Outreach Worker, Save Our Streets South Bronx

Outreach Worker, Save Our Streets South Bronx

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods.

With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies: operating programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges, conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t, and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

The Bronx Community Justice Center, a program of the Center for Justice Innovation, works to create a safer, more equitable Bronx through community-driven safety initiatives, violence prevention, youth opportunity, and economic development efforts. Save Our Streets South Bronx is a replication of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention’s evidence-based Cure Violence program, a cutting-edge gun violence prevention model that aims to reduce and prevent shootings through the use of public health strategies.

The Bronx Community Justice Center is seeking an Outreach Worker for the Save Our Streets South Bronx program. Reporting to the Outreach Worker Supervisor, the Outreach Worker will serve as a mentor and peer counselor to a caseload of 10-15 individuals most impacted by community violence, redirecting them toward positive attitude, behavior, and lifestyle changes.

• Identify and form relationships with individuals who are at high risk of involvement in shootings and killings to help them rethink the impulse to act violently and redirect their lives in more positive directions;
• Build and maintain a caseload of participants, and develop and implement a personalized risk reduction plan with each participant;
• Work with community partners and the rest of the S.O.S. team to identify and diffuse “hot spots” for shootings and violence;
• Intervene in local conflicts to try to prevent an outbreak of violence, and work to prevent retaliations when violence does occur;
• Provide clients with support and linkages to programs and opportunities in the community (e.g., job programs, GED, drug treatment, and mentoring);
• Conduct outreach to the community (individually and as a team member) to build strong relationships with youth, residents, businesses, and community groups;
• Participate in organizing responses to shootings;
• Increase visibility when shootings/killings take place in the target area and surrounding target area;
• Keep supervisor informed of all relevant community activities;
• Document all work including shootings and other acts of violence prevented, case notes, referrals, contacts with participants, and changes in participant’s status as directed by the Outreach Worker Supervisor and Program Manager;
• Refer participants to programs that are a part of the New York City “Crisis Management System” including therapeutic services, legal services, and employment services, as needed;
• Plan, attend and help facilitate community and participant events;
• Attend and participate in all mandatory staff meetings, trainings, workshops and other team meetings as required, which may include non-traditional business hours;
• Attend weekly supervision and keep the Outreach Worker Supervisor informed of all work-related activities;
• Additional relevant tasks, as needed

Candidates who are formerly incarcerated or have other experience in the criminal justice system are particularly invited to apply. A high school diploma as well as a minimum of 2 years’ experience or the equivalent in a related area, knowledge of mental health illness and understanding of psychosocial triggers, strengths and personal needs is required. The candidate should reside in or have an in-depth knowledge of Morrisania or Mott Haven.

Experience working with at-risk youth and gang members, and knowledge of the street sets, crews, gangs, and or groups is a must. Candidate must be able to walk 30 blocks or more on a regular basis, and work a…