Temporary Position-Refugee Group Support Coordinator

Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg is a well-established, highly respected, growing, and diverse social services agency serving all members of the Greater Harrisburg area. Our mission is to help all community members meet life's challenges and our staff is as diverse and inclusive as our programs. We are a forward-thinking mental health and social service agency dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential while honoring choice, responsibility, diversity, and Jewish values through every stage of life.

The Refugee Group Support Coordinator will be responsible for conducting intakes, assessments, referrals and follow-up for the Refugee and Entrant, the position is supervised by the Resettlement Manager. The Refugee Group Support Coordinator provides case management services to refugee groups of newly arrived refugees during the initial enrollment period of resettlement, in coordination with other staff and agency volunteers. The Refugee Group Support Coordinator will be instrumental in cultivating connections and ensuring that new arrivals have access to community services and resources. This individual will also be responsible for maintaining client files as required by partner organizations and the Department of State.

The Refugee Group Support Coordinator may also provide intensive case management to clients as needed and will work with the team of JFS to wrap around services, volunteers and community agencies to ensure comprehensive integration for refugee families in the Greater Harrisburg community and York PA.

Working hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST with occasional evenings and weekends. If requested to work an evening, working hours the following day can be adjusted accordingly. This position is based in Harrisburg, PA but requires regular visits to York, PA.

Duration: This is a six-month temporary position with the potential to become a full-time position based on demand. Consideration for full-time employment will take place after six months.

This position conducts intakes, delivers core program services, serves as a liaison with the community, organizes and runs group activities and provides or connects clients with language access.

The position will report to the Resettlement Manager, and is expected to:

• Organize and run group activities for eligible clients
• Coordinate with other agency departments on activities related to wellness and mental health.
• Manage the resettlement of clients by ensuring timely delivery of services and fulfillment of requirements outlined in the Cooperative Agreement and Guidelines with Department of State (R&P) and the guidelines within the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
• Occasional pick up of clients from the airport upon arrival and accompany them to their new home; provide initial housing orientation.
• With support from appropriate JFS staff and local partners, locate and inspect housing for newly arriving clients and arrange housing setup with furniture and household supplies.
• Pick up clients from the airport upon arrival and accompany them to their new home; provide initial housing orientation.
• Assess clients’ needs and enroll in eligible programs including case management.
• Provide case management services to clients, including assisting with applying for social security and public assistance benefits, connecting clients to medical care, connecting clients to employment services and English classes, and providing all other required services under the program.
• Assist the client to engage in activities that will facilitate the client’s self-sufficiency and ability to perform tasks independently.
• Coordinate the provision of interpretation and translation services to clients
• Complete required programmatic documentation, including case notes, database entries, reports, and any other systems as required.
• Assist clients to attain their established goals, address challenges, and utilize available resources.
• Maintain up-to-date programmatic knowledge of all services (health department, social security, MyCOMPASS PA, etc.) involving ORR-eligible clients, RSS guidelines, PC GAPS, and the Policies and Procedures of the agency.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues and partner organizations to creatively address barriers to self-sufficiency.
• Work with volunteers to provide safe and supervised transport for clients to off-site appointments or activities as needed and confirm public transport capabilities.
• Complete all case notes and program documentation, ensuring accuracy and compliance within program guidelines, and confirming timely delivery of services.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

Additional Responsibilities and Employee Interaction:

• Client populations may include refugees, children, adolescents, adults and their families.
• Colleagues or other professionals and supervisors are available for coordination and consultation of treatment or services.
• Outside the organization, contacts include other caseworkers, caregivers, or community service workers, courts, and attorneys
• Comfortable and familiar with the cultural needs of a refugee population; being culturally competent in all areas of culture diversity and sensitivity.
• Commitment to empowering clients to solve their own problems including stressing the value of a nurturing family environment and stressing individual’s ability to grow and change.

Training, Skills, Knowledge, and/or Experience:

Education Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Fluency in one of the following languages Haitian Creole, Dari or Ukrainian is required.
• Must have experience working in a cross-cultural environment.
• Must be able to effectively communicate with staff of diverse cultural and language backgrounds.
• Must have a high level of organizational skill and great attention to detail.
• Must have PC proficiency, with competency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to complete tasks independently, thoroughly, and on time.
• Proactive communicator and able to work closely with a team.
• High English language proficiency and excellent communication skills both verbal and written required
• Problem solving, analytical, communication and crisis management skills are necessary to assist clients and/or volunteers who may be in distress.
• Must have a safe vehicle and a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license and minimum mandatory Pennsylvania automobile insurance coverage; must be able to provide own daily transportation.

Interested and qualified applicants to apply and should submit a cover letter with their application.