The Immigrant Welcome Centre is accepting applications for a full-time Settlement Practitioner in our Courtenay office location.
Who we are…
The Immigrant Welcome Centre specializes in immigration and support services to newcomers who are settling in Campbell River, Comox Valley, and the North Island. Also known as the Multicultural and Immigrant Services Association of North Vancouver Island (MISA), we are a registered non-profit organization established in Campbell River in 1992.
As an award-winning organization, The Immigrant Welcome Centre is a respected leader in immigrant services and an active proponent for the sector. By fostering strategic partnerships and working to create welcoming, inclusive communities that attract and retain newcomers, we are an effective business partner in the communities we serve.
Who you are…
As a professional you pride yourself on the following attributes:
• You genuinely enjoy working with a diverse range of clients.
• You are easily able to engage clients and keep them engaged through your work with them.
• You have an energetic and positive approach to your work.
• You have strong computer and documentation skills.
• You are self-directed and have excellent organizational and critical thinking skills.
• You genuinely enjoy building and maintaining collaborative relationships at all levels.
• You are excited about working collaboratively to achieve results with focus and flexibility.
The position…
JOB TITLE: Settlement Practitioner
LOCATION: Courtenay
REPORTS TO: Settlement Coordinator
WORKING HOURS: Full-time, 35 hours/week
COMPENSATION:
Based on MISA Wage Grid, Level 5, $24.72-$28.48 (+ Employer paid Comprehensive Health Benefits Plan and an employer paid RRSP contribution, no matching required. This is provided upon successful completion of 6-month probation.)
POSITION SUMMARY: The Settlement Practitioner provides direct settlement services to immigrants and assistance with the social programs offered in Courtenay. Working as part of a team, the Settlement Practitioner assists immigrants with their settlement and adaptation process through comprehensive needs assessment, flexible service delivery (individual and in-group sessions) resource provision and supportive referrals. Additionally, the Settlement Practitioner provides information and resources to non-settlement agency staff to
help them understand the needs of immigrants and particular culture groups. They are responsible for providing input in agency program planning related to needs of clients, maintaining knowledge of immigration policy and updates on federal information on service delivery and ensuring reporting is up to date
CORE COMPETENCIES
• Thoroughness
• Personal Credibility
• Customer Orientation
• Empowering Others
• Technical Expertise
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Orientation Information
• Intake and determine client eligibility in collaboration with the Intake Worker.
• Assist clients to identify/ assess needs, barriers, relevant services and options.
• Assist clients to set goals, priorities and develop realistic plans toward settlement and adaptation.
• Identify appropriate services and resources relevant to needs.
• Provide clients with an overview of Canadian society and their rights and obligations.
• Provide clients with introductory and/or basic information on norms, services, and systems.
• Orient service providers presenting to clients on language and cultural barriers.
• Assist in maintaining a comprehensive library of information pamphlets, booklets and videos in various languages.
• Provide timely monthly reports and accurate client data entry/record keeping
Assisted Access to Services
• Provide clients and their families with detailed information, and/or guidance to navigate through specific government processes.
• Introduce clients to relevant services and/or resources within the broader community that relates to their identified needs.
• Identify barriers to accessing broader community services and assist to schedule appointments, prepare brief correspondences, and provide
interpretation and translation support.
• Provide cross-cultural orientation to clients and community service providers while clients access service.
Counseling Services
• Provide clients and their families with support to deal with family and cultural adjustment issues.
• Provide support to access services if professional counseling is required.
Outreach and Networking
• Develop, maintain and share community contacts.
• Promote the Association’s programs and services through contact with newcomers and ethnic communities.
• Jointly meet with community service providers to address service gaps and accessibility issues related to particular client groups.
• Orientate community service providers to the needs of particular client groups and IWC programs and services.
• Provide Settlement brochure and IWC service information to community partners.
• Promote IWC’s social programs with clients and community partners.
• Assist with increasing client participation in IWC’s social programs
Record Keeping & Service Support
• Maintain confidential records of contacts with clients. Enter client information into OCMS/iCare and other relevant database(s).
• Ensure the recording of statistics for all services provided.
• Participate in program evaluation and assist your direct supervisor to respond to evaluation results.
• Submit monthly progress reports.
• Write client success stories for reporting and marketing purposes.
• Write anecdotal for provincial and federal reports.
• Proposal writing for public and private sponsors.
• Attend staff meetings and organizational planning and development sessions as requested.
• Maintain a current knowledge of trends in the field and enhance existing skills through professional development.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• Post secondary training in business, administration, community development, or equivalent combination of education and experience in or
outside Canada.
• Fluency in English. Fluency in other language(s) is an asset.
• Be able to work flexible hours to accommodate sessions and meetings outside of typical office hours, and emergency situations. This may include out-of-town regional and provincial meetings.
• Worker must have a valid BC driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Worker must have a satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record check.
• The worker must follow the code of ethics and mission statement of MISA.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience
• Experience working with immigrants and/or visible minorities, knowledge of the impact of immigration.
• Resilience along with the ability to assess situations.
• Strong organizational, time management and leadership skills.
• Knowledge of community resources and experience working with community agencies.
• Knowledge and experience maintaining confidentiality, appropriate boundaries with other staff and clients in a professionally assertive
manner.
• Demonstrated ability to be creative, flexible, open-minded and work on a team.
• Demonstrated ability to be self-directed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs.
• Experience working with volunteers.
This position description is meant to be thorough, but it is not exhaustive.
Therefore, other duties and responsibilities will be assigned from time to time.
Additionally, It will be required, at times, to work outside normal working hours and / or outside the organization’s facilities depending on the schedule of workshops, activities and events.
How to apply…
Applications must include a cover letter and resume detailing how you meet the requirements of this position and why you want to join the Immigrant Welcome Centre team. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Please submit applications to deborah.hall@immigrantwelcome.ca by 9:00 a.m. on March 16, 2023.
Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Please note we do not accept phone calls and only those candidates that are chosen to move on in the hiring process will be contacted. Good Luck!
