About KIND:

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety. KIND has provided nearly 18,000 children with high quality representation in their immigration proceedings by training more than 41,000 attorneys and legal staff and cultivating partnerships with over 600 law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations across the country.

KIND’s social services program ensures that migrant and refugee children – who have often endured trauma – receive counseling, educational support, medical care and other comprehensive services.

To address the root causes of child migration from Central America and strengthen protection of unaccompanied children, KIND advocates for policy changes and educates lawmakers, the media, and the broader public on the conditions that drive these children to flee their home countries. KIND supports children returning to their home countries by connecting them to essential support services and sponsors gender-based violence prevention programs in Central America to protect children in countries of origin and transit.

KIND is also building upon its expertise in the protection of unaccompanied children to encourage the development of pro bono initiatives across Europe in partnership with European NGOs.

Position Summary:

KIND seeks a 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 child care and provide leadership in establishing and sustaining relationships with local and state social services partners. The Social Services Coordinator will work with clients living in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. The Social Services Coordinator will work with clients who are represented by KIND attorneys as well as KIND’s network of pro bono attorneys; as such, the Social Service Coordinator’s work will involve communicating with attorneys in a wide variety of settings.  The ideal candidate will have experience working with and within immigrant communities in the US, will have substantive knowledge of the challenges and limitations in accessing public services. In addition to strong linguistic competency and fluency in Spanish and/or other languages, the Social Services Coordinator will have a high level of intercultural responsiveness, sensitivity and awareness; trauma-informed and cross-cultural communication skills.  

Essential Functions:

• Develop and maintain a knowledge base of social services available to clients in assigned work areas and make available for KIND legal staff for access;
• Develop relationships with community coalitions in areas of high client concentration;
• Establish working relationships and partnerships with local service providers and administrators in each service area to enhance the referral process;
• Conduct assessments of referred clients, including the larger context in which the child is living, identifying needs, barriers and safety concerns;
• Track and distribute various donations to the office to clients in need;
• Maintain documentation regarding attempts to access services, and service delivery;
• Track and reports client data, outreach actions and outcomes, and general information for program evaluation, performance quality, and development purposes;
• Complete referrals to services, assist families in completing intake requirements for these services and follow up as necessary;
• Assist KIND legal staff on working with families in crisis and transition;
• Coordinate periodic workshops or events designed to benefit or provide education and resources to KIND clients, in partnership with outside organizations or other components across KIND.
• Work with other KIND Social Services Coordinators nationally to develop best practices, protocols, and provide training and support on relevant topics for KIND staff;
• Conduct trainings to support pro bono attorneys;
• Conduct trainings for community social providers;
• Work closely with other legal services providers, law firms, corporations, and law schools in New York to identify and support resource-sharing amongst these partner agencies.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Social Work or advanced degree in social work, counseling, or related specialty plus two years of experience working with children, preferably unaccompanied minors, immigrant and refugee children, or experience working with survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma, preferred;
• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field plus 3 years of relevant work experience in areas of increased responsibility will be considered on a case-by-case basis in lieu of advanced degree;
• Advanced Fluency in English and Spanish, spoken and written;
• Ability to work collaboratively;
• Experience working with attorneys, law firms, or other legal service providers, preferred;
• Strong record of intercultural responsiveness, sensitivity and awareness, and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Experience working with a diverse team of social service providers and advocating on behalf of clients;
• Ability to verbalize and implement therapeutic-focused strategies for children/families;
• Ability to effectively conduct trainings to diverse audiences in person and virtually, including attorney trainings and Know Your Rights presentations for child clients;
• Familiarity or ability to work with adult immigrant caretakers, or training in trauma-informed parenting;
• Manage, create and oversee various events that aim towards bringing resources and services to child clients; and Networking with local coalitions to establish strong relationships to allow for cross referrals;
• Ability to travel as assigned
• Ability to work within an office environment, have regular interaction via telephone, teleconference, IM and email with KIND’s team and have in-person meetings with clients

Application Instructions:

Please be advised that an employment application will need to be submitted along with your resume and cover letter, in order to be considered for the desired role.

KIND has an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to create a work environment where everyone has a sense of belonging. Individuals from historically underrepresented or underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.