Community Outreach Worker at HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

Reporting to: Counselling Psychologist/Field Office Manager

Duration:       1 Year Contract with possibility of renewal subject to availability of funding and performance

HIAS works with   communities’ natural systems in order to optimize support for Persons of Specific Needs. This approach enables HIAS to meet the safety, psychosocial, economic, and justice needs of PSNs; facilitate their access to appropriate care. HIAS seeks to recruit a Community Outreach Worker who will be required to identify the most at risk and vulnerable refugees and provide them with necessary information as needed and link them with opportunities for psychosocial assessment and vulnerability assessment preceding appropriate intervention.

The incumbent will perform the following duties & have the following responsibilities:

• Identification of the most vulnerable refugees in the community in need of protection and psychosocial support (including counselling, food assistance, protection concerns, financial assistance, medical assistance etc.)
• Participation in community awareness and information dissemination to members of the community.
• Assisting in referral vulnerable refugees in the community to partner agencies for appropriate intervention.
• Provide support to caseworkers in the follow up and tracking of individual cases and updating the status accordingly.
• Assist in the provision of direct assistance to refugees in the community.
• Assist with translation for refugees in the community during assessments, home visits, counseling sessions and other activities as may be required.
• Assist in the mobilization of community members for support groups, community forums and sensitization campaigns within the communities.
• Accompany case workers for home visits, conduct individual visits and follow-ups and provide feedback reports to the case workers.
• Provide weekly and monthly quantitative and qualitative reports to counseling psychologist highlighting individual performance, progress against targets and client needs and outcomes of assistance provided.
• Attend regular staff meetings, monthly debriefings, trainings and other meetings as required and ensure regular personal development and supervision.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills & Competencies

• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• Should be well integrated to the dynamics and needs of members of the refugee community within their areas.
• Good working knowledge of the community needs and gaps
• Ability to work with members of the community with little or no supervision
• Computer literacy
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Counselling skills
• Strong training skills in community development and working with PSN will be an added advantage.

Experience

• No less than two years work experience, including at least 1 year working with the refugee community, preferably with an NGO.
• Experience in the field of refugee protection and assistance is a distinct advantage.

Language

Profiency in English or Swahili and either Kinyamlenge, Kirundi, French or Kinyarwanda or any other major language spoken within these refugee communities.