Coordinator, Student Success and Persistence

STATEMENT OF THE AGENCY

Commonpoint is a non-profit, multi-service agency with flagship sites in Little Neck, Bayside, Forest Hills, East Elmhurst, and Jamaica with 70 additional sites throughout the community that provides a diverse array of programs and services to over 70,000 mission is to sustain and enhance the quality of family and individual life for all members of our community, regardless of religion, ethnic or cultural background, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual preference, age, or disability, within a pervasive and inclusive environment that facilitates individual growth, meets individual needs and builds community.

We accomplish this mission through a broad range of social, educational, and recreational services that reach community members of all ages and backgrounds.

Within our framework of holistic, strength-focused, and family-supported practice, an individual hired as a Student Success and Persistence Coordinator in the High School and College Success portfolio of services will report directly to the Assistant Director of Persistence and Access.

• Master’s Degree in Psychology, Social Work, School Counseling, or a related course of study with a Bilingual - Spanish extension is strongly preferred.
• At least three years experience working with adolescents in an urban environment, providing services that reduce barriers and facilitate educational success and social-emotional well-being.
• Demonstrated ability to establish a strong rapport with an urban adolescent population and their families.
• Prior workshop/seminar development and implementation experience is preferred; prior college counseling experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong ability to create engaging and relevant activities for students and their families connected to college.
• Ability to work evenings, as needed.
• Ability to travel to multiple locations as needed.
• Must have excellent organizational, teamwork, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based and/or youth development perspective.
• Foster and manage relationships with college personnel, including college administrators, professors, and staff who provide student support services.
• Experience working with a diverse group of students and ability to support students and hold them accountable as appropriate.
• Strong relationship-building and group facilitation capabilities, incorporating cross cultural sensitivity.
• Deep understanding of positive youth development, education learning standards, and issues facing immigrant and first-generation youth in the U.S.
• College guidance experience and strong knowledge of the college application, financial aid, and scholarship process.
• Provide case management for students identified as needing supportive services in order to achieve academic success.
• Assist students in attending school regularly and on time through rapid identification of obstacles and connecting with resources; attendance outreach including home visits, phone calls, daily “swipe in” data reports, etc.
• Provide assessments and individual and group counseling.
• Develop and implement workshops responsive to student needs.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed.
• Provide family outreach and involvement activities as appropriate to support family engagement and participation in the school community and the lives of their youth.
• Support and participate in school-wide and agency events.
• Collaborate with school staff to develop interventions for students who are truant.
• Work with schools to develop and systematize comprehensive, effective direct outreach methods for the school community and/or other important family and school events, including maintaining and building effective family and community outreach lists, conducting parent-to-parent and staff phone-banking, flyering before and after school and at high parent trafficked areas, conducting door-knocking to families, working with teachers and staff on effective parent and caregiver outreach, etc.
• Work with the school to develop and implement comprehensive family engagement plans that include multiple on-ramps for families to become involved in the school, parents and caregivers taking responsibility for carrying out various components of the plan and moving parents and caregivers up Ladders of Engagement through leadership development and training.
• Advise and recruit parents and caregivers for ongoing workshops and development opportunities.
• Help schools…