Resource Specialist

Position Title: Resource Specialist

Program: Immigration Legal Services

Reports To: Program Director

Works with: Immigration Legal Services Team

Status: Full-time (1.0 FTE)

Location: Concord

How to Apply

Please complete an application including a cover letter and resume though the JFCS East Bay Career Center by clicking on the link or going to our website. If using an external site to apply, please ensure you submit a cover letter with your resume. You may need to submit your cover letter and resume as one document if the site only allows for one upload.

Our Agency

Ready to transform life in the East Bay and build capacity for our growing nonprofit to meet the new demands our communities face today? Become a Resource Specialist in Jewish Family & Community Services (JFCS) East Bay’s Immigration Legal Services program. We are ready to welcome a creative, compassionate person to support our clients as a Resource Specialist.

JFCS East Bay partners with our clients, staff, and community to pursue justice, promote healing, and advocate for meaningful change. We are an innovative social service agency and community-based organization that has served individuals and families throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties since 1877. We reunite and strengthen families, care for the mental and physical health needs of people impacted by trauma, support healthy relationships between young children and their caregivers, provide legal representation to immigrants, and resettle refugees who seek to start their lives anew. We advocate for housing justice, mobilize community resources, and build bridges across our diverse East Bay to support our clients in meeting their goals and strengthen our community overall.

Our staff of almost 70 employees is characterized by its dedication, teamwork, warmth, and humor. JFCS East Bay actively seeks to hire a dynamic lawyer who reflects the cultural and linguistic diversity of the East Bay and of our clients. If you are deeply committed to developing authentic relationships with clients and colleagues, thinking creatively about legal strategies, and advocating for justice for our Contra Costa County clients, this is the role for you. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, multilingual, mature or differently abled candidates, and people of all faiths or none at all are encouraged to apply

Program Description

The overall goal of JFCS East Bay’s Immigration Legal Services (ILS) program is to empower low-income immigrant families by providing accessible legal representation so that they understand their rights in order to safely pursue available legal options. These services include legal consultations, removal defense, affirmative applications filed with the USCIS (including U-visas, adjustment of status, VAWA petitions, and more), and federal court litigation (such as Administrative Procedure Act lawsuits, petitions for mandamus, Circuit Court appeals). Additionally, the ILS department has a full-time psychologist on staff that provides therapy as well as forensic evaluations for ILS clients. Our Removal Defense team participates in the Stand Together Contra Costa (STCC) collaborative.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the ILS Director, the Resource Specialist will work within our legal department to expansively identify ways to meet the needs of clients which extend beyond their legal cases. Mobilizing community resources and building bridges, the Resource Specialist will strategize with key partners to help connect our ILS clients to wraparound services. The Resource Specialist will build relationships and forge partnerships with other nonprofits and social service providers to facilitate smooth client referrals. This role provides the opportunity to compassionately support clients in urgent need and facilitate the work of the ILS program as a whole, while supporting the JFCS East Bay mission to help our clients thrive. The Resource Specialist position will be based in JFCS East Bay’s Concord office, but may require travel within the East Bay.

Essential Job Duties

• Cultivate relationships with local social services organizations to help the ILS team make intelligent, informed referrals for our clients.
• Develop, maintain and update staff resources such as referral sheets for social service providers in the East Bay.
• Liaise with the JFCS East Bay Volunteer Services department (“VS”) and other local social service agencies on behalf of Immigration Legal Services staff to streamline requests for social-emotional, psychological, logistical, and other extra-legal support for ILS clients..
• Collaborate with the VS department to identify areas of need and cultivate community engagement to support clients.
• Provide periodic trainings and updates to ILS staff regarding available resources.
• Field client calls related to non-legal needs and connect with services including housing, food, medical, education, and community support. Triage urgent client needs for immediate referrals. Build relationships and trust with clients.
• Provide direct services by meeting with clients, gathering information and documents, and creating a service plan and follow-up plan. Communicate service plan and any follow-up plans to attorneys and other necessary team members to ensure that trauma-informed care is provided effectively.
• Participate in community workshops, outreach events, and know-your-rights presentations.
• Represent JFCS East Bay at community meetings and forums about immigration legal services.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client information in the database.
• Assist with other legal or administrative duties.

Required Qualifications

• Spanish fluency.
• Ability to implement trauma-informed care to refugee and immigrant populations.
• Professional level skills using Word, Excel, and other relevant computer programs.
• Ability to work independently, multitask, take initiative, and effectively strategize to further the mission of JFCS East Bay.
• Experience and interest in working with ethnically diverse and multilingual populations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including written and verbal.
• Strong ability to work independently and with other team members.
• Ability to effectively work with refugee and immigrant populations, including understanding needs and barriers to accessing services.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and/or cases with a high degree of attention to detail.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a behavioral science, human or social services field.
• Case management experience, preferably in a human service related non-profit or social services agency that works with underserved communities, and/or in a refugee resettlement agency.
• Familiarity with East Bay agencies and nonprofit organizations which provide social service, psychological support, housing assistance, domestic violence protections, etc.
• Working knowledge of public benefits, safety net programs, and regional partners who administer services for refugee & immigrant populations/new arrivals.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range: $25-$32/hour, depending on experience.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance.
• FSA/HSA plans.
• 401(k) with employer match after one year.
• 28 days off per year + generous holiday schedules.
• Great colleagues.
• Friendly, respectful work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

JFCS East Bay is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ae (40 or older), ancestry, color, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), denial of family and medical care leave, disability (mental and physical), including HIV and AIDS, marital status, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, military and veteran status, national origin (including language use restrictions), race, sex (including pregnancy, child birth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, child birth or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.