ProBAR- UC Specialist

ProBAR Unaccompanied Children Legal Services Specialists are professional advocates for detained immigrant children who use creativity, compassion, and training in immigration law to prepare children for successful client-attorney relationships and empower them as respondents before immigration authorities. UC Specialists inform children about the immigration legal process and their rights in a child-friendly and trauma-informed manner. They also conduct individual legal screenings to assist with referrals to pro bono counsel, and provide follow-up services and specialized information where relevant to a child’s situation. Ongoing training builds UC Specialists’ skills for child-friendly service delivery and understanding of immigration law and evolving migration trends.

The Organization

ProBAR empowers immigrants through high-quality legal information, representation, and connections to services. ProBAR serves immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley and Houston regions with a particular focus on the legal needs of adults and unaccompanied children in federal custody. Founded in 1989 as a project of the American Bar Association, ProBAR’s primary office is located in Harlingen, TX with a field office in Houston, TX. For more information about ProBAR, please visit our website: https://abaprobar.org/

Job Summary/ General Purpose of Job

Accountable for providing child-friendly legal orientation and legal screenings to detained unaccompanied children regarding immigration removal proceedings and access to representation. Also responsible for additional follow-up legal services as required. Ensure accurate and timely documentation of services delivered and information collected. This position will require regular involvement with individuals' living in difficult circumstances and who may have experienced trauma.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities (listed in order of importance and/or time spent)

• Provide child-friendly and age-appropriate legal orientation to detained children in a classroom-like setting where the presenter is to be positive, organized, outgoing, confident, and compassionate to inform children regarding immigration removal proceedings and access to legal representation. Additionally, responsible for conducting age-appropriate legal screenings to assist with referral to pro bono counsel within 10 days of arrival and obtain consent from unaccompanied children for required referrals.
• Conduct trauma-informed, child-friendly, and age- and language-appropriate individual legal screening at detention facility for unaccompanied children within 10 days of arrival.
• Conduct sponsor intakes as appropriate and meet individually with children too young to receive regular Know Your Rights presentations, in addition to follow-up interviews needed to complete relief-eligibility determination or as required.
• Prepare children aging out for transfer to ICE Custody, by delivering “age-out talks” to unaccompanied children nearing their 18th birthday.
• Participate and engage in regular training regarding provision of child-friendly service delivery, including services tailored to special needs populations, pregnant/parenting, tender-age, non-Spanish speaking, and LGBTQIA youth. Share relevant unaccompanied children migration or detention trends and challenges in services delivery, including via mandatory attendance at ProBAR monthly round tables.
• Stay apprised of current legal framework relevant to orientation and interviewing related to child respondents in immigration removal proceedings, including Texas mandatory reporting statute, as well as current events affecting child migration from Central America and any other region commonly affecting detention facilities in South Texas.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Required Education, Qualifications, Experience

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Education, Early Childhood Education, ESL, Teaching certification or related field, or equivalent number of hours of course work and work-related experience, or 4 years’ experience in a role that offered similar preparation and experience.
• Able to problem solve issues during stressful situations.
• Fluent in English and Spanish in written and spoken forms.
• Intermediate proficiency with Adobe and Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, OneDrive, teams)
• Must be familiar with conducting virtual meetings, training, and observations on software such as Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Must be able to pick up on client visual and verbal cues when interacting with clients and colleagues.
• Must have reliable transportation to travel between office and off-site work locations.
• Must have reliable internet and phone connection.
• This position requires the ability to travel to and enter care provider facilities funded by the office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services which provide housing and services to unaccompanied children. This position will require the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children in such care provider facilities. In accordance with the federal regulation, background check will be required for this position.

Preferred Education, Qualifications, Experience

• Possession of a master’s degree Social Work, Criminal Justice, Education, Early Childhood Education, ESL, Teaching certification or related field, or equivalent number of hours of course work and work-related experience or related field and work-related experience.
• Able to type 30 to 40 words per minute.
• Prior work experience with children, particularly from Central America and including non-Spanish speaking populations.
• Prior volunteer, community, or work experience regarding immigration or detention.
• Prior non-profit experience, particularly involving immigration detention.

Physical Requirements

Typical office setting with frequent visits at immigration detention facilities. Able to lift up to 10 pounds and walk long distances when necessary.

Travel

As a normal course of business, this job will typically require road travel of less than 25% of the time on a weekly basis.