Streetworker

Job Title: Streetworker (Lawrence)

Reports to: Lawrence Streetworker Manager

Type: Full Time 

Salary: $55,000-$67,000

Category: Streetwork Team

Background on UTEC, INC.:

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth “where they’re at.” UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC strongly encourages applications from people of color, individuals with lived experience in the criminal legal system, and those from other historically underrepresented communities, including those most impacted by violence and economic inequity.

Job Summary

UTEC’s Streetworkers meet young adults "where they’re at"; which includes on the streets, in jails or prisons, or at court. Their work serves as the engaging point of UTEC's model. The primary goals of the Streetworker are to: 1) recruit participants for UTEC’s Workforce Program (direct recruiting Streetwork); and 2) assist in reducing violence in the communities of Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill through gang peacemaking (indirect recruiting Streetwork). 

Duties/Responsibilities

• Design and implement an outreach plan to target specific groups of young people such as those out-of-school, homeless, gang-involved young adults. Their outreach is based on a three- pronged approach: 1) providing street and neighborhood-based outreach (i.e. frequenting the local gang hotspots, parks, etc.) 2) visiting other youth-serving organizations on a regularly basis and 3) receiving referrals from other "systems-based" agencies. Streetworkers will also provide training to other community providers on topics such as gang awareness and intervention.
• Implement peace making processes with all gang involved youth. The peacemaking process involves introduction meetings, peace trips, peace circles, and peace summits.
• Provide crisis intervention and conflict resolution (between both gang and non-gang involved youth).
• Follow up on young adult referrals from project partners (jails and prisons, schools, probation department, gang unit, DYS, etc.).
• Conduct “in-reach” wherein they visit young adults inside locked juvenile detention and adult correctional facilities, starting three to six months prior to their release back into the community, to assist with reentry plans and related documentation.
• Facilitate small group talking circles in county jails to address issues of shared interest and to deepen relationships
• Provide immediate transition support for young adults returning from incarceration, including picking them up from their facility, taking them out for a meal or haircut, bringing them to their family or transitional housing, etc. 
• Serve as a point of entry for UTEC programming.
• Work with a caseload of (15-21) selected young adults that are justice involved.
• Maintain updated paperwork and files.
• Provide supportive counseling and advocacy for gang and homeless youth.
• Identify and provide resources, referral and follow up for each youth re: education, employment, treatment, shelter, recreation, peacemaking, etc.
• Work with neighborhood organizations and social service agencies to gain knowledge and visibility at youth hangouts and local hotspots. These partnerships will provide a framework for strong service plans.
• Intervene/practice respectful curiosity and follow up on incidents related to youth population.
• Be on 24-hour on call to respond to youth crisis (rotating schedule). 
• Follow-up: Transitional Coaches and caseworkers provide intensive follow-up to young people most in need of services (i.e. phone calls, home visits, follow-up calls to their teachers, youthworkers, DYS caseworkers, or probation officers). Follow-up is essential when working with out-of-school, gang, or court-involved young people.

Qualifications

• Ability to connect with young adults and build real relationships
• Someone who knows the Merrimack Valley - especially Lawrence- and understands the community
• Bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus
• Ability to be on call: our Streetworker team follows a rotating schedule, taking turns being on 24-hour call to respond to youth crises
• Comfortable leading trainings, circles, and focus groups 
• Ability to develop Individual Success Plans and help execute those plans 
• Understands trauma and knows hoe to support people with care, patience, and respect

Education and Experience

• Youth work experience, such as experience working with proven risk young adults and justice-involved young adults, reentry work, outreach, home visits, etc.
• We are a second chance employer looking for folks who have been through the system. Your life experience means you speak the same language as the Young Adults we serve. If you've walked the path, you're the best person to show them the way out.
• Knowledge of correction institutions and reentry programs
• Has been part of or practiced restorative justice (e.g. through a program, circles, or helping people work through conflict)

Physical Requirements

• Has a driver's license and no moving violations for the past 5 years
• Able to lift 25 lbs. 

Starting Salary/Benefits: $55,000-$65,000 plus benefits. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 3 weeks of vacation plus a week off between the Christmas and New Year holidays, 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, and 3 bereavement days, as well as health, dental, and vision insurance starting day one. We also offer life insurance, first-time homeowners down payment assistance, cost of living increases, a paid sabbatical after three years, and a 401K retirement plan with up to $2,000 savings match. See more about our benefits here. 

UTEC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UTEC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location where the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training