Refugee Walk-In Service Intern (Spring 2027)

About the role

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.

Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions.

If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Scope of Work

The Walk-In Services team is the first point of contact for the nearly 2,000 new walk-in clients who visit the IRC in Silver Spring each year. The team works directly with humanitarian immigrants of varying statuses resettling in the DC Metro area to ensure that they have timely access to both internal and external programming and benefits. This service opportunity will be trained and supervised by an Intake Specialist or the Intake Coordinator.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-person screenings to assess clients for their eligibility for referral to internal IRC programming, including casework, employment, and immigration services & for external public benefits and resources.
• Complete program enrollment forms with clients to inform them of their rights and responsibilities & ensure all required client documentation is scanned and electronically on file.
• Assist clients with applying for eligible public benefits, including cash assistance and medical insurance.
• Conduct follow-up calls with new potential clients inquiring about IRC services, including providing them with walk-in day information, rescheduling, and responding to general inquiries.
• Assist the team with scheduling contract interpreters for appointments.
• Regularly track service provision through electronic data entry and organize required client documentation.
• Other duties as assigned by the Walk-In Services team.

Learning Objectives

• Intern will gain US resettlement agency experience, including assessing a high volume and broad range of new potential clients.
• Intern will acquire knowledge of internal programs and public benefits available to humanitarian immigrants.
• Intern will learn how to communicate with a global population, including how to effectively utilize interpreters.
• Intern will learn tracking and reporting requirements for resettlement agencies and how capturing this data improves services.

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate, graduate student or less than 12 months out of school. *
• Minimum 24 hours per week, three-month commitment and three full working days per week.
• Proficient digital literacy skills (e.g., MS Excel, Outlook, and Word) and the ability to learn new software and tasks.
• Organized and attentive to detail.
• Ability to work independently and multi-task.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Interest in working with humanitarian immigrants
• Knowledge of or interest in learning about public benefits and other community resources.
• Fluency in French, Spanish, Amharic or other languages spoken by the client base is a plus.

To Apply

• Click Apply Now at the top of this page.
• Please attach a resume, cover letter and list of (at least) three references to your application.
• The deadline for applying is 01/04/2027.

• This position is for the Fall semester and requires a minimum commitment of 24 hours per week. Ability to work in-person at the Silver Spring office and at a minimum of 15 hours per week is required.
• Spring 2027 interns are expected to begin their internship term by attending an in-person intern orientation on Jan 25th, 2027, from 9:15AM-3:30PM.

We currently offer internships during the following semesters

• Spring: January – May
• Summer: June – August
• Fall: September – December

Internships are typically posted 2-3 months prior to the anticipated start date.

• Note: Internships with the IRC in Silver Spring are unpaid.
• Spring 2027 interns may be eligible for per diem reimbursement at the rate of $15/day to offset the costs of food and travel.
• For information on scholarship opportunities, contact your university or the IRC Silver Spring Community Engagement Coordinator Lalah Ehrari.

*Candidates applying not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and outside of 12 months from graduation are welcome to apply. These candidates will be processed as volunteers.

To protect our clients, the IRC requires all selected applicants to complete background checks. We ask that you make a $30 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 87% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation.

IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.