Refugee Resettlement Intern - Spring 2025
Silver Spring MD
- Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
- Location: Silver Spring MD
- Grade: Internship - Internship
-
Occupational Groups:
- Refugee rights and well-being
- Human Settlements (Shelter, Housing, Land, Property)
- Closing Date: 2025-01-06
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading non-sectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection, and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. The Suburban Washington Refugee Center, where the IRC’s Silver Spring resettlement office is located, has resettled more than 2,000 new refugee arrivals, providing them a fresh start and opportunities to use their greatest resources—their motivation, their skills and their experiences—to become independent and self-sufficient new Americans. Currently, the IRC Silver Spring resettles and/or provides assistance to over 700 refugees and asylees each year.
SCOPE OF WORK: The reception & placement team aids refugees and SIV clients in their resettlement to the U.S. Before refugee clients arrive at the airport, the housing team works to prepare housing and furnishing, and arranges arrival logistics. After arrival, the casework team provides several services to orient clients to life in the US, link each client to public benefits and medical providers, and refer clients to additional internal and external providers as needed. The team also conducts cultural orientation with clients to introduce them to US customs and systems. This position entails frequent contact with clients by phone, email, and face-to-face to provide resources and support.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Assist clients with provision of core housing services
Assist with housing team inventory purchase, organization and management
Assist with donation tracking and management
Assist with managing clients' case arrival, securing and preparing/furnishing housing for client move-in
Assist with managing clients’ cases and providing orientation to IRC services.
Assist clients with completing applications for public benefits, Medicaid, Social Security cards, State IDs, childcare vouchers, etc.
Conduct public transportation orientation with clients.
Assist clients with scheduling and navigating appointments at various public benefit offices and health clinics.
Refer clients to external services including but not limited to ESL classes, school enrollment, and housing assistance programs.
Assist with maintaining, organizing, and entering electronic client data and updating case notes.
Other related duties as assigned
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Intern will gain US field-office experience interacting with and assisting refugee clients
Intern will acquire detailed knowledge of casework and the programs and public benefits available for refugees and asylees during their resettlement period
Intern will learn reporting requirements for resettlement agencies and how to capture data to improve services
Intern will learn how housing is secured and prepared for newly arriving refugees
Current undergraduate or graduate student preferred but not required.
Ability to work independently and under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
Organized with attention to detail.
Creativity and initiative to follow through on projects.
Excellent communication and writing skills.
An interest in international and refugee and humanitarian issues.
Interest in or experience working in a multi-cultural setting.
Willingness to use public transportation with clients in order to orient clients to buses, etc.
Fluency in one of the following languages is highly desirable: Spanish, French, Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Dari, Amharic, Burmese, Nepali, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, or Tigrinya.
A car or access to a car is preferable.
Able and willing to lift and carry up to approximately 50 pounds (E.g., carrying half of a couch during apartment setup) is preferred, but not required
Minimum 24 hour per week commitment, 24-32 hour per week commitment.
TO APPLY
Click Apply Now at the top of this page. Please attach a resume, cover letter and a list of (at least) three references to your application. The deadline to apply is January 6, 2025.
This position is for Spring 2025 and requires a minimum commitment of 4 months and at least 25 hours per week. 35 hours per week preferred. Ability to work in-person required.
Spring 2025 Interns are expected to begin their internship term by attending an in-person intern orientation on January 27th, 2025 from 9:15AM-3:30PM.
We currently offer internships during the
following semesters:
Spring: January – May
Summer: June – August
Fall: September –
December
Internships are
typically posted 2-3 months prior to the anticipated start date.
Note: Internships with the IRC in Silver Spring are unpaid. Spring 2025 interns may be eligible for per diem reimbursement at the rate of $15/day to offset the costs of food and travel. For information on scholarship opportunities, contact your university or the IRC Silver Spring intern coordinator at Michalina.Kulesza@Rescue.org.
*Candidates applying who are not currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or are outside 12 months of their graduation are welcome to apply. These candidates will be processed as volunteers.
To protect our clients, the IRC requires all selected applicants to complete background checks. We ask that you make a $30 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 87% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer.
IRC leading the way from harm to home.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
If you need assistance in the application or hiring process to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact Talent Acquisitions at IRC.Recruitment@rescue.org. As required by law, the IRC will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with a known disability.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.