CLINICIAN/ COORDINATOR Survivors of Torture Program
International Institute of Connecticut, Inc.
Bridgeport, CT 06605
203-336-0141
Email resume & cover letter to Angela at azurowski@iiconn.org
Website: www.iiconn.org
Reports to: Director of Victim & Human Trafficking Services
Effective Date: December 2012
Location: Bridgeport, CT with some travel
Employment Status: Exempt/Full Time
Salary Range: $36,000 - $38,000
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION
The International Institute of Connecticut (the Institute), founded in 1918, is a statewide nonprofit human service agency that provides new immigrants and refugees in Connecticut with services to help them become self-sufficient, integrated and contributing members of the community. The organization focuses on helping those individuals who face significant barriers to adjusting to their new environment, and offers legal, social, and educational programs to help them overcome these obstacles. The Institute provides special services to victims of serious crimes such as human trafficking, torture, and domestic violence. Each year, the Institute assists over 7000 individuals from its offices in Bridgeport, Stamford, Derby, and Hartford.
GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
With the victim services team, provide assistance to survivors of torture and their families in need of social services. The Survivors of Torture program is a new program and this position will present an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to develop a new community program while providing meaningful assistance to a vulnerable population.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (The examples of functions are not necessarily exhaustive. Management is not precluded from assigning other related functions not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment for the position.)
- I. Clinical Practice
- a. Conduct intake and ascertain program eligibility
- b. Crisis intervention and short term therapy (1-3 sessions)
- c. Make referrals for ongoing mental health, ensure seamless transition
- d. Draft affidavits for asylum applications
- II. Case Management
- a. Collaborate with case management and employment staff to ensure holistic service delivery.
- III. Program Management
- a. Develop and execute program action plan to meet outcomes and deliverables of grant request
- b. Participate in regular meetings with program staff
- c. Coordinate activities of program staff and volunteers/interns.
- d. Develop program materials, including forms, policies, and reporting mechanisms.
- IV. Quality Improvement
- a. Ensure compliance with federal contract, including data tracking, case file documentation, reporting, etc.
- V. Coalition Building & Client Advocacy
- a. Oversee the development of the Connecticut Survivors of Torture Collaborative, led by the International Institute of Connecticut and to be comprised by members of the mental health, medical care, housing, employment, and social service communities. Empower members to address the unique needs of torture survivors and encourage collaboration to ensure seamless, holistic service delivery.
- b. Develop a Pro Bono Counseling Network, comprised of volunteer clinicians and therapists interested in working with refugees, asylees, and other survivors of torture.
- c. Work directly with partner nonprofits, with special emphasis on community mental health providers, to ensure services are delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.
- VI. Education & Outreach
- a. Engage in broad outreach to educate service providers and the community at large about the effects of torture and the unique needs of survivors.
- b. Develop program materials, including traditional and new forms of media
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Strong commitment to the mission of the International Institute of Connecticut
• LCSW or MSW
• 1-3 years' experience with similar populations, working in a clinical setting, or with program administration.
• Posses excellent communication, problem solving and organizational skills
• Must have reliable car, valid Connecticut Driver's license and adequate auto insurance
• Experience and competence working with diverse populations and languages; facility with one or more language other than English is a plus. French a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and databases
OTHER INFORMATION – See Program Synopsis
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Connecticut Survivors of Torture Program Synopsis
International Institute of Connecticut, Inc. (IICT) is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded a federal grant from the Department of Health & Human Services/Office of Refugee Resettlement to develop a statewide Connecticut Torture Survivor Collaborative (CTSC) and to expand current services to address considerable gaps in services for survivors of torture in Connecticut. CTSC is premised on two principles: 1). survivors must overcome physical, psychological and emotional scarring that with the right services when needed, will not only continue to survive torture's lasting impact, but will also thrive as contributing community members and 2). services to survivors need to be individualized and delivered regardless of the door the survivors first enter, of their community, and of their need; thus, CTSC must have multiple points of entry, be statewide, and must be delivered by a collaborative of agencies. CTSC will be led by IICT, joined by a lead subcontractor and mental health provider, FSW of Bridgeport, CT.
IICT reviewed files of recently resettled refugees, asylum applications, demographic data of foreign born reflecting their country of origin, and applications for trafficking visas, to estimate that there are easily over 2,000 eligible survivors in the state. CTSC proposes to conduct outreach to health and services agencies, assess asylum applicants seeking legal aid, assist refugees, and thoroughly train first responders in order to identify and serve at least 100 persons per year.
CTSC will fill critical health, economic, social, mental health, institutional, and structural gaps for serving survivors well in Connecticut. Although the IICT and its key partners offer a wide range of programming, the services are limited by resources, targeted to broader populations, or are so inflexible as to prevent individualized planning for services to survivors. As a result, CTSC will address: a lack of trauma-focused health care geared toward the victims of torture; insufficient low-cost immigration assistance and immigration court representation for asylum applicants; and inadequate coordination and informed understanding among service providers for torture survivors. CTSC will offer clients a menu of programs designed to treat their individual needs and goals as identified by the survivor.
Early intervention focused on tackling social and legal needs will then be followed, as appropriate, by specialized psychological counseling, or neurological treatment. This service delivery model adheres to the assumption that an array of post-migration stressors, e.g. immigration status insecurities, inability to work, food and housing insecurities, lead to increased emotional and psychological distress. By addressing the social and legal needs first, CTSC will be able to engage the survivor to treat the psychological and other health stressors related to torture-based trauma. Expected outcomes will include 70% of survivors with improved health, 65% gaining employment, and 90% gaining stability. Improved access to legal assistance for immigration advice and representation is also a key outcome.
CTSC will pilot this program in Greater Bridgeport and will later create a statewide infrastructure to adequately address the needs of survivors, to advocate for services, and to integrate service delivery to survivors into mainstream funding including Medicaid expansion under healthcare reform. CTSC's multidisciplinary, collaborative approach will ensure that the needs of survivors are met and that survivors are empowered to stabilize and then improve their quality of life. IICT projects that during the three year project period, 300 survivors of torture will be served by CTSC.
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