Street Outreach Mentor

Scaling Community Violence Intervention (CVI) for a Safer Chicago (SC2)

Scaling Community Violence Intervention (CVI) for a Safer Chicago (SC2) is an expanding network of donors, anti-violence practitioners, and community stakeholders dedicated to enhancing CVI in the neighborhoods of Chicago most affected by violence. New Life Centers is partnering with six local community-based organizations;
Central States SER, Enlace, Hope Culture, Erie House, Universidad Popular, and Beyond the Ball as The Pathways to Peace. The Pathways to Peace program aim to serve 75% of the highest-risk individuals in the area over five years through comprehensive street outreach, case management, education, employment, and behavioral health services.

The Street Outreach Mentor position is full-time, 40 hours per week (non-exempt, benefits available). The Street Outreach Mentor will work to gain trust of the community and the highest risk individuals to help prevent shootings and retaliatory violence, and to provide linkages and robust accompaniment to prosocial alternatives including activities, jobs, education, case management, and social services. As a member of a team, the Street Outreach Mentor is responsible for reaching out to the highest risk individuals in the community and working with them to prevent violence by mediating conflicts, modeling prosocial behaviors, engaging them in positive activities and accompaniment through the case management process.

Some weekends and some on-call in response to crisis situations will be required. Flexible schedule required. Focus neighborhoods may include Little Village, Pilsen, and Brighton Park. May require some local travel (reimbursable). Pay commensurate with experience. This position is in-person.

• Work with outreach colleagues and direct supervisor to identify potential participants who are the highest risk individuals, and the people who know them.
• Maintain a caseload of 15 high-risk participants.
• Works with participants of different ages.
• Develops and maintains supportive and effective relationships with participant caseload.
• Works to intervene in circumstances in which violence is likely.
• Works as a member of a team, communicating all relevant information to team members and supervisors instantly.
• Adheres to stipend guidelines and submits required paperwork on time.
• Engages effectively with project partners and collaborates to address challenges.
• Submits all finance information by established deadlines.
• Attends all training and orientations with partners and funders.
• Participates in regular meetings with internal team and collaborators.
• Responds promptly to requests from the Program Director, Program Coordinator, Data and IT Specialist and Finance Manager.
• Develops and delivers one-to-one support sessions and facilitates circles with participants to support participants in resolving conflicts and adopting prosocial behaviors.
• Connects participants with Care Navigators to provide linkages and support for individuals to enhance their use of opportunities and programs in the community (job programs, GED, drug treatment, mentoring, etc.). May provide linkages as well.
• Provides client accompaniment to court, social services, etc.
• Participates, as necessary, in organizing responses to shootings and increasing visibility when shootings take place (developing networks with other outreach programs to coordinate an inclusive and strategic response).
• Investigates causes of shootings to assist in mediating situations and preventing retaliation between individuals and groups and provides documentation.
• Identifies and diffuses "hot spots" for shootings and violence (conducting line of sight surveys with residents and key stakeholders to identify areas frequented by high-risk clients) and provides documentation.
• Strategizes with outreach team and supervisor to develop ongoing strategy to respond to conflicts and violence, noting important anniversary dates or other key events.
• Outreach to the community (individually and as a team member) to build strong relationships with youth, residents, businesses, and community groups.
• Works closely with…