Assistant Director of Outreach, Manhattan
The Outreach Department is responsible for engaging system partners, bringing new participants into the program, and facilitating restorative justice circles.
Common Justice develops and advances solutions to violence that transform the lives of those harmed and foster racial equity without relying on incarceration. Locally, the project operates the first alternative to incarceration and victim service program in the United States to focus on violent felonies in the adult courts. Nationally, it leverages the lessons from its direct service to transform the justice system through partnerships, advocacy, and elevating the experience and power of those most impacted. Rigorous and hopeful, Common Justice builds practical strategies to hold people accountable for harm, break cycles of violence, and secure safety, healing and justice for survivors and their communities.
In our direct service work, Common Justice operates a restorative justice-based alternative to prison and victim service program for serious and/or violent felony cases such as assault, burglary, and robbery. The project brings 16-26-year-olds responsible for crimes together with those they have harmed and their support people in a facilitated restorative justice dialogue to determine appropriate agreements to make things as right as possible and take the place of a prison sentence. The work includes intensive supervision and violence intervention work with people who have caused harm, wraparound support for the survivors and their loved ones, and engagement of system actors who play critical roles in the diversion of cases. We aim to meet the needs of people harmed by violence, prevent further harm, and improve the lives of people and communities impacted by violence. While we serve the full range of people harmed by crime, a significant portion of the survivors Common Justice works with are men of color, many of them young adults. Common Justice believes that all survivors deserve more options that resonate with their sense of justice, safety, and respect and that communities deserve programs that help halt cycles of violence, improve public safety, and meet their needs.
The Outreach Department is responsible for engaging system partners, bringing new participants into the program, and facilitating restorative justice circles.
Responsibilities
The Assistant Director of Outreach will be responsible for the following duties:
- Build and maintain robust relationships and effective processes with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, defense bar, and judiciary to ensure a steady flow of cases and program fidelity.
- Supervise and train outreach staff in Manhattan who are working directly with the court system, Manhattan District Attorney’s office and the defense bar, as well as harmed and responsible parties;
- Maintain responsibility for representing Common Justice at regular court appearances, including pleas;
- Coordinate ongoing program assessment and evaluation;
- Facilitate team meetings, case conferences and training and development meetings for direct service staff.
- Conduct outreach to harmed parties (survivors) as needed.
- Conduct intakes and assessments with responsible parties (defendants) as needed.
- Plan, coordinate and facilitate restorative justice circles with harmed and responsible parties.
- Supervise and coach staff effectively who will facilitate restorative justice circles
- Plan and facilitate rites of passage circles with responsible parties.
- Coordinate harmed and responsible party engagement across the direct service team in collaboration with other Assistant Directors.
- Interface with system partners and represent Common Justice publicly as needed.
- Contribute to grant reporting and management.
- Collaborate closely with the Assistant Director of Outreach for the Bronx and Brooklyn and provide coverage when needed.
- Conduct regular audits of program databases.
- Collaborate effectively across all teams and departments.
- Develop and maintain community partnerships for referrals.
- Conduct CLEs and other presentations to outside partners.
Qualifications
Candidates must possess the following qualifications:
- Masters in Social Work or comparable degree; or JD strongly preferred.
- Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) preferred.
- Three or more years supervising staff required.
- Five or more years' experience working with system-involved youth and/or adults required.
- Experience working with victims of crime/survivors of trauma and delivering trauma-informed care preferred.
- Experience with community engagement and working with system-involved youth and/or the criminal justice field strongly preferred
- Experience working with criminal justice system actors preferred.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Strong restorative justice circle facilitation skills preferred.
- Flexibility and ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong written communication skills and demonstrated ability to utilize program database for case management.
- Serious commitment to social justice.
- Formerly incarcerated people strongly encouraged to apply
Schedule
Frequent evening and occasional weekend work will be required.
To Apply
Salary is commensurate with experience within Common Justice’s pay range of $92,000 - $98,000 for an Assistant Director level position. A competitive benefits package is provided, including medical, dental, life, long-term disability insurance, retirement 401(k), and substantial vacation.
Please submit a resume, and cover letter indicating where you found this position to [email protected]. Please include “Assistant Director of Outreach, Manhattan” in the subject line of your email.
Common Justice is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, or current employment status. Common Justice values diverse experiences, including regarding educational background and justice system involvement. We depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.