Community Engagement Advocate, Manhattan

CENTER FOR FAMILY REPRESENTATION•New York, NY

14d•$67,100 - $85,700•Hybrid

About The Position

CFR is seeking a Community Engagement Advocate. This is a full-time position where the individual will work under the supervision of the Parent Advocate Supervisor for Community Engagement, in partnership with CFR’s Policy and Community Engagement Team. The role will help coordinate the daily work of the department on a range of CFR’s community engagement initiatives and projects for cultivating and maintaining CFR’s work with community partners. It is critical that, as a Public Defender, CFR engages directly with the communities that we represent. CFR designed our Community Engagement Unit to help streamline CFR’s work in this area. Under the supervision and guidance of CFR’s Policy and Community Affairs Leadership, The Community Engagement Advocate’s primary responsibility will be to work collaboratively with their supervisor to continue to grow our community presence in all the boroughs CFR has offices. As a member of CFR’s staff, this position will work collaboratively with attorneys, social work staff, and parent advocate staff. The role is expected to work closely with CFR’s Early Defense team, Policy team, and Development team as needed. This individual will be expected to develop a strong understanding of CFR’s interdisciplinary model and work. They should come to CFR with familiarity with the community resources and needs of at least one or more of the boroughs in which CFR practices. CFR values the experience of those who have been directly impacted by the systems in which we work (family policing/child welfare, criminal legal system, juvenile delinquency system, immigration system). This position will be part of CFR’s Policy and Community Affairs team.

Requirements

At least 3 years experience advocating on behalf of New York City communities
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Experience planning community facing events, such as “family fun day”, organizing public testimony alongside impacted parent led-groups, know your rights sessions, and other types of community events as needed
Experience tabling and information sharing with the general public
Knowledge of community resources in 1 or more of the boroughs in which CFR practices
Ability to work as part of a team and a commitment to building strong relationships in the communities we work within
Strong time management and communication skills
Self-motivated
Experience in public speaking
Ability to work nights and some weekends to attend community events
Ability to lift and carry 50lbs

Nice To Haves

Candidates for this position who have personally experienced and navigated the child welfare and/or family policing systems or criminal legal system, youth legal system, or immigration enforcement system in the past are strongly preferred.
Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin or other Chinese languages, French, Bengali, Russian, or another language spoken by CFR clients
Experience being directly impacted by the family policing system, criminal legal system, immigration enforcement system, or the youth legal system
Residence in one of the communities that CFR serves
Experience working alongside attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates
Experience in community organizing and advocacy, ideally in both membership and policy campaigns
Experience and familiarity with CFR’s priority legislation, as well as related policy areas

Responsibilities

Providing input and assistance with Development efforts where appropriate (i.e. site visits with foundations)
In collaboration with the Parent Advocate Supervisor for Community Engagement, the Community Engagement Advocate will work on special projects/initiatives
In collaboration with the Parent Advocate Supervisor for Community Engagement and the Supervisor Government and Community Affairs: Cultivate relationships with New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Tenant Associations in the communities CFR serves to provide information about CFR’s services and how to access support
Cultivate relationships with community based organizations to alert them to the support that CFR provides and resources for their clientbase
Coordinate community events including know your rights and community roundtables and other informational sessions
Attend meetings with the Policy Team, Early Defense Team, and other internal and external meetings as organizational needs arise
Provide support to the Early Defense and Family Defense Teams as needed to support program outreach efforts
Comfortable working with elected officials and high level government agency officials
Assist with any data entry or tracking needs
Update and manage a community engagement calendar of activities
Schedule and manage consistent internal meetings between Early Defense and Policy teams
Keep detailed records of all community engagement activities
Assist with keeping CFR staff up to date on the activities of the Community Engagement Team
Maintain a database of community based organizations we have made contact with
Assist with distributing flyers and informational pamphlets
Participate in Know Your Rights presentations regarding the Family Policing System. These events may take place anywhere in the five boroughs.