Internship: Women's Empowerment Mentor Coordinator

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Refugee & Immigrant Community Services (RICS) partners with refugees, asylees, immigrants and survivors of trafficking to address their needs by connecting them to their new community, providing education and employment services and the help they need to succeed in their new country. Each year, RICS resettles over 400 individuals from places like Afghanistan, Burma, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

All of our internships require a minimum commitment of 16 hours per week, and we can accommodate up to 40 hours per week. Most of our services take place during our office hours of 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, but some program activities, such as match meetings or home visits take place beyond regular business hours. We are actively recruiting interns who want to gain valuable experience by assisting the Women's Empowerment Program (WEP).

The Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) facilitates mentoring partnerships between interested refugee women and trained volunteer women. The mentor’s main responsibility is to understand the participant’s desires and needs for the relationship. Mentors work to provide social support through the development of a partnership and use "strengths-based" practices to encourage the participant in a positive resettlement process. This can be done through various activities, but the program most often sees English tutoring and social outings as the mentee’s preferred method for relationship development and support.

Intern Responsibilities include:

• Participant Intakes: Consist of an English assessment, Isolation assessment, personality interview and questions about mentor preferences.
• Home Visits: Complete monthly check-ins with participants who have been matched with mentors. Interns are required to travel to West Ridge, Rogers Park, and Evanston to visit participants in their homes.
• Provide assistance to volunteers as-needed (resource acquisition, support, and guidance).
• Match Meetings: Identify appropriate mentor for each participant and coordinate initial match meeting.
• Reliability, punctuality, and organization is important.
• Uses knowledge of trauma-informed, strengths-based, and person-centered practices when engaging with participants.
• Case Consultation: discuss any case concerns or issues that arise with appropriate staff member and use a collaborative effort in supporting participant
• Program development: Identifying need within the program and expanding services as is appropriate.
• Practice cultural awareness while interacting with participants.
• Accurately maintain paperwork and case notes.

Desired Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of trauma-informed care, person-centered practices, and harm-reduction.
• Experience with a diverse population, cultural awareness, and a general understanding of barriers that affect refugee communities.
• Bilingual is helpful, but not mandatory.