What are the responsibilities and job description for the Youth Worker, Boston Young Mothers position at Roca, Inc?
Job Description – Youth Worker, Boston Young Mothers
Location: Boston and Chelsea
FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt
About Roca
Roca is a fast-paced, data-driven, and relentless organization that serves over 1,200 high-risk young people every year. Through a unique intervention model, Roca proves that young people who are often feared, forgotten, and left out can in fact build safe, stable, and hopeful lives. At Roca, we believe that every young person matters and that with enough time and the right opportunities, change is possible. Roca’s strong outcomes and thousands of graduates are the proof that less jail is more future, and that progress happens with work. Established in Chelsea, MA in 1988, Roca now has additional sites in Boston, Springfield, Lynn, and Holyoke, MA, and in Baltimore, MD, and most recently in Hartford, CT.
In July 2022, Roca received funding to begin working with the highest-risk young women and mothers in the City of Boston, specifically targeting the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan wither higher than average teen birth rates and increasing numbers of young women impacted by violence, where there are no two-generation programs designed to intensively serve highly traumatized and disconnected young women and children caught up in violence and involved in multiple systems. This position will primarily be based in Roca’s Boston site but will be expected to be in Roca’s Chelsea site once per week for events including but not limited to joint staff meetings and trainings and participant engagements.
Position Overview
Roca’s work is based on the theory that young people, when re-engaged through positive and intensive relationships, can change their behaviors, and develop life, education, and employment skills to disrupt the cycles of poverty and incarceration. Roca’s Intervention Model engages the highest risk 16–24-year-olds in a long-term process of behavior change and skill building opportunities. Understanding that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight, we deliver an Intervention Model that is four years long and allows for relapse during the process. We know that lasting change requires a safe space to grow and to flex newly acquired decision-making skills. If a young person is seeking change or can make it through our model without relapsing, then they are not a candidate for Roca and can likely be served by a less intense program.
The Youth Worker will report to the Assistant Director of Roca Boston Young Mothers and have the primary responsibility of engaging 20-25 very high-risk young women through relationships and programming as well as working with community partners (DCF, DTA, Probation, and other community-based providers) within the City of Boston. The Youth Worker will primarily work with young women coming out of jail through Roca’s re-entry work and will occasionally be expected to work behind the wall. The successful Youth worker will work closely with team members, supervisors, and others within the organization to ensure that each young person is driving to outcomes of economic independence and living out of harm’s way. We strive to meet short and intermediate term outcomes for Young Mothers including but not limited to: Increased Gains in Emotional Regulation, Increased Utilization of Early Childhood Services, Reduced Negative Systems Involvement, and in the long term: No Re-Incarcerations and Retained Employment.
Responsibilities
- Maintain a caseload of young people and build transformation relationships in alignment with Roca’s intervention model.
- Work with Reentry Coordinators to facilitate the transition of young women being released from jail onto caseload. Occasionally provide case management and programming to young behind the wall.
- Demonstrate the ability to provide additional types of educational/vocational/life skills programming, including but not limited to educational supports, financial literacy, workforce readiness, parenting and child development, healthy habits, driver’s education, and/or help with job placement.
- Strategically plan workweek schedules— including outreach lists for contact, programming needs, identifying if YP needs additional assistance and CBT coaching and constructive use of Track Books.
- Facilitate, apply, practice, and demonstrate Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) using Roca’s Intervention Model. Consistently exercise and application of Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT).
- Assist and role model in the process of obtaining and sustaining employment through job search and overall workforce professionalism.
- Engage with other aspects of work, such as but not limited to, family and criminal court engagement, work behind the wall/in residential programs, peacemaking circles, work with the community, productive and professional participation in meetings, etc.
- Ensure accurate and timely entry of case notes into ETO (Efforts to Outcome system) daily. Analyze and interpret ETO data as it relates to young people and understanding how data relates to a young person’s progress. Adapt outreach efforts in accordance with data collected in ETO.
Qualifications
The very nature of Roca’s work requires an individual of great commitment and energy to the mission. Roca seeks a highly driven individual who is in alignment with the culture and values of Roca. In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker. He/she will have a sense of humor, feel passionate and committed to direct work with high-risk youth, and demonstrate interest in coaching and supporting coworkers.
Roca expects candidates to have the following skills:
- BA preferred/Equivalent experience accepted - minimum of three years of direct service work with high-risk young people, preferably teen mothers.
- Understanding and experience working with street involved high risk young people.
- Capacity for creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, violence prevention
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Capacity to think and act intentionally and strategically to help young people change behaviors.
- Creative problem solving and thinking.
- Excellent at organizing, managing, and completing multiple complex projects and tasks simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor.
- Self-motivation, initiative, sound judgment, and commitment to ongoing learning are essential.
- Ability to work as a part of a team.
- Bilingual in Spanish preferred but not required.
Requirements for the position:
- Ability to travel around the service area
- Computer Literacy
- Valid state issued driver’s license
- Criminal background and current driving record check
- Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, and Holidays and/or weekends as needed.
- Ability to work with diverse cultures
- Strong attendance and high energy
Physical Demands:
The physical demands that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to push, pull, stock, and must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Work can be repetitive in nature. Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception, peripheral vision, the ability to distinguish basic colors and the ability to adjust vision to bring objects into focus.
It may be necessary to wear some protective clothing and/or equipment such as rain and snow gear, boots, goggles, hard hat, full face shield, respirator, ear plugs/muffs and gloves. Work requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven surfaces, and recurring bending, climbing, crawling, crouching, stooping, and reaching, and occasional lifting or moderately heavy items. Work requires average physical agility and dexterity.
Work Environment:
The work environment an employee is exposed to while performing the essential functions of this job. The position can work in outdoor and indoor environments. The noise level is typically moderate. The incumbent is frequently exposed to all outdoor weather conditions.
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