Participant Engagement Specialist, Supervised Release Program

Center for Justice Innovation•New York, NY

3d•$53,500 - $61,800•Onsite

About The Position

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI), the largest operating project of the Center for Justice Innovation, aims to transform the criminal court experience in Brooklyn by offering judges and attorneys alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. BJI operates from Kings County Criminal Court and community-based offices, employing a team of social service providers, court-based resource coordinators, mental health practitioners, and compliance specialists. The Supervised Release Program (SRP) provides an alternative to jail by offering pretrial supervision, case management, and voluntary social services to individuals facing misdemeanor and felony charges. This program utilizes arrests as an opportunity for positive change, aiming to prevent the negative consequences of incarceration. Participants are monitored for court appearances and program attendance, and are connected to services such as job training, drug treatment, and mental health counseling. BJI is seeking a Participant Engagement Specialist for its Supervised Release Program (SRP) in Brooklyn. This program serves thousands of court-mandated participants annually, providing supervision, case management, and connections to social services. Reporting to the Supervising Case Manager, the Participant Engagement Specialist will utilize interpersonal and data management skills to support participant engagement. This role involves outreach to participants who have missed program orientation or intake, or who have been disengaged for 21 days or more. The Specialist will also collaborate with intake, case management, and compliance teams to ensure accurate court reporting and ongoing program engagement.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required
Minimum 1 year direct practice or customer service experience required
Excellent written and verbal communication skills required
Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills
Must be able to work effectively and independently and as part of a highly interdependent, multi-disciplinary team within a fast-paced and dynamic work environment
Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a variety of program stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court staff, and site partner agencies
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment

Nice To Haves

Comprehensive knowledge of and/or experience with the criminal legal and related systems is valued but not required
Bilingual (English-Spanish) strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Complete outreach to all disengaged participants mandated to SRP in Brooklyn to re-engage them in the program
Carry a caseload of disengaged participants who failed to meet with BJI SR's intake team, for outreach purposes
Engage in weekly outreach efforts by phone and email to participants and their collateral contacts and defense attorneys to support program engagement
Monitor all participants simultaneously assigned to bail and SRP, collaborating with the clinical intake team as appropriate
Maintain accurate and timely data entry and case documentation aligned with the program model, court reporting obligations, and best practices
Collaborate with the clinical, case management, and compliance teams to ensure outreach to all participants whose orientations or intakes are incomplete or who have been disengaged from the program for 21 days or more
Contribute to consistent and effective cross-team communication
Participate in team and inter-team meetings
Participate in individual supervision and regular staff trainings to develop program expertise and related skill sets
Participate in all-staff and departmental meetings to build team cohesion, communication, and morale
Attend project events, community events, and meetings after hours, as needed
Additional relevant tasks, as necessary