Senior Social Services Coordinator, New York, NY

About KIND 

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety. 

Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.

Position Summary:

KIND seeks a Senior Social Services Coordinator to work with KIND’s child clients and their families to identify needs and gaps in services, assist families in accessing services related to education, health, mental health, housing, mediation, and childcare and provide leadership in establishing and sustaining relationships with local and state social services partners. In this position, the selected candidate will be expected to regularly commute to work with clients in Long Island. 

This position is contingent upon continued funding.

• Develops and maintains a knowledge base of social services available to clients in assigned work areas.
• Leads outreach efforts to establish strategic working relationships and partnerships/coalitions with local providers in each service area to enhance the referral process.
• Completes case management activities for referred clients inclusive of assessments, comprehensive service plan, referrals to services, monitoring and follow-up, and client/caregiver engagement ensuring appropriate tracking of appropriate documentation. regarding attempts to access services and service delivery.
• Contributes to completion of data/metrics reports for internal and external program requirements inclusive of client data, outreaches, and other program outcomes. 
• Leads and guides in client therapeutic support and crisis management as assigned or necessary. 
• Supervise MSW placement interns as required by program agreement. 
• Leads design, planning and monitoring of in-house therapeutic events, resource fairs, and preventive programming. 
• Supports hiring, onboarding, training, and mentoring of new staff inclusive of foundational training areas and in concert with hiring manager/supervisor
• On occasion, if needed, assist KIND Legal Staff in conducting “Know Your Rights” presentations and screenings of children who have recently entered the ORR facility
• Supports with termed special projects related to the delivery of services to children as assigned.
• Communicates and collaborates with ORR facility staff to create post-18 plans for detained children approaching 18 years of age and post-release plans for detained children under 18 years of age who have obtained immigration status.
• Supports development of best practices, protocols, and provides training on relevant topics for the detained setting and KIND staff.
• Supervises general interns and volunteers.
• Other duties as assigned. 

• Graduate degree in Social Work or related field, preferably in counseling, or related specialty or 6 years of works experience. MSW (Master of Social Degree) preferred. 
• Must be fluent in English and Spanish (required for direct communication with the children we serve and their caregivers, the majority of whom are Spanish-speaking). 
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with children including early childhood/intervention for tender ages (0-8), preferably unaccompanied minors, immigrant and refugee children, or experience working with survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in social services or non-profit organizations; community organizing, or grassroots and partnership development experience preferred.
• Direct experience or strong familiarity with case management frameworks. 
• Strong communication skills.
• Experience working with teams of social service providers and advocating on behalf of clients, including attorneys, law firms, or other legal services providers.
• Ability to verbalize and implement therapeutic-focused strategies for children/families.
• Ability to effectively conduct training in person and virtually, including attorney training and presentations for child clients.
• Familiarity or ability to work with  caretakers, or training in trauma-informed parenting.
• Ability to manage, create and oversee various events to bring resources and services to child clients.
• Ability to network with local coalitions to establish strong relationships to allow for cross-referrals.
• Ability to travel as assigned.
• Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (such as Teams, Excel, etc.).
• Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate.
• Ability to multitask and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance. 
• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment preferred but not required.

Our Benefits

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the three medical plan options, dental, and vision. 

- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care.  

- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account.  

- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.  

- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.  

For a complete list of benefits, please click here. 

Our Focus on Wellness

KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities. 

For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.  

Application Instructions

To be considered for this role, please submit an employment application at supportkind.org/join-the-team, along with your resume and cover letter.

Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.