Youth and Family Advocate

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. Find out more at www.irco.org.  

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 Cultural Centers & various school locations within Multnomah, Clackamas

                                                    and Washington Counties 

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

NUMBER OF POSITIONS:      (2)

APPLY AT:                                 www.irco.org 

STATUS:                                     Full-Time with Benefits

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

SECTOR:                                    School Linked 

REQUIREMENTS:

Bilingual in English and an ORCAS language used by participants, including, Arabic, Dari, Russian, Somali, or Ukrainian

Work is performed in person at schools or other assigned work locations like PIAFC. This is not a remote or hybrid work position.

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. Youth and Family 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
Bilingual/bicultural Youth and Family Advocates provide 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.

Youth and Family Advocates work 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. Each full-time Youth and Family Advocate will enroll and maintain a caseload of 25 students.

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

Youth and Family Advocates are 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. Youth and Family Advocates will lead afterschool/out-of-school time student groups and summer enrichment activities. Youth and Family Advocates will support caregivers and school staff to troubleshoot issues concerning students on caseload that may hinder their school success. Youth and Family Advocates 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. 

Youth and Family Advocates 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 25 ORCAs school aged youth (1 full time staff to 25 youth on caseload) 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 afterschool/out-of-school time group activities for students during the school year and during summer 
• Collaborate with Program Lead and other 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 the program 
• Plan and chaperone program outings and fieldtrips 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 as assigned to support IRCO and Program 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

• Ability to meet multiple, including conflicting deadlines
• Ability to deal with distressed and demanding participants, school staff, program partners or work colleagues in an effective manner
• Ability to communicate with a variety of personality types and levels of the organization as well as with people outside of the organization

Education & Experience

MINIMUM JOB SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Some college coursework in education or social services, or equivalent combination of training and experience 
• Minimum 1 year working within a school or school district providing academic support emergent English-speaking immigrant/refugee students in 1:1 or in group settings
• Minimum 1 year working with families to support resource navigation work and understanding U.S. school systems 
• Experience serving immigrant/refugee students and their families in culturally specific academic support programs 
• Bilingual in English and a language commonly used by the program’s participant base, including, Arabic, Dari, Russian, Somali, or Ukrainian
• Ability to communicate clearly about sensitive information and explain school systems in both English and a second language spoken by program participants 
• Understanding of US school systems and standard school expectations regarding attendance, classroom management, family engagement, and safety
• Knowledge of emergency, social, and human services, and referral systems to access such services 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint 
• Experience and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment 
• Able to pass a comprehensive background check

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate’s degree or equivalent in social services, or related field
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of Assertive Engagement and applying Trauma Informed Care in case management work for children and youth in school settings
• Experience creating lesson plans or curriculum for youth afterschool/out-of-school time groups that promote Positive Youth Development 
• Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multicultural organization
• Strong ability to work with multi-cultural staff in a team setting
• Experience tracking program spending through expense logs for program activities like afterschool group activities, field trips, client assistance 
• Ability to use initiative and judgment in completing tasks and responsibilities 
• Ability to courteously meet and deal effectively with school staff, program participants, other employees, agency representatives, vendors, contractors, the public, and others 
• Ability to function in a positive manner in a demanding work environment, to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, to respond to priorities and schedules that change frequently, and to meet commitments
• Experience organizing and chaperoning field trips and other enrichment activities with youth 
• Possesses a valid drivers license with a clean driving record
• Experience operating a 14-passenger van a plus

Physical, Mental, & Environmental Requirements

• Work is performed in person, at schools 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:

• Many flexible working arrangements and schedule
• Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world
• Work that helps your community 
• 3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year 
• 401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting 
• 3% match for student loans or college savings 
• 12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles
• Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance 
• Flexible spending account

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

1. Complete the IRCO application in our Careers Portal: IRCO Application for Employment.  
2. Upload your resume and cover letter addressing your qualifications for this position IRCO Careers.  
3. For questions about this position, please email [email protected]

Please note that physical applications are accessible from IRCO’s main office, 10301 NE Glisan, Portland, OR 97220. Due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to contact applicants or return calls regarding applications. Complete applications should include a cover letter, resume, and IRCO application. 

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 law. We will make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.