Department: From Hope to Home – Home Study and Post-Release Services (HS/PRS)

About Rising Ground

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs. Driven by the belief that each of us can thrive when life has hope and opportunity, Rising Ground provides caring support and proven paths to positive change, helping children, adults, and families rise above adversity, and each year, Rising Ground is a positive force in the lives of more than 25,000 individuals. We do this through 50 programs in 70 locations throughout New York City and Westchester. Our strong belief and commitment to diversity shows not just through our work with supported persons but is integral to the building of a strong staff that reflects the communities we serve. Rising Ground is headquartered in downtown Brooklyn.

As part of Rising Ground's Immigration Services, Rising Ground offers the From Hope-to-Hope program, a national initiative in collaboration with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), focused on supporting Unaccompanied Children (UC) and their sponsors. This program provides two critical services designed to ensure the safety, stability, and long-term success of these children and their families. The first component, Home Study (HS), involves evaluating the safety and suitability of potential sponsors before a minor is discharged from ORR care. HS workers conduct detailed assessments, including interviews with both the sponsor and the child, home inspections, and evaluations of the sponsor’s ability to provide a safe, stable environment. These findings are compiled into a comprehensive report submitted to ORR, which informs decisions about the minor’s placement. The second component, Post-Release Services (PRS), offers continued support to UCs and their sponsors after reunification. PRS caseworkers help families connect with essential resources, such as legal representation, healthcare, mental health services, educational opportunities, and community programs. They also monitor the well-being of the child, ensuring their safety and that sponsors meet their responsibilities.

About the Role:
The PRS Level 1 Case Worker plays an essential role in supporting Unaccompanied Children (UC) and their sponsors after reunification. This position focuses on ensuring that the child’s safety and well-being are maintained by coordinating services, conducting assessments, and connecting families to vital resources. Families referred to a Level 1 program typically have fewer complex needs and are more self-sufficient. This level of service is short-term, requiring the Case Worker to efficiently identify the family’s needs and connect them with the appropriate resources within a limited time frame. The role involves working closely with UC and sponsors to provide case management, monitor progress, and ensure access to necessary community resources. The PRS Level 1 Case Worker will engage with families, community stakeholders, and other service providers to address the child’s needs in areas such as immigration, education, health, legal services, and family stabilization. Under Level 1, we provide nationwide virtual services across all states where the program operates.

• Conduct thorough assessments to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.
• Complete all mandated assessments and home visits, including three virtual visits on days 7, 14, and 30 after the child’s release.
• Complete and submit Notice of Concern (NOC) forms for any safety or well-being concerns, making notifications to relevant investigative agencies and ORR within required timeframes.
• Conduct safety plans and supervision plans as needed.
• Consult with and advocate on cases that may need to be escalated to a higher PRS level and participate in staffing or step-up meetings as needed.
• Ensure that sponsors and UC engage in all services outlined in the HS PRS recommendation and additional services identified during PRS assessments.
• Connect sponsors and children to community resources, coordinating services related to placement, stability, immigration proceedings, guardianship, legal services, education, medical services, mental health services, family stabilization, counseling, youth programming, cultural and tradition-related services, substance abuse treatment, and gang prevention, as needed.
• Collaborate with stakeholders involved in the child’s case, including schools, legal service providers, and extracurricular activity coordinators, to ensure services are tailored to the child’s needs.
• Conduct ongoing needs assessments and provide comprehensive case management, including access to therapeutic supp
• Document all engagements, visits, and progress via the PRS report form and progress notes, submitting monthly reports.
• Submit PRS case closure reports, case transfers, and complete case closure in systems such as UC Portal and myEvolve.
• Ensure all documentation is completed accurately, on time, and in compliance with ORR requirements. Regularly audit case files for accuracy and completeness.
• Stay informed about local and regional services available to UC and their families.
• Participate in and attend all required program-related meetings and conferences.
• Work effectively with other professionals in the field to provide a collaborative support network for the child and family.
• Participate in monthly team meetings, program staffing, and case staffings as needed and requested, in person or virtually.
• Ensure compliance with all policies and stay up to date with any changes or updates to relevant regulations and guidelines.
• Become knowledgeable about child labor laws, educational laws, abuse and neglect laws from each state, and adapt case management approaches accordingly for nationwide cases.
• Provide evening and weekend coverage as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or a related field.
• Minimum one year of experience working with youth in the social services field, including at least one year of case planning experience.
• Knowledge and experience working with immigrant populations, family preservation, kinship care, and/or general child welfare.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to manage a high demand for report writing and meet deadlines consistently.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple cases efficiently and effectively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other case management software.
• Knowledge of child welfare and immigration-related legislation, with an understanding of the relevant laws and regulations.
• Experience with the Unaccompanied Children (UC) population is a plus.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is required.
• Willingness to learn and become knowledgeable about state-specific child labor laws, educational laws, and abuse/neglect laws.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities. The PRS Level 1 Case Worker will work independently with guidance and support from their supervisor and other team members, collaborating closely on case management and service delivery.

Work Environment:
This hybrid role requires three in-office days and two remote days per week, with flexibility for after-hours, weekend, and holiday support as needed.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position with an annual salary of $63,922.56. The position operates Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with flexibility for after-hours, weekend, and holiday support as needed.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Occasional travel may be needed to meet program needs, including potential travel across states on a case-by-case basis.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Fairness, and Belonging

Rising Ground is comprised of unique and valued individuals who together make the organization effective in assisting the children, adults and families who come to us for support. We believe that only when all employees contribute fully as their true selves can Rising Ground's true strength, vision, and values come to fruition. We recognize the ubiquitous social biases and structures that impact and shape the experiences of all people, including our own staff and people supported. Among the many biases present in our society that shape our personal and professional experiences race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression are all factors that can present hurdles. As such, Rising Ground is committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive organization that will actively strive to overcome both systemic and interpersonal biases that perpetuate oppression.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.