Name of Organization: Romero House
Website of Organization: https://romerohouse.org/
Organization’s Mandate: Romero House works with refugee claimants: people who claim refugee status after arriving in Canada. It provides transitional housing, where refugee families live with us for the one year after their arrival, in which time they are accompanied in navigating the refugee determination process and establishing their lives in Canada. Romero House also has walk-in programs, which includes clothing boutiques, and assistance with: settlement assistance, accessing legal aid, finding lawyers, refugee claim process, accessing education, and accessing social assistance.
Project Name: Client Intake
Project Type: Client services (court forms, shadowing, mock hearings, intake, legal clinic, etc.)
Project Delivery: Hybrid
Description of Project: Romero House has a walk-in program, which includes settlement assistance such as accessing legal aid, finding lawyers, learning about the refugee claim process, accessing education, completing paperwork and accessing social assistance. This student will participate in delivering Romero House’s walk-in program.
Role of Student Volunteers: The student will participate in delivering Romero House’s in-person walk-in program. The student will be the initial point of contact for the client including but not limited to Work Permits, Study Permits, Permanent Applications, etc. Students will be trained by on-site Staff as to how to apply for these applications and assist the client in filling out and submitting the required forms according to their need. This program meets the needs of refugee claimants who are homeless, in shelters, renting, or staying with family/friends in Toronto. These needs include navigating access to social assistance, understanding the refugee claim process, completing profile information on the IRCC web portal, accessing legal aid and finding a refugee lawyer. This role may also involve supporting refused refugee claimants in appeal, H+C or PRRA processes. Student volunteers cannot provide legal advice.
Role of Supervising Lawyer(s): The supervising lawyer will support the student with questions about the refugee process, IRCC web portal and review any refugee claim or appeal documents before they are they are shared with the client or submitted. Any and all applications and forms that are filed are to be submitted to and reviewed by the supervising lawyer.
Type of Law: Immigration and refugee law
Main Project Deliverable: Completing client intake and assistance (e.g. completing client intake, providing client referrals, helping clients with their ID documents, etc.)
Number of Student Placements: 2 students
Hours per week the student volunteer(s) will be expected to work: 3-5 hours/week
Regular shifts or a flexible schedule: Shifts will be discussed with Romero House’s Settlement & Logistics and intake coordinators. One in-person and one online shift per week are preferable, but a fully virtual option is also an option. Virtual shifts may not need to have a regularly scheduled time.
Is there a workspace provided for the student at the Organization: Yes
Devices and technologies the students will be required to have: Laptop, telephone, internet, access to legal databases, Adobe.
Is there an expectation for the student(s) to be bilingual: No, however, Spanish is a significant asset.
Law School Pre-Requisites: N/A
Other Requirements or Expectations: Interest in immigration and refugee law; volunteer or work experience with working with vulnerable groups or immigration and refugee related field – knowledge/experience/background in working with refugees and newcomers. Knowledge on the immigration and refugee systems of Canada, and accessing social assistance is preferred but not required. This role requires significant adaptability, empathy and patience working with refugee claimants and creative problem solving skills.