BACKGROUND:  
The staff of the IRC Dallas office works as a team to provide comprehensive resettlement services- including case management, employment, immigration, and mental health services to newly arrived refugees, asylees, and victims of human trafficking as they begin to rebuild their lives in the Dallas area.   

SCOPE OF WORK:   
The goal of the Refugee School Impact Program is to help recently arrived refugee middle school students adapt successfully while providing the tools and opportunities they need to grow in their academics, regulate emotions, maintain positive cultural identity and expand their social circles. Interns will work directly with refugee families and school personnel in order to guide the student and their family through the education system and empower them to thrive in their new setting. 

The intern will serve as the central point of contact, providing support services to students through weekly home visits, advocacy, and case management. The intern will receive reimbursement for travel expenses and other approved program expenses. The intern position is for the duration of January 2025 to August 2025 and includes evening hours when school is in session. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: 
Conduct client and caregiver assessments in order to set a baseline for growth and a starting point for service provision.  
Establish a service plan with newly arrived refugee youth; provide mentoring, guidance, and psychosocial support to aid clients in reaching goals in their service plans.
Facilitate caregiver involvement in clients’ education through phone calls, home visits, and other mechanisms, including teaching caregivers how to access their parent portals, attending Parent/Teacher conferences and IRC Workshops. 
Screen clients for emotional distress and mental health; make referrals to the Mental Health Department.
Facilitate activities to teach positive coping mechanisms. 
Advocate for and connect clients to relevant resources such as counselors, coaches, tutoring programs and extra-curricular activities. 
Invite and encourage clients to attend group activities.
Collaborate with external organizations and internal departments to connect families to necessary resources through referrals.
Provide guidance on study practices and homework completion to help clients succeed academically.
Arrange interpretation to provide services and information in the student’s language.
Maintain comprehensive case notes, update case files, and regularly update service plans to respond to clients’ academic, material, and case management needs. 
Participate in staff development and team meetings.