Spring 2025 Community Services & Resettlement Intern IINE Lowell The International Institute of New England is a 501c3 non profit serving refugees and immigrants in Boston MA Lowell MA and Manchester NH The Institute offers internships to students graduate students and recent graduates with demonstrated interest or experience in supporting refugee asylee and immigrant populations Each internship includes an educational component through which interns contextualize their experience and reflect on their service All internships are unpaid and correspond roughly with the US semester system Spring Internship January through mid May 2025 Applications requested by November 29th considered thereafter until positions are filled First consideration is given to applicants that can commit at least 16 hours per week over the course of the semester outlined above Applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of whether their schedule fits the semester system; IINE makes exceptions on a case by case basis Slots fill quickly and candidates are encouraged to apply earlier than the requested date above Please note that this internship will be a hybrid format meaning that some in person hours at our Lowell MA office are required Community Services and Resettlement Internship Overview The Community Services team provides case management and other services to newly arrived refugees asylees and other clients for up to one year after arrival During this time staff coordinate the arrival integration and social services of refugees asylees Haitian entrants and other clients after their arrival in the United States Interns assist the Case Specialists by checking in with clients by phone helping clients access local transportation and other public services supporting families to enroll their children in school and ensuring clients understand available resources through cultural orientation workshops Reports To Community Services Manager Location Lowell MA hybrid format Key Responsibilities Assist staff with case management includingapplying for temporary financial assistanceadvocating for health and social servicessearching for available housingaccompanying clients to the Department of Transitional Assistance health clinics Social Security office etchelping to coordinate referrals to a wide variety of social servicesHelp clients identify and find community amenities laundromat grocery storyManage and update client records including case notes and case filesProvide general administrative assistance to the Community Services team Qualifications Interest in international refugee asylee andor immigrant issuesPatience speaking with non native English speakersnon English speakersProfessionalism discretion and maturity in dealing with confidential informationExperience interacting with social welfare agencies highly desirableExperience advocating on behalf of othersLanguage skills in Arabic French Spanish Dari Pashto Swahili Kinyarwanda Haitian Creole or Somali highly desirableExcellent oral and written communication skillsHighly organized with great attention to detailProficiency in Microsoft Word Excel Outlook and PowerPoint Learning Objectives Recognize common challenges faced by immigrant and refugee populationsDevelop strong advocacy and interpersonal skills particularly for use in a cross cultural cross linguistic environmentIdentify best practices associated with case management and how to effectively conduct client meetings and make community referralsCapture important information from meetings and check ins in concise case notes and via other forms of documentationIdentify and access community resources and services particularly those that cater to the needs of refugees and immigrantsUnderstand the US Refugee Resettlement program as well as what part the US Refugee Admissions Program and resettlement agencies like the International Institute of New England play in receiving and integrating refugeesRespectfully express and engage with ideas and values in a multicultural multilingual environment
Recommended Skills
- Case Management
- Communication
- Diversity Awareness
- Finance
- Interpersonal Skills
- Microsoft Word