We're Hiring: Bilingual Staff Social Worker
The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free immigration legal services and social services to adults in immigration detention and to children and their families across Colorado. RMIAN promotes knowledge of legal rights, provides effective representation to ensure due process, works to improve detention conditions, and promotes a more humane immigration system, including alternatives to detention. RMIAN believes that justice for immigrants means justice for all. We respect the needs and celebrate the contributions of the individuals and communities we serve. We believe our clients are equal partners in accessing justice. And we value respect for all human beings, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or legal status.
RMIAN’s Detention Program provides free legal assistance to adults (18 and older) held at the civil immigration detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. The Detention Program provides daily Know-Your-Rights presentations, intakes, and pro se (self-help) support for unrepresented individuals in detention. The program also places many cases for legal representation with RMIAN staff attorneys and a large network of volunteer lawyers.
RMIAN’s Children’s Program provides free immigration legal services to abused, abandoned, neglected, and exploited immigrant youth, including many in deportation proceedings before the Denver Immigration Court. The Children’s Program also represents some parents and family units, and is the legal service provider for unaccompanied youth in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at a facility in Westminster, Colorado.
Through the Social Service Project, RMIAN is one of few immigration legal services organizations in the United States to offer integrated social service support. Founded and staffed by masters-level social workers, the Social Service Project assists particularly vulnerable detained adult immigrants, including ones determined by the Immigration Court to be mentally incompetent to represent themselves and appointed counsel under the National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP); certain unaccompanied immigrant youth in the custody of the Office of Refugee and Resettlement; and other youth and families represented by RMIAN’s Children’s Program. Social Service Project social workers assist detained adults by providing wrap-around support, including help dealing with the stress of detention, healthcare advocacy, support with aspects of legal case preparation, and planning for needed services upon clients’ release from detention. For non-detained youth and their family members, social workers provide connection to mental health treatment, medical care, public benefits, and other assistance, as well as ongoing support throughout clients’ legal cases. Through generous funding from the Caring for Denver Foundation, the Social Service Project is now able to expand through a new grant focused on the behavioral health needs of young (up to age 26) Denver city and county residents.
RMIAN’s Social Service Project has an opening for a full-time social worker to work with clients provided legal assistance by the Detention and Children’s Program. This social worker will work with detained adult clients in immigration detention, including some served under the NQRP described above, as well as non-detained youth and parents served by RMIAN’s Children’s Program. Specific responsibilities are described below.
RMIAN is seeking a social worker colleague who is passionate about RMIAN’s mission and vision and excited about working in an ever-evolving interdisciplinary, legal-social work environment. This position is intended for a social worker devoted to the pursuit of social justice and social change through strengths-based, trauma-informed, and empowerment-focused social work practice at micro, mezzo, and macro levels. It is intended for a social worker who is highly flexible, adaptable, and patient; an innovative and creative problem-solver; and a systems thinker who is proactive and can work independently, while also being an enthusiastic team member in a highly collaborative setting.
The Ideal Candidate:
Is passionate about RMIAN’s mission and has a demonstrated commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
Has the flexibility, patience, and humor to calmly thrive in a fast-paced, often unpredictable environment
Has a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration in a primarily legal-services setting, including working closely with lawyers and other legal staff
Is interested in and committed to attaining a basic knowledge of immigration law, particularly as it impacts and intersects with social services provided to clients
Has experience recognizing and responding to behavioral health conditions—including depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, neurocognitive disorders, and substance use disorders—and responding to people in crisis
Possesses an ability to build rapport with and accompany clients as they recall or experience some of the most traumatic moments of their lives
Has demonstrated cultural competency working with people of diverse nationalities, languages, religions/faiths, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, immigration statuses, abilities, ages, and other identities
Is committed to working with people with criminal histories and to meeting with clients inside a civil immigration detention center
Has experience providing effective and creative case management, particularly for populations who face many eligibility-related and other barriers to services Is familiar with public benefits programs and local social services
Has experience and interest in program evaluation, including data collection, record keeping, and grant reporting• Is prepared to advocate zealously at multiple systems levels while maintaining productive relationships with diverse community, government, and law enforcement stakeholders
Possesses demonstrated self-awareness and developed ways to effectively care for self when exposed to trauma and stress
Communicates effectively in writing and speaking
Appreciates the importance of paying close attention to sensitive and critical details
With guidance and in collaboration with colleagues, Is is able to work effectively o multiple projects at once, prioritize tasks, manage time, and triage to meet sudden and time-sensitive priorities
Enjoys collaborating with others on a team and pitches in to support colleagues when needed
Is able to work autonomously and independently—does not require micromanaging and can be trusted to complete tasks in a timely manner, without the need for extensive oversight
Is open to responsibilities shifting over time, according to the needs of clients and the organization
Position Responsibilities:
Maintain a caseload of detained adult, some non-detained adult, and some non-detained child/youth and family clients
Through an interdisciplinary model, collaborate closely with attorneys throughout clients’ immigration cases
Work in trauma-informed and strengths-based ways with clients to complete biopsychosocial assessments engage in therapeutic conversations, conduct needs assessments, set goals, and implement ways to deal with current life stressors and symptoms of behavioral health conditions
As appropriate, administer screening tools to track clients’ behavioral health symptoms
As appropriate, support clients’ legal cases by helping to draft personal declarations arranging forensic health evaluations, communicating with family and other support networks, gathering health records, and attending court hearings
Advocate for improved detention conditions and access to appropriate healthcare for clients
For detained clients, create written plans for post-release services for submission to the Immigration Court and/or Immigration and Customs Enforcement
As needed, meet clients upon release from detention and coordinate their access to transportation, accommodations, and other immediate needs
Connect released and non-detained clients to desired and appropriate behavioral health treatment, medical care, housing, public benefits, and other supportive services in Denver, other parts of Colorado, other states, or clients’ countries of origin
With client consent, communicate with mental health treatment providers to coordinate support
Provide normalizing and culturally-informed psychoeducation to clients’ family members/support networks and caregivers about depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health conditions
Nurture, expand, and develop partnerships with service providers, advocates, and community volunteers
Synthesize and report program data in compliance with rigorous grant evaluation requirements
Contribute to the ongoing development of Social Service Project and organizational systems, protocols, and processes
Participate in SSP- and RMIAN-related advocacy, outreach, media/communications, and development/fundraising efforts
Required skills, experience, and attributes:
Master of Social Work degree from an accredited program
English and Spanish fluency required, both oral and written
Ability to pass required background checks
Access to reliable personal transportation
Location:
This position is based in Westminster, Colorado. Currently, RMIAN’s operations are primarily remote during the COVID-19 pandemic, but subject to change.
Compensation:
This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. Salary depends on experience. For a recent MSW graduate with limited work experience, the range is $48,000–$50,000. For a more experienced social worker, the salary range is $50,000–$54,000. Included with the social worker position is a generous benefits package, including excellent medical insurance (100% covered by RMIAN); group dental and vision insurance; life insurance; short-term disability insurance; a flexible spending plan for medical expenses and dependent care; and eligibility to participate in a Simple IRA retirement plan (RMIAN matches 3%). RMIAN provides professional development opportunities and paid vacation time and sick leave. RMIAN also offers the possibility of a sabbatical after five years of employment.
If this position calls to you, please send all the following items to hr@rmian.org: (1) a tailored, authentic cover letter that explains (a) why RMIAN’s mission excites you and (b) why you are an ideal fit for this particular role; (2) resume; and (3) a list of three professional references
The start date for this position is as soon as possible. Please apply promptly.
RMIAN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, gender minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. RMIAN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or veteran status. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment free from discrimination.