Outreach Worker Supervisor

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.  

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Neighbors in Action, formerly known as the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center operates out of a storefront since the summer of 1998, and provides anti-violence programs, youth programs, and resource links to community residents. Its mission is to encourage communication and understanding, prevent future conflicts, and help foster stronger, healthier neighborhoods.

Neighbors in Action (NIA) seeks an Outreach Worker Supervisor. Reporting to the S.O.S. Program Manager, the Outreach Worker Supervisor oversees the Crown Heights Outreach Workers. S.O.S. Crown Heights is a replication of the Cure Violence program, a gun violence prevention model that aims to reduce and prevent shootings through the use of public health strategies. The Outreach Worker Supervisor will work individually and as part of a team to prevent neighborhood shootings and killings. They provide conflict mediation services and provide direction to the team.

• Work closely with the Program Manager to plan the day-to-day and week-to-week activities with and for the outreach staff;  
• Have daily communication with each member of the outreach team;
• Meet weekly at a regularly scheduled time for supervision sessions with each team member; 
• Lead the outreach workers and collaborate with the Program Manger in researching causes of shootings/killings and assist in mediating underlying conflicts and prevent retaliations between individuals and groups; 
• Identify and build relationships with individuals who are at high risk of involvement in shootings and killings to help them rethink their attitudes and beliefs about violence and redirect their lives in more positive directions; 
• Maintain a small caseload of five participants;
• Create and monitor a risk reduction plan with each participant;
• Plan, prepare, attend and help to facilitate participant events including violence prevention and life skills workshops in local schools, parks, and community-based organizations; 
• Lead outreach workers in identifying and cooling “hot spots” for shootings and violence (e.g., conducting eyeball surveys with residents and community-based organizations to identify areas frequented by high risk individuals);
• Conduct outreach to the community to build strong relationships with youth, residents, businesses, and community groups;
• Work with the Program Manager to provide program participants with support and linkages to programs including wrap-around services (e.g., job programs, GED, drug treatment, and mentoring);
• Attend weekly supervision sessions with the Program Manager and report regularly to the Program Manager on all violence reduction strategies, relevant community activities, personnel issues, or communications with press, politicians, or law enforcement;  
• Document all work including shootings and other acts of violence prevented, case notes, referrals, contacts with participants, and changes in participants’ status;
• Collaborate with the Program Manager in planning and executing the community mobilization strategy;
• Assist the Program Manager in organizing community rallies in response to shootings and deploying the outreach workers to increase its visibility when shootings/killings take place in the target area;
• Maintain a schedule of all approved S.O.S. Hospital Responders (including the Coordinator) that tracks the rotation of responses to hospital calls;
• Monitor Hospital Responders’ log entries to ensure that the data regarding is accurate and up to date; and
• Additional tasks as necessary.

Qualifications: High school diploma as well as a minimum of 4 years’ experience or the equivalent in a related area, knowledge of mental health, youth engagement, and community organizing. The candidate should reside in or have an in-depth knowledge of Bed-Stuy, especially the target area (Nostrand Avenue to Marcus Garvey Boulevard, Kosciuszko Street to Madison Street) including individuals and groups in the neighborhood who are known to have had past involvement with gangs and/or gun violence, influential people in the neighborhood and the area’s hotspots. A stable residence within or nearby the target area (highly preferred). Excellent communication skills and basic computer skills. Experience with (or eagerness to develop) administrative skills in reporting, and documentation. Ability to walk 40 blocks. One or more years of supervisory experience is preferred. Formerly incarcerated persons are encouraged to apply.

Position Type: Full-time (ability to work a flexible schedule that includes late evenings, weekends and holidays).

Position Location: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $58,500 - $65,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.