Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Eligibility Specialist

Requisition ID: req19225

Job Title: Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Eligibility Specialist

Sector: Social Work

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Boise, ID USA

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary: Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. IRC provides assistance to refugees resettling in the United States. The IRC opened an office in Boise, Idaho in 2006 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office resettles approximately 350 – 400 refugees per year and provides numerous program services to assist the refugee from their arrival through citizenship.

Job Overview/Summary: Under the direction of the Resettlement Manager, the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Eligibility Specialist vets potential participants for admission into the RCA cash assistance program, evaluates monthly which existing participants are still eligible for the program, and based on variables present in each case, how much their monthly benefit should be, documents eligibility reviews, closes cases out of the program and completes regular file inspection of eligibility materials.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conducting comprehensive intake and assessment of eligibility for families seeking to participate in the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) program.
• Conducting monthly meetings with all families enrolled in the program to confirm facts upon which eligibility determination is made, and their comprehension of the rules of the program.
• Conducting employability assessment to determine whether clients are mandatory or non-mandatory for employment.
• Coordinating enrollments in the RCA program.
• Maintaining comprehensive, up-to-date casenote services log containing detailed information about service provision.
• Maintaining copies of all appropriate documents, forms and other data in client case file.
• Requesting monthly RCA cash assistance and vendor payment checks from the Idaho Office for refugees after reviewing each participant’s ongoing eligibility.
• Coordinating with resettlement team staff to ensure up-to-date information on any changes of case status including employment, loss of employment, SSI benefits, birth of a child, etc. are well documented in the case file and reflected in any required benefit changes.
• Being the primary point of contact with the funder on any questions on how to appropriately apply policy to unique circumstances,
• Participating in meetings, trainings, and workshops as requested and coordinated by the IRC.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Resettlement Manager

Position directly supervises: Interns and volunteers

Indirect Reporting: HQ Resettlement; Funders including ORR and IOR

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree highly desirable or combination of equivalent education and work experience;
• Experience or education in social services, humanitarian relief work, public service or non profit management highly desirable.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Fluency in Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, French, Russian or other refugee / immigrant language frequently used in Boise preferred.
• Flexibility and demonstrated ability to maintain responsibility for multiple tasks in the context of a diverse, fast-paced work environment.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, particularly in cross-cultural contexts.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team.
• Proven experience in data entry systems.
• Highly organized self-starter with proven success managing multiple priorities, making critical decisions and delivering results in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated success achieving goals.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook). Web based database experience, both with data extraction and design, preferred.
• Strategic and creative thinker and problem-solver.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

• Standard office work environment.
• Travel in and around the service delivery area to facilitate service delivery.
• Access to a reliable vehicle and valid auto insurance to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area.
• Hours outside of typical office hours required at times.

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.