Director of Community Access and Integration - Memphis, TN
Advocates for Immigrant Rights is seeking someone to fill the role of Community Access and Integration Program Director as soon as possible.
The mission of Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) is to fight for the dignity, safety, and inclusion of immigrants in the United States, especially those most marginalized, through legal representation and advocacy. We represent people living across the region in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and those who are detained in Louisiana.
DESCRIPTION: This full-time, in-person position based out of our office in Memphis, TN will Direct the Community Access and Integration Program (CAIP), which supports clients of Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) through case management, service referrals, educational programming, community outreach and advocacy. The program also ensures that AIR legal staff have training and support to provide trauma informed representation with cultural humility. This position is under the direct supervision of AIR’s Executive Director.
JOB SUMMARY/GENERAL PURPOSE
The role of this position is to oversee the Community Access and Integration Program, direct program strategy; supervise Client Advocates; oversee day-to-day operations, including grant management, evaluation and reporting; liaise with community partners, stakeholdings, and funders; carry a very limited caseload; and participate on AIR’s Leadership Team to carry out the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES/JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director of Community Access and Integration is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Community Access and Integration Program, providing leadership and strategic guidance. To stay connected to the work, they maintain a very limited caseload of clients.
Program Leadership
Serve as a leader to the team, including facilitating team meetings, nurturing a culture of inclusivity and support, identifying opportunities for professional development. Oversee reporting requirements for grants and funders. Serve as a communicator and bridge between the programs, identify and support related funding efforts. Guide and strengthen systems-building within and among programs. Ensure compliance with all relevant policies and procedures.
Staff Supervision
Directly supervise Client Advocate Interns (liaising with university social work programs to recruit, identifying support needs, training, reviewing work product, providing guidance on case management, and conducting annual reviews), and provide mentorship and case and clinical supervision. Provide effective oversight of social work practice and program obligations.
Partnerships and External Relations
Serve as a public-facing representative on behalf of AIR’s Community Access and Integration Program, building and nurturing relationships with community partners, funders, and community collaborators and stakeholders. Support advocacy efforts and outreach as needed. Engage in outreach and identify opportunities for educational programming and oversee communications to community members.
Client Case Management and Oversight
Carry a very limited caseload, with a primary focus on being available to provide support to social workers and collaborating with attorneys. In collaboration with other members of the CAIP, gather, synthesize, and report program data in compliance with rigorous grant evaluation requirements. As needed, support clients’ legal cases by drafting personal declarations, arranging forensic health evaluations, communicating with family and other support networks, and attending court hearings.
Organizational Contributions
Participate in AIR’s leadership team and other committees, as needed. Work within AIR’s mission, values and organizational commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Serve as a liaison between CAIP team members and leadership team and represent AIR in media and communications where appropriate.
REQUIRED EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE
English and Spanish fluency are highly preferred, both oral and written.
Master’s level degree in Social Work from an accredited program with at least two years of practical experience
Ability to pass required background checks
Access to reliable personal transportation
Ideal Candidate Profile
AIR is seeking candidates who possess a majority of the following qualities and experiences:
● Interdisciplinary social work experience: To be successful within a primarily legal services setting, the ideal candidate loves working across disciplines, and has direct social work experience with diverse populations, such as people experiencing stress and instability because of housing instability, immigration, mental health and medical needs, and criminal legal and family policing systems.
● A love of managing staff: This person has several years of management experience and truly enjoys helping their team members grow and develop. They have demonstrated skills with self-awareness and personal and professional growth, direct communication and feedback, empathy and active listening, coaching staff to solve problems, and expertise in time and case management. Additionally, this is someone who has knowledge of the specific well-being needs of the social work profession, including addressing vicarious trauma and burnout.
● Education and collaboration: This is someone who understands how to educate and train others on the value and process of social work, ideally including previous experience collaborating with attorneys. This person is both flexible and direct and naturally gains the trust of others. They know how to engage people’s strengths toward a goal and to give clear action steps and coaching so they can collaborate effectively.
● Passion for social justice and immigration issues in the U.S.: Ideally, this person possesses some work or lived experience in the immigration space, but at a minimum, has been paying attention to the issues over the last few years, and is fired up to create change that is responsive to the needs of our clients, and is eager to learn about the legal processes and structures that impact individual case outcomes.
● Strategic thinking and thought leadership: The ideal candidate has some experience zooming out from day-to-day case management to see patterns and systemic issues and is creative in imagining ways to address structural problems, especially in collaboration with partners. This is someone who knows how to foster relationships with allies across the region to accomplish more together.
● Systems-thinker about client case management: Through their previous social work experience, this person has demonstrated a hunger to be organized, efficient, and effective in juggling multiple clients’ cases and demands, and has developed or strengthened systems that balance details and the big picture. This person can handle multiple tasks running in parallel and can triage to help the team meet time-sensitive deadlines while working toward larger goals.
● Demonstrated commitment to antiracism, and a track record of promoting equity, justice, and inclusion in previous organizations, both internally and externally. This person has shown cultural humility working with people with diverse identities and experiences, including experiences with legal and other systems of oppression.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this position starts at $70,000. Advocates for Immigrant Rights provides generous paid time off, subsidized health insurance, and matches up to 3.5% of individual contributions to a Simple IRA. Sixty-day sabbatical after five years of employment.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled; applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
To apply, please send a cover letter explaining why you are interested in the position and resume with three references (name, position, phone number and email address) to the admin@airlegal.org with the subject line “Application for CAIP Director”.
Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) is an equal opportunity employer. AIR strongly encourages asylum seekers, immigrants, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC), Latinx people, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, women, first-generation college students/professionals, and all marginalized individuals to apply, and recognizes the unique and valuable skills that such applicants can bring to this work.