Violence Prevention Instructor_FT

YWCA of Western Massachusetts•Springfield, MA

2d•$26

About The Position

The Violence Prevention Instructor will deliver evidence-based violence prevention curricula to youth ages 12-18, who live in Hampden County. The Prevention Instructor will leverage existing YWCA partnerships with area schools and youth serving organizations while forging new partnerships to deliver the evidence-based curriculum. The Prevention Instructor will forge new partnerships through networking and relationship building with public schools, private schools, youth serving organizations and charter schools in Hampden County. By partnering with community programs the Violence Prevention Instructor will be able to engage youth in critical prevention services, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent exploitation in their lives. The Violence Prevention Instructor will also organize trainings for the YWCA agency and staff in its various programs, including its emergency shelter, supportive housing program, young parent living programs, rape crisis center, community based domestic violence counseling and hotline. These staff trainings will cover how these programs, especially those that interact with youth, can embed violence prevention into their policies and procedures and their day-to-day interactions with clients.

Requirements

Must be committed to the YWCA agency mission and be able to support its vision actively and responsibly in a positive manner within the agency as well as the community;
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education with 2 years of experience in a human service and/or public health; or another related field;
Experience in collaborating with nonprofit organizations, public schools, and colleges;
Experience in working with youth in urban school settings
Experience in working with at risk youth
Understanding of both interpersonal and structural racism and bias;
Experience in public speaking and/or group facilitation;
English / Spanish language proficiency preferred;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; and
Excellent organizational and team collaboration skills
Crisis Management & Conflict Resolution - Ability to manage challenging situations, mediate conflicts, and provide appropriate support to youth in crisis.
Technological Skills Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and virtual collaboration tools (Zoom, Google Workspace). Familiarity with databases for tracking program participation and outcomes.
Leadership & Mentoring - Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to mentor and guide youth and/or junior staff.
Flexibility & Adaptability -Ability to adapt to changing priorities, work schedules, and program needs in a fast-paced environment.
Must have access to reliable transportation and valid driver’s license required. Must be able to cover the agency's insurance policy.

Responsibilities

Deliver year-round training to youth across cities and towns located in Hampden County as instructed by Program Supervisor.
Plan, design, facilitate, evaluate learning, youth development, and outreach activities;
Assess youth participants’ healthy relationships knowledge and behaviors at the start and end of the group experience;
Follow quantitative and qualitative data collection procedures;
Adopt, adapt, facilitate, and deliver the One Love, violence prevention curriculum that educates young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and to practice healthy love;
Adopt, adapt, facilitate, and deliver “Bout That Life” a bystander intervention workshop designed for students of color. The program’s objective is to bring an anti-oppression perspective into sexual violence work;
During workshops, help participants identify key terms: victim/survivor, sexual violence, IPV, stalking, consent, bystander, oppression, privilege, intersectionality, barriers in communities of color for intervention;
Initiate, strengthen, and sustain collaborative working relationships with public school, community, youth serving organizations and grant partners;
Attend and participate in required external meetings as well as relevant school and community events;
Engage in Youth Advisory Board, a peer-education based leadership group for youth across Hampden County and engage youth in the H.E.R.E. Project with community organizations.
Plan and facilitate a large-scale annual event for youth in the community to interactively engage in violence prevention work, involving the YWCA’s Youth Advisory Board;
Participate in regular supervision and project meetings with the Program Supervisor and Director of Youth, Violence Prevention, and Court Support Programs as well as required agency meetings and trainings; and
Perform other duties as necessary.