Transformative Initiatives, Coordinator

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

The Center’s RISE Project seeks to respond to the intersection of gun violence and intimate partner violence. RISE builds community capacity to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence, engages individuals who are causing harm to take accountability and change their behavior, and supports positive community norms around relationships. RISE’s approach is community-centered, survivor-informed, and holistic, rooted in principles of safety, accountability, and transformative justice.

RISE seeks a Coordinator to join the Transformative Initiatives team, focused on working with people who cause harm in their intimate relationships. The Coordinator will support implementation of the Respect First program, a free, city-wide program for young people ages 13-21 who have harmed others or been unhealthy in their relationships. It focuses on healing, self-reflection, and taking responsibility for actions. The program includes a 16-week group experience, individualized support, and connections to other helpful resources. The goal is to address the root causes behind harmful behavior and help participants make positive changes in their lives. Reporting to the Senior Program Manager of Transformative Initiatives, the Coordinator will provide outreach, workshop facilitation, individualized support and resource coordination services. 

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with community partners, organizations, and stakeholders across the New York City area;
• Actively participate in community meetings and events, including those held during evenings and weekends;
• Conduct ongoing community outreach and canvassing to promote program visibility and engagement;
• Represent the program at local events to build awareness and foster community connections;
• Facilitate engaging and impactful workshops using the RISE curriculum for program participants;
• Provide individualized case management and counseling services to RISE participants;
• Support participants who have caused harm in relationships by helping them develop and implement personalized action plans aligned with their goals and service needs;
• Offer immediate engagement and support to participants experiencing harm, ensuring rapid and trauma-informed responses;
• Lead outreach, engagement, and enrollment efforts to bring new participants into the program;
• Collaborate with RISE team members to design and implement individualized engagement and aftercare plans;
• Identify and involve participants’ support networks when appropriate; connect participants to services addressing health, education, employment, housing, and food security;
• Make and track voluntary referrals to community-based services, ensuring consistent follow-up and communication with service providers;
• Accurately document services, contacts, and relevant participant data in the program’s database and internal tracking systems in a timely manner;
• Prepare and submit detailed monthly reports to the Senior Program Manager capturing key program metrics and participant outcomes;
• Provide cross-coverage and support for other RISE programs and initiatives as needed;
• Travel across all five NYC boroughs to facilitate and support program activities;
• Attend and assist with RISE-hosted events, which may be scheduled on evenings or weekends; and
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned to support program goals.

Qualifications: Master's in social work or a mental health field with at least two years of experience in a position directly related to intimate partner violence, community violence and/or a related field required. Licensure is preferred. This exciting position requires a creative self-starter who can accomplish tasks in a fast-paced environment. Candidates must be comfortable navigating interdisciplinary settings and must be willing to roll up their sleeves and be actively involved in day-to-day operations.

Additional Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with transformative justice frameworks, individual case management, group facilitation and community-based violence prevention preferred;
• Experience in resource coordination and community engagement;
• Experience working with emerging adults ages 13 - 21, in social service or educational settings; and
• Bi-Lingual English/ Spanish preferred.

Position Type: Full-time. In-person role, from Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 6:00pm with occasional weekend and evening shifts as needed.

Position Location: Bronx, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $60,950 - $75,350 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.