Participant Engagement Specialist

Center for Justice Innovation•New York, NY

2d•$55,000 - $60,200•Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Bronx Community Solutions (BCS), aims to provide community-based alternatives to jail, restore community relationships, and center the needs and dignity of participants while helping them avoid further criminal legal involvement. BCS offers meaningful alternatives to the traditional criminal legal system, providing a variety of services including pre-arraignment diversion and alternative to incarceration programming. The Restorative Justice Department at BCS has developed several court diversion initiatives centering restorative justice philosophy, providing opportunities for healing, relationship building and repair, and genuine expressions of accountability in lieu of isolation and punishment. These initiatives utilize “circles”, a unique form of communication inspired by indigenous justice and community building practices. Project Reset, a pre-court early diversion program, offers adults who receive desk appearance tickets for low-level misdemeanors the opportunity to participate in a one-time community building circle to resolve their arrest and avoid a criminal record. BCS also offers same-day at-arraignment programming for eligible individuals to resolve their case through a restorative circle on the day of their court appearance in the courthouse. Finally, BCS provides a more intensive restorative justice diversion and alternative-to-incarceration process for misdemeanor and felony cases involving harm or conflict. This programming brings together the person impacted by the harm, the person responsible, and their community members to discuss the impact of the harm, take accountability, explore underlying issues, and agree upon a pathway forward. BCS is seeking a Part-Time Participant Engagement Specialist. Reporting to the Restorative Justice Coordinator, the Participant Engagement Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting the outreach and intakes of eligible Project Reset program participants who have received a desk appearance ticket for a low-level arrest and have been deemed eligible for pre-arraignment diversion programming. The Engagement Specialist will engage in a variety of forms of outreach including making cold calls to inform potential participants of their ability to resolve their arrest with the Project Reset program, conduct intakes, and schedule participants for programming, among other responsibilities.

Requirements

High school diploma and a minimum of two years of relevant lived, educational, and/or professional experience in the criminal legal field or a related social service field required
Comfort conducting a variety of forms of outreach, including making cold calls
Strong engagement and interpersonal skills
Ability to convey information to participants clearly, accurately, and completely
Collaborative working style and flexibility and openness to working on a variety of projects in various locations in a multifaceted role
Problem-solving attitude and willingness to take initiative to address challenges
Ability to navigate electronic platforms and document or outreach management systems such as Salesforce and Microsoft Suite
Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and identities, and demonstrate a commitment to an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and social justice-centered practice

Nice To Haves

Previous experience or familiarity with restorative justice strongly preferred
Strong preference for bilingual English/Spanish language fluency
Meaningful connections to the Bronx community
Knowledge and/or lived experience related to the criminal legal system and its impact on communities
Experience working with individuals impacted by violence or trauma and a familiarity with trauma-informed practices
Candidates who are formerly incarcerated or who have otherwise been impacted by the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply

Responsibilities

Conduct cold outreach calls, send texts, and mail letters to eligible participants
Complete participant intakes and schedule participants for diversion programming
Track outreach efforts and case notes in the Salesforce data management system and other program systems
Assist with administrative tasks, record keeping, and participant follow-up as needed
Research community resources and social services providers to gain knowledge of available services
Compile and share legal and community resources with participants based on their needs
Participate in restorative circles and other participant or community programming and events, as needed
Attend team meetings and any staff training opportunities
Support the overall operations of the Restorative Justice department programs