Youth Specialist

Youth Specialist

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The Youth Specialist is responsible for implementing youth-focused programming, providing immigrant youth with tools to successfully adjust and thrive in their new communities. Current programs include the Virginia Refugee Student Achievement Project (VRSAP), which facilitates successful academic progress and achievement, social adjustment, and school completion of eligible youth between the ages of 0 and 18 years (Pre-K – 12/GED), and the Mentoring Youth in Virginia (MYVA) program, which promotes positive civic and social engagement and supports educational and vocational advancement for eligible youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years.

The Youth Specialist also assists parents to participate in their children's school activities and supports schools in identifying resources needed to meet the language and cultural needs of eligible students and families. The Youth Specialist develops collaborative and supportive relationships with local school systems, students, their parents, and other relevant stakeholders.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate services to refugee children and their parents in partnership with local school systems with a goal of supporting students so they can achieve educational success through regular school attendance and participation in school activities.
• Orient newly arrived families to the American public-school system and family law issues with a goal of increasing interaction between school staff and parents as well as parental participation in learning activities.
• Conduct pre- and post-tests of each family's understanding of the U.S. school attendance and participation requirements.
• In consultation with management, advocate for children in situations of abuse or neglect and refer to partner agencies as appropriate.
• In consultation with management, work with parents to advocate for special needs students in identification, testing and provision of special education services.
• Improve school personnel's understanding of refugee families' cultural and language needs.
• Support student success by encouraging participation in activities such as after-school tutoring and mentoring, programs that encourage high school completion and full participation in school activities, after-school and summer clubs and activities, and college preparation assistance.
• Identify and offer enrollment or make referrals for youth in the MYVA program, developing a personalized service plan to meet their individual academic, social, and professional goals.
• In consultation with the Youth Team, match each MYVA participant with a trained adult mentor and monitor progress of the relationship to ensure that participant needs and goals are met.
• Develop and implement additional youth programming as applicable, such as after-school or cultural enrichment activities.

• Monitor and track students' progress.
• Ensure required intake documents are fully completed, service plan is updated as appropriate, and forms are saved to the client case file(s).
• Ensure timely and accurate compliance to all VRSAP and MYVA reporting requirements, including database management, case notes, and file maintenance.

• Participate in all program meetings, VRSAP and MYVA monthly conference calls as assigned, staff development activities, and other duties as…