Outreach & Engagement Specialist

Overview:

CASES’ Supervised Release Program (SRP) annually diverts over 5,000 people otherwise facing pretrial detention at Rikers Island to community-based supervision and support services. Program participants include youth and young adults, people with substance use disorders and mental illnesses, and individuals who are homeless. About 88% of SRP participants identify as Black and Latinx. The program serves individuals of all gender identities and sexual orientations. While many SRP participants experience significant behavioral health and other service needs, they have not been found guilty of a crime and have limited obligation to engage in program services. This context requires SRP community staff to expertly deliver culturally competent and trauma-informed approaches to help participants tap into their intrinsic motivation as they recognize and leverage their strengths and skills, typically including remarkable resilience. Community staff—including through mobile outreach in participants’ community settings—help participants fulfill SRP court-mandated supervision. SRP community staff seek to leverage the pretrial supervision period—typically lasting about 5-6 months—to help participants identify their goals and access services to support meaningful life improvements while fulfilling all court requirements and avoiding detention and incarceration.

What you will be doing:              

• Support enhanced supervision and case management activities in collaboration with pretrial clinical coordinators and case managers while delivering services in-vivo in community locations (participant homes, shelters, on the street, at providers, in the courthouse, and in other community locations) for scheduled and unannounced outreach/engagement visits to respond to concerns about the participant.
• Proactively develop engaging relationships with participants at risk of poor pretrial supervision engagement and compliance by working with participants in the community to address formal and informal needs.
• Conduct outreach alone and with pretrial staff to find participants and build trusting relationships to support adherence to pretrial supervision release conditions.
• Rapidly respond to requests from assigned Case Coordinators to conduct community outreach visits for participants who have missed appointments to provide reengagement supports.
• Act as a link between participants at high risk of poor engagement and pretrial supervision staff by developing trusting and effective relationships with participants while being a hands-on resource to meet with participants in the community to respond to needs. 
• Use motivational interviewing training skills to problem solve, advocate, and handle increasingly complex tasks related to participant engagement, compliance with mandated appointments and court dates.
• Develop extensive knowledge of the neighborhoods where participants live by understanding informal community resources as well as resources for participants that are street homeless, networking with key stakeholders, both formal and informal, all to enhance community outreach success.
• Serve as an advocate and liaison for participants negotiating social services by providing direct in-person supports. 
• Provide escorts to support participants to attend scheduled court appearances and to resolve open warrants.
• Provide culturally competent and anti-racist services 1) in accordance with CASES’ policies and the delivery of excellent engagement services to address participant needs for youth and young adults, adults, and individuals with behavioral health needs and 2) that are responsive to the race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and criminal legal history and current legal status of program participants.
• Participate in supervision, case review, and staff meetings to develop competence and a comprehensive team approach to participants with complex needs that facilitates development of skills in the area of motivational, interviewing, trauma-informed approaches, outreach, brief intervention strategies while maintaining an attention to self-care. 

What we are looking for:

• High School Diploma/HSE required.
• People with lived experience in the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply.
• One to two years community outreach experience working on street outreach, mobile treatment or crisis response teams with individuals who have a serious mental illness, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and/or with people involved in the criminal legal system.
• Fluency in Spanish preferred 
• Driver’s license preferred.
• Comfort and experience working in various NYC neighborhoods and working outdoors for most of the workday regardless of weather conditions.

For more information about CASES benefits please visit: Careers - CASES