Mentor

Duties and Responsibilities:

The United Way of Greater Knoxville received a $25 million Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative grant through the Tennessee Department of Human Services to implement innovative strategies for moving Tennessee families with economic, social, and developmental vulnerabilities beyond their current circumstances and onto self-sufficiency. The main focus of our three-year pilot initiative, called the East Tennessee Collaborative (ETC), is to implement an innovative care coordination system for East Tennessee families with the goals of reducing poverty, increasing economic opportunity pathways, and enhancing social supports using a relational and comprehensive, evidence-based approach.

Working closely with the partner agency leadership/supervisor and the ETC Mobility Mentor Lead, the Mobility Mentor will have direct responsibility for carrying a caseload of 25 families. This position will ensure participating families have the support, knowledge, and resources needed to achieve the ETC’s overarching goal of moving families from dependency to self-sufficiency in 18-36 months. The Mobility Mentor will report directly to a site supervisor within the partner organization and will receive additional guidance and supervision from the UWGK Mobility Mentor Lead. Supervision structure is subject to change with lessons learned as the grant progresses. This is a three-year, temporary position with no guarantee of renewal.

• Work in partnership with the ETC staff and partners to develop a relational, family-focused strategy with the outcome of increasing self-sufficiency, education, and economic mobility of families with children (in adherence to federal TANF goals)
• Assist in recruiting ETC program participants
• Carry a caseload of up to 25 families and provide holistic, family-focused services using Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)’s Bridge to Self-Sufficiency model
• Work closely with families on their journey to self-sufficiency through coaching and goal-setting
• Support families’ advancement in areas including health and wellness, financial literacy, education, workforce development, and other areas specific to individualized needs
• Conduct intake assessments and administer evaluations to monitor and document each family’s progress
• Keep thorough and organized documentation of caseload efforts and execute accurate data collection to ensure effective, data-driven program implementation
• Participate and support Mobility Mentor Lead’s efforts to develop and facilitate programs and community groups to enhance families’ social capital
• Serve as an expert resource for participating families and nonprofit partners on barriers to completing goals relating to housing, finances, career, education, childcare, healthcare, etc.
• Ensure fidelity to the ETC’s contracted services, models of care coordination, and compliance with all State grant regulations and requirements
• Work with the ETC’s EMPath trainers to engage in ongoing professional development

Position Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree with relevant work and/or volunteer experience. Lived experience relevant to this role will also be considered and can substitute for educational experience.
• 3 years’ experience working with low-income families
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Ability to build long-term relationships with participating families
• Humility and sensitivity in working with individuals representing various needs, abilities, and racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Competence with database entry and computer/technology systems
• Basic knowledge of resource access and coordinating services

Flexibility to respond appropriately to fluid and evolving program environments

• Willingness to report on work aspects and analyze efforts for continuous improvement
• Comfortability with ongoing supervision, peer coaching, shadowing, and feedback
• Ability to travel between program sites and other places in the Greater Knoxville Area to meet participants and partners, access resources, etc.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in social work or related field
• Experience in 1:1 mentoring, coaching, and goal setting with families
• Experience with traditionally underrepresented populations and communities
• Spanish language proficiency (Bilingual and Bicultural may be required at some sites)
• Familiarity with East Tennessee community, resources, and institutions

Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Belonging

We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

UWGK’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives are applicable—but not limited—to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; social and recreational programs; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of racial equity, gender equity, and ability diversity equity that encourages and enforces:

• Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees.
• Teamwork and employee participation, permitting the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
• Work/life balance through flexible work schedules to accommodate employees’ varying needs.
• Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for diverse cultures and backgrounds.

All employees of UWGK have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All employees are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work, at work functions on or off the worksite, and at all other organizational-sponsored and participative events. All employees are also required to attend and complete annual diversity and inclusion awareness training to enhance their knowledge to fulfill this responsibility.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $16.52 - $19.90 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Knoxville, TN 37917: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $17 - $20