Outreach Worker; Back Yards

INSTITUTE FOR NONVIOLENCE CHICAGO

POSITION TITLE:

Outreach Worker – BOTY

REPORTS TO:

Outreach Supervisor

The Institute for Nonviolence Chicago’s mission is to end the cycle of gun violence in Chicago using Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s principles and teachings of nonviolence. Informed by a philosophy of nonviolence, Nonviolence Chicago will establish caring and sustained relationships with participants engaged in the cycle of violence. We will emphasize partnerships with community members, leaders, social service providers, and local law enforcement to reduce community levels of violence.

We will help create a safer, healthier environment for young adults, youth, and their families. These general approaches will be specifically addressed using four major methods:
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) / Street Outreach, Individualized Service Provision, Victim Support Services, and Nonviolence Training.

Nonviolence Chicago is serving as the hub for the SC2 initiative in the BOTY community. The SC2 BOTY Collaborative came together to begin scaling their promising programs throughout BOTY to achieve community-level violence reduction by scaling up services to individuals at highest risk of violence. This unprecedented level of coordination, alignment, and investment in direct service provision to the highest risk individuals will not only provide lessons for local replication but may also serve as a model that can be deployed in other cities across the nation.

A street outreach worker responds directly to active conflicts and shootings in our target areas and works to defuse tension, engage in mediations between impacted parties, and prevent retaliatory shooting/violence. This position requires developing relationships with high-risk individuals who are most likely to be shot or be a shooter themselves to guide them in their journey away from violence. Supported by training in the national best practices for street outreach as well as Dr.

King’s principles of nonviolence, a street outreach worker carries a caseload of participants, engages with them regularly, and completes all necessary data/reporting requirements.

This position is part of the SC2 BOTY initiative, and the outreach worker will be asked to serve a specific underserved area of the BOTY community.

Comprehensive Violence Reduction Strategy

• Develop relationships with high-risk persons and the people they know to support the practice of nonviolence and reduce shootings and homicides
• Seek to obtain advanced warning for when shootings and violence may occur in the communities assigned and work to prevent the violence from escalating
• Safely intervene in conflicts in which violence is likely, including retaliations
• Seek to address the root causes of violence in a conflict
• Work assigned neighborhood to build strong community partnerships based on trust and transparency, with the understanding that community members should know the nonviolence approach and become ambassadors
• Make sure to maintain strong communication among staff
• Participate in staff trainings
• Document community events and activities related to violence
• Document daily efforts and activities as well as those of your participants, including but not limited to case notes, daily logs, and mediations

Outreach Crisis Response

• Support 24-hour incident response coverage in assigned neighborhoods
• Respond to shootings and homicides within our target neighborhoods
• Defuse violent incidents and prevent retaliatory shooting/violence
• Work in partnership with the multidisciplinary team to support the well-being of community members impacted by violence
• Identify youth who are street-involved and prepare/transition them to case management to receive needed wraparound services and support their service plan
• Work with Institute staff to formulate action plans to resolve conflicts, support victims and build relationships with the involved groups
• Support the mediation process to end existing and newly created conflicts
• Identify, develop and implement strategies to engage in-risk street-involved youth
• Document strategies and progress towards…