Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Louisville
Caseworker (full-time)

Summary

The Caseworker will provide case management services to refugees, most of whom are recently-arrived to the United States and Louisville.

Clientele. Current refugee arrivals are coming from Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, Central America and other countries. Some will have limited English proficiency, medical or other conditions impeding their transition to social integration and self-sufficiency. The Caseworker must ensure the provision and documentation of basic services for a high number of clients, while at the same time providing intensive case management and enhanced access to services and support for those with special needs.

Initial reception and basic needs. The Caseworker will participate in pre-arrival coordination and the airport reception of his/her assigned clients. Some airport arrivals take place in the evening. During clients’ first 90 days, the Caseworker will be responsible for coordinating with specialist staff to ensure the delivery of required core services, including but not limited to, Social Security cards and SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits; Medicaid enrollment, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (K-TAP, in Kentucky) medical screenings and follow-up appointments; and enrollment in cash assistance, ESL and employment programs.

During initial resettlement, the Caseworker will be responsible for overseeing the household financial management of his/her refugee clients and for processing vouchers for agency-managed funds to ensure that refugees’ basic needs, including rent, utilities, food, and TARC passes/tickets, are met. Additionally, the Caseworker must educate newly-arrived refugees on how to independently manage their household finances, budget their employment and public assistance income, and pay their bills.

Self-sufficiency case management. The Caseworker will complete and periodically update a formal, holistic assessment of client needs and goals—the Family Self Sufficiency Plan, for each case, with individualized assessments for each member. To support clients’ implementation of this case plan, the Caseworker will coordinate with KRM specialist staff in the areas of housing, employment, youth and elder services, medical case management, mental health, English language education, cultural orientation, victim advocacy and immigration legal services. Additionally, the Caseworker will make client referrals to outside social service agencies and other local service providers. A knowledge of these community service providers and a strong commitment to advocating for refugees’ access to services is essential.

Documentation of service. The Caseworker will be responsible for the intake, orientation and program enrollment of new clients and ongoing explanation of program objectives and compliance requirements. Thorough documentation of services, and entering of case information and casenotes in client case files and separate electronic databases maintained by the Kentucky Office for Refugees and Church World Service is required. The Caseworker will periodically need to generate narrative and quantitative reports for funders of refugee social services.

Strengths-based case management. In keeping with the agency and program orientation toward early employment and self-sufficiency, the Caseworker will seek to empower refugees to become self-supporting, while at the same time compassionately assisting refugees with special needs or barriers to employment or independent living. A strengths-based, trauma-informed-care approach will inform case management.

Supervision. The Caseworker will have substantial independent responsibilities and be expected to combine field work, including home visits, with in-office client consultations and case management tasks, including case notes and documentation and maintenance of case files.

The Resettlement Manager and Refugee Program Manager will provide supervision, direction and collegial support to the Caseworker.

Agency Profile

Founded in 1990 as a nonprofit agency in Louisville, Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM) is a local affiliate of Church World Service (CWS), one of nine national voluntary agencies authorized to provide resettlement services to refugees admitted to the United States through the State Department’s Refugee Admissions Program. KRM also has offices in Lexington and Covington, Kentucky. In addition to refugees, KRM serves Afghan, Ukrainian, Cuban and Haitian parolees, and individuals from various countries who have been approved for, or are applying for, asylum.

KRM secures housing and medical care for refugees and provides them with comprehensive case management including employment services, ESL and cultural orientation, and specialized programs for refugee youth and elders and the arts. KRM also offers citizenship classes for immigrants preparing to apply for naturalization. KRM’s immigration legal services office provides services to immigrants of all statuses. KRM also provides services to immigrant victims of crime.

KRM staff do not engage in any religious messaging in connection to delivery of client services.

Essential Duties and Tasks

• Coordinate client pre-arrival services
• Provide airport reception and home orientation
• Create client case file and enter all client biodata and documentation into case file and computer databases
• Provide comprehensive intake orientation to new clients
• Complete and submit all appropriate referral paperwork
• Assist clients in applying for Social Security cards, SNAP (Food Stamps), K-TAP (TANF), Medicaid, SSI or SSI-Disability
• Complete and update Family Self-Sufficiency Plan and other required case management case plan templates used to measure refugees’ progress in overcoming barriers to self-sufficiency
• Communicate closely with agency specialist staff to implement and track a comprehensive case management plan for each client
• Accurately maintain and update client expenditure sheets and process vouchers for rent, utility and other disbursements to or on behalf of clients in a timely manner
• Enter client casenotes on a regular basis and maintain client case files in orderly and prescribed manner
• Demonstrate knowledge of local social and community services and make appropriate client referrals
• Communicate effectively on behalf of clients with local public and service providers, including public benefits caseworkers at the Department of Community-Based Services (DCBS)
• Complete regular program reports for funders: the Kentucky Office for Refugees and Church World Service, private foundations and other funders
• Track all assigned cases, meet regularly with clients, and effectively organize time to ensure equitable provision of services
• Supervise, train and effectively utilize university interns
• Interact and coordinate with community volunteers
• Represent agency and clients with community service providers and other refugee resettlement stakeholders

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Demonstrated and verifiable direct services experience either in a social services or cross-cultural setting
• Strong computer and organizational skills, including proficiency in MS Excel
• Ability to work occasional evenings. Job will be primarily during normal business hours with some airport arrivals in early to late evening. On rare occasions, some emergency response or communications may be required outside of normal business hours.
• Ability to drive and transport clients by car

Specialized Skills

• Ability to work with clients of diverse nationalities and cultures
• Comfort servicing limited-English-proficient clients and utilizing bilingual interpreters
• Strong detailed-orientation; capacity to provide clear documentation of services
• Team-orientation; ability to work in coordination with agency resettlement staff
• Strong outreach skills; ability to network with community service providers
• Patience and strong commitment to client care, while at the same time adhering to agency mission of promoting client self-sufficiency
• Personal resiliency to endure stressful situations relating to individual client case management, or program implementation during peak caseload periods
• Commitment to ethical conduct, maintaining appropriate boundaries with clients, and respecting client autonomy

Hybrid Schedule and Vaccine Requirement

• KRM staff are currently required to work at least three days a week, or 60% of scheduled hours, in-person, either in the office or the field. Remaining hours can be worked remotely. Immediate time-sensitive service requirements may require more than 60% in-office or in-person work.
• All KRM employees are required to show proof of vaccine against COVID-19

Compensation and Benefits

• Non-exempt position, 40 hours per week
• Pay based on background and experience, in the range of $23.00 to $24.50/hour
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance; paid vacation, holidays, sick and personal days
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 5% fully-vested KRM match after one year of service

To Apply

Interested applicants should email a résumé and cover letter by Wednesday, April 24th, to—

John Koehlinger
Executive Director
Kentucky Refugee Ministries
969-B Cherokee Road
Louisville, KY 40204
jkoehlinger@kyrm.org

Those who have previously applied for a position at KRM are eligible to re-apply. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $23.00 - $24.50 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Patient demographics:

• Adolescents
• Adults
• Children

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Louisville, KY 40204: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person