Description

Refugee School Liaison (Birmingham)

Classification: Hourly Non-Exempt

Salary Grade/Level/Family/Range: $38,000 - $42,000

Reports to: Youth Services Coordinator

Date: Updated 5/18/23

JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary
The goal of Inspiritus Birmingham’s Refugee School Liaison is to help refugee students move from surviving to thriving by providing academic supports and advocacy that serve to empower families in their child’s academic endeavors. Under the supervision of the Youth Program Manager and the Youth Services Coordinator, the Refugee School Liaison will work to bridge the gap between home and school supports, educational and community-outreach services for recently resettled refugee K-12 students and their families in Alabama. The Refugee School Liaison will serve as a communication bridge, refugee family advocate, and supporter for refugee families regarding school enrollments, truancy, behavior issues, social adjustment, mental and physical health, teacher/parent communications, and general school needs as families become acquainted with the American school system. Liaison efforts will aim to empower refugee families to actively participate in and take the lead in their child’s academic success. The essential function of the position is to provide student and parent support while interfacing with schools. The Refugee School Liaison will be responsible for implementation of services, recruitment of students/families, coordination/communication with school-day administration and staff, transportation, collection of data, and performing related work as required. They will ensure that the goals and objectives of the refugee school liaison are accomplished within the prescribed time frame and within budget. They will be responsible for ensuring that required information is collected and documented within the reporting guidelines of the program. This position will work closely with Inspiritus Birmingham’s Refugee Student Support Specialist and the Refugee Services team to identify students in need of specialized academic or psychosocial support outside of normal school-day operations and refer them to the Refugee Student Support programming.

Essential Functions

1. Communicates with parents to encourage their attendance at school functions or special events, to increase involvement in the classroom and community to improve communication between the home and the school. Serves as a liaison between local schools and refugee families.
2. Conducts American school orientation for newcomers.
3. Registers current clients and newly arrived refuge students for school.
4. Advocates and offers training to local schools to better support the success of refugee students and their families.
5. Conducts parent workshops and supports family literacy building activities.
6. Conducts and documents educational assessments as required by program funders.
7. Actively recruit students who are recommended for services by case managers, teachers, counselors, administrators, and the community.
8. Ensures that information flows steadily and effectively between the school system and the parents of students.
9. Cultivates strong, purposeful relationships with stakeholders to better leverage influence and support the program.
10. Attends meetings, training, workshops and conferences as appropriate to enhance job knowledge and skills.
11. Engages in professional learning opportunities.
12. Manages day to day operations, including school appointments and communications.
13. Plans transportation and logistics for refugee families and participants as needed for school engagements.
14. Attends school and community meetings to gain information to pass on to parents.
15. Ensures the goals and objectives of the program are accomplished within the prescribed time frame and within budgets.
16. Keeps the Youth Services Coordinator apprised of issues or challenges.
17. Helps respond to monitoring and audit reports and implements required changes.
18. Creates and manages partnerships and relationships with service providers, partner agencies, public systems, and community volunteers.
19. Be available for in-person and on-site provision of services and attendance to job related responsibilities during regular business hours.
20. Maintains personal and professional boundaries in the performance of the job.
21. Forges mutually respectful partnerships with clients, co-workers, and volunteers.
22. Assists in securing funding for current and new programs.
23. Participates in Inspiritus functions and public relations activities.
24. Participates in training and professional conferences to keep abreast of current trends.
25. Conforms with and abides by all regulations, policies, work procedures and instructions.
26. Performs other Inspiritus duties as assigned by an appropriate administrator or their representative.

Qualifications

Competencies

1. Teamwork & Collaboration
2. Partnership & Relationship Management
3. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
4. Cultural Humility
5. Adaptability & Flexibility
6. Demonstrate Ethical & Professional Behavior
7. Advance Human Rights and Social and Economic Justice

Supervisory Responsibility

NONE

Work Environment
This job operates both in a professional office environment and in the field. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands
This is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or as needed for family and school meetings.

Travel: Up to 50% local travel

Required Education and Experience

1. Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent in education or human services-related or education field and minimum of two years of previous direct work experience in youth and/or human services, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
2. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
3. Experience working in a culturally diverse environment and high level of cultural competence
4. Conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change
5. Ability to set limits and maintain the helping role of the practitioner
6. Excellent computer skills, accurate typing, and knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
7. Must have the ability to communicate with all persons in a culturally competent manner.
8. Must be sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
9. Must own a personal multi-passenger vehicle, hold a valid driver’s license, have a good driving record, and have appropriate personal auto insurance

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Experience coordinating diverse teams of volunteers and/or interns.
2. Familiarity with major Birmingham schools, social services programs, public transportation, employers, and neighborhoods
3. Experience with human services programs.
4. Reads, writes, and speaks a relevant foreign language.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
None required for this position.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance (if applicable)
N/A

AAP/EEO Statement
N/A

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.