Develop relationships with a small cohort of young women and LGBTQ individuals in jail and custodial settings prior to their release, with the goal of creating and following individualized plans during and after custody

• Connect with youth at one of several facilities which house adolescents and young adults;
• Spend time in new admissions houses on a rotating schedule, providing early contact and concrete, limited supports, including family outreach;
• Reach out to youth significant other/family and other potential support systems available to youth;
• Conduct consistent weekly visits leading up to the release date, allowing time to cement relationships and meet with families prior to the youth’s release;  
• Follow youth and maintain on-going contact as they move through general population;
• Reach out to and develop relationship with families of youth;
• Gather relevant information to create an individualized plan that includes reaching out to community organizations that will serve the young people upon release;
• Gauge young person’s readiness to make positive changes/improvements in their life;
• Collaborate with in-house court advocacy team to identify young people who need additional support at court, assist young people with follow through on this plan;
• Daily documentation of outreach, follow-up, individualized youth plans, and youth progress in the online database system.
• Develop partnerships with local and state community based organizations that support women and LGBTQ individuals
• Leverage partnerships to gain access to resources for the youth members
• Participate in city-wide committees and hearings focused on advocacy for justice involved women and gender expansive individuals
• Leverage relationships and release plans established with young people during custody and provide neighborhood-based supports
• Prepare and support families for a youth’s transition home from justice system involvement prior to release from custody;
• Facilitate and support youth enrollment, engagement and academic advancement;
• Connect youth to post-release neighborhood-based services, both in-house and through partner organizations, to support individual progress in overall youth development and to leverage natural supports and services in the neighborhood on behalf of youth members;
• Facilitate and support young people’s engagement with the world of work;
• Leverage relationships with formal and informal community members/leaders, local vendors, faith-based supports;
• Address and navigate system-related barriers on behalf of youth and families;
• Daily documentation of outreach, follow-up, individualized youth plans, and youth progress in the online database system.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and relevant experience working with youth population;
• Two years of experience youth and young adults who are systems involved (i.e., juvenile justice, child welfare, etc.);
• Two years of experience working in a community-based setting providing crisis support and/or case management;
• Integrity, flexibility and a profound commitment to the youth we serve;
• Committed to working collegially and in a team-based setting;
• Experience/training in youth development;
• Strong interpersonal skills, cultural competence, and an understanding and belief in strengths-based youth development philosophy;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Skilled in meticulous documentation and an eye for detail; proficient in Microsoft Excel;
• Experience in data entry on online database systems or a willingness to learn online database systems;
• Individuals with prior criminal justice involvement are encouraged to apply, but must be able to gain clearance on Rikers Island (no contact with criminal justice system for two years, including parole or probation);
• Covid-19 vaccination required for entry to Rikers and all city funded contractors;
• Physical ability to travel extensively throughout the five boroughs and Rikers via walking and public transportation;
• Occasional evenings and weekends required for youth development activities/events
• Preferred:
• Experience in education, conflict resolution, and/or counseling;
• Two years of experience working with women and/or gender expansive individuals;
• Experience with or understanding of trauma-informed practices;
• Bilingual;
• Experience working with both DOC and ACS systems and facilities;
• Experience in program start-up and/or working in a secure/custodial setting strongly preferred.

Youth Justice Network is privileged to have a profoundly committed and caring staff – one which believes unconditionally in our youth members’ ability to do right and do well.  We take our work very seriously, but we strive to make time for self-care and joy.  We look for staff from all walks of life who have integrity, humor, a strong work ethic, are passionate about young people and committed to address the harms caused by mass incarceration.  

Benefits include competitive vacation/sick leave policy including 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, generous health insurance, 403b employer match.

Salary Range:  45,000-50,000

All staff must be fully vaccinated at time of hire.

To apply, submit your resume and cover letter to careers@youthjustice.org.