case worker

senior caseworker

crisis manager

supervisor

health navigator

International-Rescue-Committee

*You're going to meet some incredible people working here, and that is TRULY the best part of this job and it makes everything else doable. You'll have an amazing support system. Everyone seems to have done something really amazing- like working for the Peace Corps, working for other significant non-profits, having volunteered extensively abroad, or having come from a refugee/migrant background themselves. The clients themselves are also strong and powerful individuals who are rebuilding their lives in a new country. This is the only reason this review is 4 stars.

* No two days are exactly the same, and you'll be challenged with lots of last minute things that come up (whether it's a client need or operational needs) so you'll have to be able to act on a dime.

*Since this is a non-profit, the clients are going to come first 99% of the time. The benefits are pretty good, but when it comes to staff parties, recognition, or taking time to strengthen company culture and coworker relationships (even Zoom hangouts during this working remote period), you can count on that being next to nonexistent other than a pat on the back and a certificate on your work anniversary because funds are tight and everyone has a heavy workload.

*Beware of the line of the job description saying "other duties as assigned." It will be heavily utilized. As soon as you're trained in the responsibilities written in your job description, more will keep getting piled on you- either disguised as being temporary, or a one-time thing, but more often than not will become permanent and/or recurring.

*Infrastructure feels somewhat anchored in the late 1990s (Example: clunky software, using multiple programs for something that could/should be grouped together because it's cheaper, lots of Excel spreadsheets, strict and lengthy hierarchy of protocols)

*There is a lot of starting and stopping. One minute, you'll be assigned something, and it will be TOP priority, need it ASAP. Once you have the information and everything ready to go, plans and priorities will change, and the project will get shuffled to the back burner until 6 months later when it will suddenly be a DO IT NOW project.

*Set your work/life boundaries early and do not break them for anybody.  

*Company is working on becoming more diverse- but the majority of leadership, both in this office and at HQ are white. Unfortunately, the higher up the ladder you go, the lower the turnover rate, so this will be a slow process.

I worked an understaffed emergency service. I spent my entire shift with almost no additional support onsite aside from night security. I would sometimes recieve up to 60 to 70 new clients a night that I would to need to intake in addition to another 60 to 100 already onsite that may need additional support (200 people to one staff member), on top of this I would need to speak a minimum of 3 languages which was not even close to the amount needed, this high volume of clients made it difficult to call language interpreter lines or spend the necessary time with clients to ensure they understood information, to provide proper trauma informed care, or to even ensure safety. I was also expected to recover and clean the center within this same time frame, I was also expected to restock and print all needed resources which I would've also needed for my own intakes. Not to mention as well as triage covid positive indiviuals with no hazard pay. I was not allowed to call out sick and there was no support to cover my shifts without the one other overnight taking on an already unsustainable work load. This is only the tip of the responsibilities that were expected and all concerns were voiced with little to no meaningful actual outcome of support which affects not only staff but the quality of services provided which is unacceptable. Adding on is the fact I would have to use my own resources to fill in any gaps in support because IRC lacked any actual relationship with the community. The program started to feel like a disservice to the folks they claimed to support.

Passionate people, selfless to a fault- The IRC recruits some of the most caring, passionate and giving people the world has to offer. It’s a nonprofit so you make no money, even if you’re working a ridiculous amount of overtime to meet goals you will never get paid for it or even recognized for the work, and forget about time to practice any self-care or care for your employees. Even HQ doesn’t respond to any request regarding employee mental health because they’re too busy. This job will uplift you, but it will also bring you to your lowest point. There’s no community, there’s no time for bonding, there’s not even time to eat lunch and if you do you feel guilty for it or you’re reprimanded because you’re behind on your work. Some clients are appreciative and understand that we have a lot of people to serve, but others will just constantly message you throughout the night about all the things you didn’t do to help them. But we keep doing it, we keep working endlessly and tirelessly, not even able to pay for our own health care and life expenses because we want to see other people have a better future, even if it means we don’t sleep at night, or were under constant stress and can’t enjoy our free time. I see it’s full of good people. Wonderful people  that don’t have the time or energy to make this a positive, approachable, desirable place to work for the long-haul. Don’t get me wrong, I love the work, I love learning from our clients, I love the difference we make in the world, I love the opportunities to grow as a compassionate human being, it’s the self-care that falls way too short for me to rate this any higher

What is the best part of working at the company?
Everyday is something new.  Dealing with refugees from war torn countries all over the world.  Trying to settle them into a new culture and explain the norms etc was the most exciting and rewarding work I have ever done.  Most of it was done through interpreters as
Well which added to the difficulty but also the excitement of this work.  Felt like I was at the United Nations everyday.  Loved it!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Probably working with multiple interpreters for the same client.  If we had a Karenni client but no Karenni interpreter, we would try to use a Burmese interpreter who may have some  knowledge if the Karenni language and culture.  And our Karenni client may have some
Knowledge of of the Burmese culture and language.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment was office, community, social service agencies.  Culture was knowledge is power.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I was in charge of the Parents as Teachers program for the North Phoenix area.  My job was to implement the home visitation program to educate refugee parents on the importance of early education practices and exercise to improve their parenting skills.  Some days I did informational classes for newly arrived
Refugee clients on healthcare, getting their children enrolled in school, or meeting with school personnel regarding the needs if our
Clients.  Each day was different depending on what your title demanded.

In the U.S. Programs where I work in Tucson, AZ the office culture is great. This is perfect for some one who longs to work internationally, but can't either due to family or other restrictions. Every day you are exposed to different cultures, languages, and many times they treat you like family.
The office is like one big family. We all support eachother in whatever way we can. We cook for eachother, and our potlucks are like no other...Ethiopian food, Nepali food, Mexican, Afghani, the list goes on. We all love to share our family recipes with eachother.
On the other side of the coin, the hardest part, as with any humanitarian aide, is you can't help everyone to the extent they often need. The refugees we assist often have gone through unimaginable difficulties, lost family, have been tortured, and persecuted, and when they come to America, they often feel that it will be easier here. In some ways it is easier. You don't have to avoid gunfire and blasts on a daily basis, but you do have to work for what you get. Finding a job is often the most difficult task for a refugee and it can be frustrating and even scary for them when they do not find a job quickly.
Another small aspect of frustration is sometimes a disconnect of communication between headquarters in NY and the local offices, but there is effort to remedy this.

Good place for college students to get work experience. Its also a great place for those looking specifically looking for work experience in Social Services such as if you are trying to be a Social Worker. You will learn and get work experience for Customer Service and Client Relations, Data Entry (into IRC Case Management System), applying refugees for jobs and creating them resumes, writing case notes, and doing other duties such as dropping of donations to the homes of refugees, creating Financial spreadsheets and assisting in general office tasks such as printing out important documents, and filing paperwork.

Management is respectful and kind and concerning, particularly many are also from different diverse backgrounds. Workplace culture is inclusive as many are devoted to the humanitarian mission of the IRC and are respectful of all employees from different backgrounds.

Hardest part of the job is when working with refugees as many of these refugees are coming from different backgrounds and will have their own struggles they carry. Particularly note that many refugees will have minimal to none English skills and you will also learn how to communicate with them using a third party interpreter system. Being culturally sensitive and having good conflict resolution skills are important when working with the IRC.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I love the hands on experience and all the skills I get to learn from my superiors along with the tools I can’t wait to implement in future careers.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Nothing really, I will say watching the patients with severe health conditions can be very hard to watch at times but I’m happy to be there to support and learn.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It’s typically just a case manager and my internship supervisor. I am either at the office helping document cases and learning from the case manager or we are in the field assisting clients with various appointments.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day at the IRC is one of 2 things; staying at the office to document previous case notes from appointments or meetings with clients or finding resources and reaching out to people or companies to get our clients the resources they need. If we are not in the office we are in the field assisting clients with health or wellness appointments, social work appointments and etc along side an in person or on the phone/digital interpreter.

Report to work 6:00am every morning Monday through Thursday and clock out 6:00pm. Work under supervision within the 12 hours work day. Measure all parts produced using computer based soft ware. Report damaged parts to supervisor and packed good parts for shipment.
Learned how to use computer based software as a tool for measuring manufactured parts. Learned the essence of team work in sharing parts, specification of measurements.
Management were good for instructions and directions to learn the job which drove the learning process to where i got to.
Co-workers were also significant in the learning process especially those who were experienced.
The first ever encounter with machine operation at the beginning of this job was really challenging. But with focus and investment of efforts, the challenge turned into enjoyment.
Operating the machine, after gaining experience, became like a play and done with all simplicity.

Working at the International Rescue Committee provided me with an experience no other high school student could ever receive. I was able to work alongside great staff members, under direct supervision of the Volunteer Coordinator and Office Manager, in helping to provide assistance administratively to refugee clients on a daily basis. I was able to gain the experiences of both administrative and clerical duties such as filing, data entry and keeping, mailing and faxing, scanning, as well as communicating through telephone in contacting other IRC offices. I was able to work in a non-profit environment that allowed me to take the responsibility in helping refugees from worn torn countries such as Sudan, Burma, and other countries. Some of my duties as an assistant was to help refugees apply for school, finger printing, apply for social security, and sometimes helping them with their refugee tax forms.

The International Rescue Committee touches the lives of 26 million refugees with only a $1 billion budget...they're punching way above their weight.  It's a fast paced, chaotic, very lean organization and the work can be a bit brutal at times.  If you believe in the work and the mission, the fast pace and less than average pay can still be incredibly rewarding.  

Don't expect a normal company environment.  The place has been underfunded and in chaos crisis management mode for 70 years.  It's what the IRC is.  You go to work there because you want to make a difference, not because you're looking for a well organized and gentle work environment.  The IRC will punch you right in the face then in the nicest, kindest way say, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, you're important to me" then .653 seconds later be right back to work.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Case worker 3 salaries reported	$21.33 per hour
Senior caseworker 1 salary reported	$26.43 per hour
Crisis manager 7 salaries reported	$31.20 per hour
Supervisor 6 salaries reported	$76,535 per year
Health navigator 6 salaries reported	$22.60 per hour

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