcement is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this job. This is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required.

Program Summary

The purpose of the Oregon Refugee Children Assistance & Support program ("ORCAS") is to provide services to Refugee school age eligible enrollees (been in the country less than 60 months), to strengthen their academic performance and facilitate social adjustment; assist their parents to understand US school requirements, and assist the schools impacted by high number of arrival of Refugee children. Advocates will provide focused assistance to schools highly impacted by the arrival of refugee children; and to provide school orientation to newly arrived school age refugee children and to their parents for up to one year after arrival.

Position Summary

The Youth and Family Advocate provides in-school support during the school day and conduct afterschool / out of school time activities for enrolled ORCAS students like mentoring, homework help, skill building groups, college / career exploration, and social and emotional learning. Resource navigation for students and their families will also be provided so that students and their families can better access available school and community resources.

The Youth and Family Advocate works closely with internal and external partners (e.g., Youth Division staff, SUN site managers, school staff, staff from other CBOs) to implement culturally specific best practices to create a welcoming environment and a stronger sense of belonging for ORCAS students and their families in school settings. The Advocate will enroll and maintain the caseload of students.

During the school year, the Youth and Family Advocate provides in-school support, academic advising, check-ins and consultations with school staff during the school day, and conduct after-school activities comprising academic support, mentoring, college / career exploration, and other skill building activities. Other out-of-school duties, including summer activities, as well as caregiver engagement or family engagement activities will also be assigned to the Advocate. This position works under the direct supervision of the GMEC Coordinator.

The Youth and Family Advocate is expected to use creative, culturally specific and appropriate approaches when designing and implementing program activities for students and families. Academic advising and meaningful engagement with students include collaborating with students, school staff and their caregivers to participate in regular goal setting to support academics and school attendance. The Advocate will lead after-school / out-of-school student groups and summer enrichment activities. The Advocate will support caregivers and school staff to troubleshoot issues concerning students on caseload that may hinder their school success. The Advocate will conduct bi-monthly parent engagement activities including communication about student academic and attendance / behavioral progress and conduct quarterly parent group activities during the school year.

The Youth and Family Advocate will provide schools with information about best practices to support culturally specific youth and families in outreach and engagement using a variety of culturally responsive and appropriate skills, and may, as time permits, assist in a limited manner with translation and interpretation.

Essential Functions

• Enroll in ORCAS school aged youth onto caseload to provide culturally specific academic support & advising, individualized planning with students including goal setting and tracking of academic progress & school attendance
• Regular follow-ups with school staff to track progress of students on caseload
• Design, implement, and conduct after-school / out-of-school time group activities for students during the school year and during summer
• Collaborate with the GMEC Coordinator and Youth staff to build culturally relevant curriculum to address identified academic gaps of enrolled students
• Work closely with school administration and staff to collect referrals and identify students / families in need of support and outreach to these families to enroll them into program services
• Provide individualized support, and resource navigation for families on caseload
• Perform participant intake and assessment
• Work collaboratively with school staff, community partners and IRCO colleagues to engage parents in their school environment in a positive and meaningful way
• Conduct family support activities such as home visits, phone outreach and meeting at school or other locations to update parents on their children's educational progress
• Provide parent educational activities to inform parents about key school topics like available school programs and school policies, using ParentVue or other tools to monitor their student's progress, postsecondary programs, learning in the home, and problem solving
• Organize, file and / or archive participant progress notes and records (e.g., student academic lesson plans / family workshop lessons plans, participant contact hours) using funder and IRCO data systems like SharePoint, CRM and other methods employed by GMEC and the program
• Plan and chaperone program outings and field trips in accordance with procedures and guidelines in place to facilitate such activities
• Maintain accurate and confidential records on each participant, including intake / assessment information, action / service plans, hours of service, and all contacts and referrals made
• Provide translation and interpretation for families throughout the case process as needed
• Responsible for compiling monthly reports and data entry for contract reporting purposes
• Responsible to complete timesheets and other paperwork (e.g., expense reimbursements, mileage reimbursement, training log) in an accurate and timely manner
• Maintain cooperative external relationships with collaborative agencies, volunteer agencies, community and public as authorized
• Participate in staff meetings, school meetings, trainings, work committees, and other activities assigned to support IRCO and ORCAS goals
• Work with school staff to provide training and information on culture, especially as it relates to youth and family engagement
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of participants

Secondary Functions

Requirements

Education & Experience

MINIMUM JOB SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

Physical, Mental, & Environmental Requirements

Work is performed in person, at schools and GMEC, or other assigned IRCO locations. Not a remote or hybrid work position

Supervisory Responsibilities

Positions at this level are not responsible for any supervisory functions, or responsibilities, but may occasionally be asked to orient and / or train new employees or volunteers.

What We Offer

IRCO is a very employee-friendly workplace and offers great benefit package to our staff :

Required Engagement

Engage fully in recommended professional development, as well as other assigned or required training activities. This engagement can also include participation in optional activities that embrace IRCO's mission, vision, and values-based initiatives.

How To Apply

IRCO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any characteristics protected by State and Federal law. We will make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.

Salary Description

Starting at $48,600 per year based on experience