Position: Social Worker
Organization: Oasis Legal Services
Start Date: February 2021
The Organization
Oasis Legal Services is a non-profit legal services organization based in Berkeley, California. We proudly provide quality legal immigration services to under-represented low-income groups with a focus on LGBTQIA+ communities. Founded in May 2017, Oasis is now one of the country’s largest providers of immigration services to the LGBTQIA+ community and serves over 500 clients a year. We specialize in affirmative asylum cases as well as legal permanent residency, citizenship, and family petition applications. In addition to legal services, Oasis provides individualized case management for at risk clients.
The Position
Oasis is seeking a full time Social Worker to work alongside our legal team in providing holistic support to individuals throughout their immigration case. The position requires a strong advocate with experience in case management and solid organizational skills, a willingness to work collaboratively across legal and social work disciplines, and an interest in cultivating the next generation of social workers. This position reports directly to our Legal Director with additional support from an experienced social worker advisor. Key components of the position would include:
● Educating clients about employment rights, housing access, and public benefits
● Assisting clients in applying for social security numbers and applicable benefits
● Connecting clients to programs for asylees, mental health services, affordable healthcare, HIV treatment, emergency housing, cash assistance, job training, legal name and gender change assistance, and representation for employment discrimination
● Recruitment and supervision of social work interns
The Social Worker would also be expected to create and foster connections with a coalition of LGBTQ+-sensitive service providers and facilitate successful referrals to services critical to client well- being.
Primary Responsibilities:
● Work collaboratively with attorneys and staff
● Connect clients with appropriate social services and support
● Develop relationships with local social service providers and agencies
● Support clients in identifying their needs, setting goals, and developing a structured plan for achieving those goals
● Advocate for clients in non-legal settings (i.e., social service and social security offices, community-based organizations, local housing authorities)
● Provide training to legal team
● Supervise MSW interns
● Complete administrative tasks, such as those related to grant management, reporting, and client case management
● Participate in professional development to improve client services and student supervision
● Additional tasks as assigned by the Legal Director.
Required Qualifications:
● MSW from an accredited school of social work
● Fluency in English and Spanish
● Commitment to providing services with cultural understanding and sensitivity
● Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize workload in a fast-paced environment
● Ability to primarily work from home during the COVID crisis with the option to come into the office one-day-per-week as needed, and subsequently to work onsite in our Berkeley office once the COVID crisis is over.
Desired Qualifications:
● Experience serving vulnerable communities, including survivors of sexual abuse, domestic/intimate partner violence, and other forms of trauma
● Ability to work collaboratively with coworkers, other nonprofits and advocacy groups, social services providers, government actors, and other stakeholders
● Experience working with members of the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities
● Commitment to working in an interdisciplinary setting or experience working collaboratively with attorneys
● Experience with or interest in MSW intern supervision
● Experience with MS Office applications, including Excel and Word
● Excellent oral and written communication skills
● Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team
● Fluency in Portuguese
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range $62,000 – 70,000 depending on experience, plus medical, dental, and vision coverage. Generous vacation and holiday package. Professional development support includes membership in the relevant local, statewide and/or national associations, attendance at relevant conferences, as determined by Oasis’ professional development policy and budget.
How to Apply
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Submit via email only: 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) a list of three professional references to caroline.roberts@oasislegalservices.org. Place these words in the subject line: “Social Worker Position”
We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities, especially the LGBTQIA+ and Latinx communities, to apply. Oasis Legal Services does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal justice system, or any other basis prohibited by law.