Job Description – Youth Worker, Young Mothers Program

Location: Springfield, MA

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

About Roca

Roca is a fast-paced, data-driven, and relentless organization that serves over 1,300 high-risk young people including a growing population of young women and mothers every year. Through a unique intervention model, Roca proves that young people who are often feared, forgotten, and left out can in fact build safe, stable, and hopeful lives. At Roca, we believe that every young person matters and that with enough time and the right opportunities, change is possible. Roca’s strong outcomes and thousands of graduates are the proof that less jail is more future and that progress happens with work. Established in Chelsea, MA in 1988, Roca now has additional sites in Boston, Springfield, Lynn, and Holyoke, MA, and in Baltimore, MD, and most recently in Hartford, CT.

Position Overview

Roca’s work is based on the theory that young people, when re-engaged through positive and intensive relationships, can change their behaviors and develop life, education, and employment skills to disrupt the cycles of poverty and incarceration. Roca’s Intervention Model engages the highest-risk 16-24 year olds in a long-term process of behavior change and skill building opportunities. Understanding that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight, we deliver an Intervention Model that is four years long and allows for relapse during the process. We know that lasting change requires a safe space to grow and to flex newly acquired decision-making skills. If a young person is seeking change or can make it through our model without relapsing, then they are not a candidate for Roca and can likely be served by a less intense program.

The Youth Worker will report to the Assistant Director of the Roca Springfield Young Mothers Program and have the primary responsibility of engaging 20-25 very high-risk young mothers through relationships and programming as well as working with community partners (DCF, Probation, Early Intervention, and other community-based providers) in Springfield, Holyoke and the surrounding communities. The successful Youth worker will work closely with team members, supervisors, and others within the organization to ensure that each young person is driving to outcomes of economic independence and living out of harm’s way. We strive to meet short and intermediate term outcomes for Young Mothers including but not limited to: Increased Gains in Emotional Regulation, Increased Utilization of Early Childhood Services, Reduced Negative Systems Involvement, and in the long term: No Re-Incarcerations and Retained Employment.

General Responsibilities

• Facilitate, apply, practice, and demonstrate Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) using Roca’s Intervention Model.
• Consistently exercise and application of Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) informally, formally and virtually.
• Assist and role model in the process of obtaining and sustaining employment through job search and overall workforce professionalism.
• Engage with other aspects of work, such as but not limited to, family and criminal court engagement, work behind the wall/in residential programs, peacemaking circles, work with the community, productive and professional participation in meetings, etc.
• Continually learn, demonstrate, practice and improve skills related to Roca’s intervention model.
• Ensure accurate and timely entry of case notes into ETO (Efforts to Outcome system) daily.
• Act as a Crew Supervisor and manage a work crew, when needed.
• Analyze and interpret ETO data as it relates to young people and understanding how data relates to a young person’s progress.
• Ability to adapt outreach efforts in accordance of data collected in ETO.
• Other duties as assigned.

Specific Job Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of young people and build transformation relationships in alignment with Roca’s intervention model.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide additional types of educational/vocational/life skills programming, in person and virtually, e.g. educational classes, ServSafe, upgraded workforce professional skills, parenting and child development, healthy habits, driver’s education, and/or the ability to help with job placement.
• Strategically plan workweek schedules— including outreach lists for contact, programming needs, identifying if YP is in need of additional assistance and CBT coaching and constructive use of Track Books.

Qualifications

The very nature of Roca’s work requires an individual of great commitment and energy to the mission. Roca seeks a highly driven individual who is in alignment with the culture and values of Roca.In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker. He/she will have a sense of humor, feel passionate and committed to direct work with high risk youth, and demonstrate interest in coaching and supporting coworkers.

Roca expects candidates to have the following skills:

BA preferred/Equivalent experience accepted

• -Minimum of three years of direct service work with high risk young people, preferably teen mothers.
• Understanding and experience working with street involved high risk young people.
• Capacity for creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, violence prevention
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Capacity to think and act intentionally and strategically to help young people change behaviors.
• Creative problem solving and thinking.
• Excellent at organizing, managing and completing multiple complex projects and tasks simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor.
• Self-motivation, initiative, sound judgment, and commitment to ongoing learning are essential.
• Ability to work as a part of a team.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish preferred.

Requirements for the position:

• Ability to travel around the service area
• Computer Literacy
• Valid state issued driver’s license
• Criminal background and current driving record check
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, and Holidays and/or weekends as needed.
• Ability to work with diverse cultures
• Strong attendance and high energy

Physical Demands:

The physical demands that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, and talk and hear. - The employee is frequently required to push, pull, stock, and must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Work can be repetitive in nature.- Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception, peripheral vision, the ability to distinguish basic colors and the ability to adjust vision to bring objects into focus.

It may be necessary to wear some protective clothing and/or equipment such as rain and snow gear, boots, goggles, hard hat, full face shield, respirator, ear plugs/muffs and gloves. Work requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven surfaces, and recurring bending, climbing, crawling, crouching, stooping, and reaching, and occasional lifting or moderately heavy items. Work requires average physical agility and dexterity.

Work Environment:

The work environment an employee is exposed to while performing the essential functions of this job. The position can work in outdoor and indoor environments. The noise level is typically moderate. The incumbent is frequently exposed to all outdoor weather conditions.