Asylum Intern At Physicians for Human Rights

Asylum Case Management Intern

Location: Remote

Reports to: Asylum Program Associate

Internship Description

The Asylum Program recruits and trains volunteer health professionals to produce medical and psychological evaluations and affidavits to asylum seekers and other immigrants who must provide documentation of torture or abuse in order to prevail in their immigration applications. More than 2,000 volunteer clinicians working with PHR have helped thousands of survivors of human rights violations gain asylum and other kinds of permanent status in the United States.

Physicians for Human Rights’ (PHR) Asylum Program seeks an intern wishing to gain direct experience in the program’s activities as well as long-term data collection and retention projects of a growing international nonprofit. The internship is ideal for someone looking for a career in immigration law, human rights, or nonprofit management. The asylum program intern will have the opportunity to attend departmental and staff meetings, as well as regular learning and social events with other interns and staff from PHR to round out the learning experience and complement career mentoring provided by the development associate.

PHR internships are unpaid. Candidates may be able to arrange academic credit and should check with their individual academic institutions for requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

The asylum intern may be involved in some or all of the following tasks and projects:

• Drafting de-identified case summaries to be sent to clinicians interested in conducting evaluations;
• Corresponding with physicians for contact information and availability updates and helping to welcome new volunteers to PHR’s asylum network;
• Connecting attorneys and clinicians regarding placement of cases;
• Reviewing and coding affidavits to identify trends and potential research topics;
• Assisting with vital data-entry and auditing tasks, including brainstorming solutions on how to improve data management;
• Following up with attorneys on adjudication results of clients examined and other case-related information;
• Working closely with the asylum program team to develop and implement new systems to collect and report out the results of the program’s work;
• Assisting with the planning of forensic trainings; and
• Monitoring current events and developments in immigration law and detention policy.

Qualifications and Experience

• Monitoring current events and developments in immigration law and detention policy;
• Current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate degree; program of study specializing in international development/relations, public policy, law, human rights, or related field preferred but not required;
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to human rights or immigrant rights;
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, effectively, and professionally with PHR staff and external partners;
• Mature judgement, strong sense of integrity, and a self-starter;
• Creativity and problem-solving skills;
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through;
• Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and interpersonal skills;
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to maintain confidentiality; and
• Experience working with Microsoft Office and databases.

Location and Hours

• The internship will be entirely remote due to PHR’s evaluation of coronavirus health risks. PHR welcomes applications from candidates located out of state/country.
• The internship starts in February and requires at least a 10-12-week commitment.
• Hours can be flexible to accommodate different types of schedules.