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 in-person and remote child-friendly and age-appropriate legal orientation to detained children in a non-traditional classroom climate where the presenter is to be positive, organized, outgoing, confident, and compassionate in informing children regarding immigration removal proceedings and access to representation. Additionally, responsible for conducting in-person and remote age-appropriate legal screening to assist with referral to pro bono counsel within 10 days of arrival and obtain consent from unaccompanied children for required referrals.
• Conduct telephonic legal screenings with relatives/care takers for children too young to receive regular Know Your Rights and screenings. In addition to follow-up interviews needed to complete relief-eligibility determination or as required.
• Conduct in-person and virtual post-release legal services for children released from ORR facilities.
• Prepare children aging out for transfer to ICE Custody by delivering “age-out talks” to unaccompanied children nearing their 18th birthday.
• Provide pregnant and parenting information and resources by delivering “pregnant and parenting talks” to unaccompanied children.
• Participate in regular and interdepartmental training regarding provision of child-friendly service delivery, including services tailored to special needs populations, pregnant/parenting, pre-verbal, 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’s monthly round tables.
• Participate and engage in informational panels to showcase our services and enhance collaboration opportunities.
• Participate in additional projects initiated by the organization to provide support to diverse client populations, including adults, children, families, and other community members, such as the Access to Work Clinic.
• Stay apprised of the current legal framework relevant to orientation and interviewing related to child respondents in immigration removal proceedings, including Texas mandatory reporting statute and current events affecting child migration from Central America and any other region commonly affecting detention facilities in South Texas.
• Prioritize compliance with mandatory state reporting requirements for child abuse and neglect.
• 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.
• Ability to problem-solve issues during stressful situations.
• Demonstrate compassion and empathy with strong problem-solving abilities, approaching challenges with creativity, critical thinking, and a solution-oriented mindset.
• Ability to utilize effective time management skills to ensure the completion of all key tasks.
• Written and spoken fluency in the secondary language is required based upon the location and client base served.
• Must be able to translate Spanish and English in real-time while conducting legal services with unaccompanied children and adults. This role requires strong communication skills in English and Spanish to ensure accurate interpretation and clear delivery of information and the capacity to engage effectively with diverse audiences to ensure clarity and understanding.
• Willingness to adapt to change and the ability to work collaboratively while taking the initiative and managing projects independently.
• Intermediate proficiency with Adobe and Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, OneDrive, teams)
• Familiarity 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.
• 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 hours of course work and work-related experience or related field and work-related experience.
• Proficient in conducting Know Your Rights presentations in English and Spanish in a non–traditional classroom setting and other legal services as required.
• Prior work experience with children in a classroom setting and conducting individual interviews, particularly from Central America and including indigenous language-speaking populations.
• Prior volunteer, community, or work experience regarding immigration or detention.
• Prior non-profit experience, particularly involving immigration detention.
• Prior experience working with children exposed to trauma, exploitation, and/or behavioral problems.

Physical Requirements

The position involves working in various locations and settings, sometimes outside of a typical office environment. The position requires daily visits to immigration detention facilities, the ability to move around the facility grounds, and walking distances from parking to the facility. Including the need to carry documentation materials weighing up to 15 pounds for up to 15 minutes or more in temperatures that may exceed 90 degrees, with prolonged periods of sitting and standing, and occasionally exposed to challenging environmental conditions, including but not limited to extreme heat, wet conditions, and high humidity. Comfortable working with a minimal set-up, such as a basic chair and table, and adaptable to different workspaces as required.

Travel

This job typically requires daily local travel and travel less than 15% for out-of-area travel. Mileage reimbursement is available*.