Client Benefits Intern

Through this internship, the Client Benefits Intern will gain insight into the resettlement process, will gain experience with public policy in practice, and will support our new neighbors at a critical point in their lives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

•Attend Volunteer/Intern Orientation

•Assist Casework Team and Client Benefits Specialist in maintaining clients’ public benefits

•Liaise with local governments and Departments of Social Services in order to maintain client’s public benefits

•Assist Client Benefits Specialist with data management for public benefits & private partnerships

•Advocate for clients’ needs with benefits program staff and local governments

•Document activities in case files and provide other administrative support as appropriate

•Record hours and submit completed timesheet for each month via the IRC’s online Volunteer Dashboard

BACKGROUND: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a leading, non-sectarian, non-profit organization providing emergency relief, protection, rehabilitation assistance, resettlement services, and advocacy for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. Domestically, our 28 offices across the U.S. ensure new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing, and work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency.

SCOPE OF WORK: Like many of their neighbors in the community, people who are new to the United States often need to access public benefits while they work towards self-sufficiency. The Client Benefits Intern will support the direct service teams (Casework, Employment, Family Wellbeing) in ensuring that clients are able to access and maintain their public benefits, especially SNAP, TANF, RCA, and Medicaid. They will provide services through a strengths-based approach that supports clients in their resettlement journey.

Through this internship, the Client Benefits Intern will gain insight into the resettlement process, will gain experience with public policy in practice, and will support our new neighbors at a critical point in their lives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

•Attend Volunteer/Intern Orientation

•Assist Casework Team and Client Benefits Specialist in maintaining clients’ public benefits

•Liaise with local governments and Departments of Social Services in order to maintain client’s public benefits

•Assist Client Benefits Specialist with data management for public benefits & private partnerships

•Advocate for clients’ needs with benefits program staff and local governments

•Document activities in case files and provide other administrative support as appropriate

•Record hours and submit completed timesheet for each month via the IRC’s online Volunteer Dashboard

Qualifications •Good written and verbal communications skills

•Strong relationship building, diplomacy, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate with people of varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds

•Reliable, responsible, punctual and professional

•Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

•Proficiency in languages spoken by clients (Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Kiswahili, Spanish, French, etc.) is a plus

•Experience with Power Automate or with managing data is a plus

This position is unpaid and reports to the Client Benefits Specialist.

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 or disability.

•Good written and verbal communications skills

•Strong interpersonal skills and able to engage clients in a counseling role

•Reliable, responsible, punctual and professional

•Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

•Comfortable working in a multicultural setting

•Preferred - Fluency in languages spoken by clients (Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Kiswahili, French, etc.)

•Preferred - Experience with Power Automate or in managing data

This position is unpaid and reports to the Client Benefits Specialist.

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 or disability.