Young Adult Re-Entry Mentor

Hourchildren.org•Long Island City, NY

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Hour Children (HC) is an organization founded to help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully rejoin the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent, and secure lives. Hour Children provides compassionate and comprehensive services approaching work in an anti-discriminatory, inclusive environment committed to HC's standards of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This position provides mentorship and case management to young adults (18-26) during incarceration and transition back into the community. The mentor will provide comprehensive case management services, identify strengths and challenges, and navigate client readiness for connecting with children. The mentor will work closely with other Hour Children program staff to monitor progress, coordinate referral support, and achieve program goals. This position requires coordination with external partners to deliver assistance for a variety of needs, including literacy, behavioral health issues, and housing, to ensure that services are coordinated.

Requirements

Lived experience with the criminal legal system.
BA in social work or other relevant degree with 3 years' experience or 5+ years youth adult mentorship and case management experience, preferably in human services with equivalent combination of training and experience.
Experience with data entry and proficiency with computers, including Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and case management systems.
Ability to work independently, be flexible and dependable, and demonstrate initiative and creativity.
This role requires the successful completion and approval of a background check and application, to be conducted by the Department of Corrections & Community Supervision in accordance with their protocols and procedures, in addition to an Hour Children application.

Nice To Haves

Professional or personal experience providing mentorship to individuals with disabilities, mental illnesses, or challenging behaviors is highly preferred.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, a plus (read, write, and speak proficiently).
Previous experience working with young adults impacted by incarceration and reentry programming preferred.
Proficiency in trauma-informed and/or motivational interviewing or similar person-centered engagement techniques is a plus.

Responsibilities

Mentor incarcerated young adult clients at the Rose M. Singer Center (RMSC) on Rikers Island for successful re-entry.
Review client records and applications to determine eligibility for the program and complete intake interviews with eligible clients.
Serve as a liaison between the client and community organizations to meet reentry needs.
Work closely with counselors, housing specialists, and other Rikers staff to determine clients' need for therapeutic medical, psycho-social, and psychiatric evaluations.
Work with clients to create a personalized reentry preparation plan that includes clear goals, navigation of benefits, connections to resources, and development of life skills.
Deliver small-group workshops to improve clients' life skills, communication, parenting, and navigation of social services.
Accomplish client care by assessing treatment needs, developing, monitoring, and evaluating trauma-informed treatment plans and progress, and facilitating interdisciplinary approaches.
Monitor clients' participation in the program, including their attendance at workshops, review case notes, and observe and evaluate treatments and responses.
Advocate for needed services and entitlements, and be prepared to intervene in crises.
Participate in weekly interdisciplinary meetings and evaluations to communicate client progress and identify any obstacles to achieving program goals.
Coordinate discharge and post-discharge requirements by working with DOC-based counselors and Hour Children re-entry specialists to carry out clients' re-entry plans.
Communicate with client family members and provide resources, including support for parents and assistance with prenatal education.
Participate in educational opportunities by reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations.