Overview

The Organization
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.

The Center is an 800-employee, $100 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 Court, 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
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

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.

Neighbors In Actions (NIA)

Neighbors In Action (NIA) is a unique neighborhood institution that works to improve community problem solving, collaboration, and inter-group relations in Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Operating out of a storefront since 1998, Neighbors in Action 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. Save Our Streets (S.O.S. Brooklyn) operates one site in Crown Heights and one site in Bed-Stuy. S.O.S. 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.

NIA is seeking an Employment Specialist, Works Plus. Reporting to the Youth Program Coordinator, the employment specialist will work to implement pipelines to employment strategies to complement ongoing work readiness learning initiatives for Brooklyn youth through its NeON Works and Works Plus programs. The Employment Specialist will oversee youth employment placement in and manage industry and organizational partnerships for our workforce development department. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Work closely with the Program Coordinator and Education and Career Specialist to develop a comprehensive community outreach plan; 
  • Assist with the development of NIA Youth Center’s youth workforce development strategies and partnerships;
  • Develop employment roadmaps with youth that outline their steps for achieving employment;
  • Complete job readiness assessments with youth to measure work readiness and track progress towards employment goals;
  • Conduct regular outreach to participants to build relationships and ensure continued engagement in programming;
  • Outreach to youth placed in HSE, certification and employment to provide ongoing support and coaching;
  • Build and maintain relationships with community employment partners to provide workshops, guest speakers and potential job placement for program participants;
  • Complete weekly reports that detail programming successes, youth progress and planned next steps to support participant goals;
  • Enter intake information, workshop attendance, and progress in appropriate database;
  • Identify, engage, and track potential internship, job training and job placement sites and escort participants, as necessary;
  • Assist with the development of the Youth Center’s “Neighborhood Opportunity Network” and meet with stakeholder groups;
  • Co-facilitate orientation sessions and programs for work readiness program participants;
  • Plan and/or facilitate sector-based trainings and/or workshops on employment readiness skill-building with participants, including resume and cover letter writing, job search and interview skills;
  • Provide individual assessments to Works Plus participants to discover strengths for and barriers to employment;
  • Provide individual coaching for Works Plus participants elated to career and/or internship skills, general support, and employment retention;
  • Maintain records of identified participants’ contacts;
  • Attend community meetings and events to support recruitment, as requested;
  • Organize and participate in all administration/management and program review meetings to ensure program progress; help communicate progress to other Youth Center staff;
  • Attend NIA events and participate in planning committees;
  • Provide all services in a culturally-responsive manner, being responsive to the needs of urban court-involved youth;
  • Maintain a work culture conducive to innovation and team building;
  • Additional relevant tasks, as needed. 

Position Type:  Full-time; Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm. Schedule may be flexible, changing, and include late nights.

Qualifications:  The ideal candidate will have a 3-4 years of relevant experience working closely with delinquent, court-involved youth and families. Bachelor’s degree in a human services, psychology or sociology field preferred. Candidate must have a mature grasp of community organizing and relationship building techniques, strong team skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Strong administrative and computer skills for timely comprehensive tracking are a must. Familiarity with the Central Brooklyn communities and existing relationships with potential employers preferred. Candidate must be able to pass a drug screening, and work a flexible schedule that includes late evenings, weekends, and holidays. 

Compensation:  Hourly rate begins at $27.40 per hour based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience. This position is eligible for overtime at 1.5x the hourly rate above 40 hours per week. The Center for Court 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 Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of 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 seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.

As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.

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