Office of Human Rights and Equity - Language Access and Immigration Services Coordinator - AmeriCorps VISTA Service Year
The City of New Orleans VISTA program is implemented by the Office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Office of Human Rights and Equity. The City is seeking passionate individuals to build capacity to break the cycle of inequity and empower our community. New Orleans is a welcoming city with a unique culture, natural outdoor spaces, and a reputation for hospitable and friendly residents.
The City’s Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) seeks to normalize concepts of social and racial justice within City government, organize staff to advance equity in their spheres of influence, and operationalize equitable policies, programs, and procedures within City government. The Office provides education and technical support to City staff and elected officials, leading to recognition and removal of systemic barriers to fair and just distribution of resources, access, and opportunity, with a primary focus on racial and social equity.
The VISTA member will develop a community-centered and informed language access and immigration relations plan. To create this strategy, they will facilitate and coordinate a task force with different representatives from CBOs, City departments, and other stakeholders. The task force shall work to include different partners to leverage the existing infrastructure in place to provide language services, access to health services, legal aid, family services, housing services, and educational support.
This Office is in an exciting period of growth and as a VISTA member, you will have ample opportunity to learn valuable skills, including: to encourage buy-in and participation for ambitious equity-focused initiatives, to understand the functions and roles of City government and local organizations, and to engage with a broad array of New Orleans stakeholders and perspectives. Trainings are a core component of the work of this office, which the VISTA member will have access to, in addition to the network-building possibilities those activities provide.
JOB DUTIES:
Throughout one year of service, the VISTA member will work with the Office of Human Rights and Equity to:
- Establish a task force that focuses on multicultural, immigration, and refugee affairs to create a space of welcoming and belonging for all City residents.
- Create a database of stakeholders of language access service providers in New Orleans and initiate and establish relationships with such providers.
- Distribute the departmental language access self-assessment and analyze their findings.
- Work alongside OHRE and other departments to provide trainings on language justice, language access, and cultural competency to all City Hall employees.
- Alongside the language justice coordinator, support efforts in responding to complaints and feedback on language access services and reporting data.
If you are interested in serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA, please note the following:
- AmeriCorps is a national service year requiring 12 months of service, full time work hours (M-F, 9-5, in-person) and flexible hours on occasion.
- Team members must either be fully vaccinated or present a negative test every week to work at City Hall.
- For their national service, members receive a bi-weekly living allowance of $575, reduction of education costs, health insurance, and enriching career experience. Upon completion of service, members will also receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $6,345 or an end-of-service cash stipend of up to $1,800.
Visit our website to learn more about our program, the AmeriCorps National Service benefits and how to apply: www.nola.gov/mayor/americorps