Violence Interrupter

Job Title: Staff Programs, Violence Interruption

Reports To: Program Manager

Department: Programs — SAVE

Job Type: Full-Time – Salary non exempt (Hourly)

Salary Range: $22.50

Objective of Role: Getting out and Staying out (GOSO) is implementing a SAVE Wagner Houses Cure Violence team, a replication of the gun violence prevention model conducted successfully by Ceasefire Chicago. The Wagner SAVE Cure Violence team will work with community based organizations to implement a “Stop the Shooting” campaign. SAVE Cure Violence is a coordinated strategy to address shootings in Wagner Houses and to mediate gun violence between surrounding housing facilities. Skilled Violence interrupters are a key ingredient to the success of this initiative.

Job Responsibilities:

• Gaining information on potential conflicts affecting East Harlem neighborhoods
• Formulating action plans to help resolve conflicts with the outreach team and gang mediation projects in the area
• Establishing safe spaces for mediation in hospitals, churches, community centers, etc.
• Responding to shootings, to prevent retaliation, when notified
• Attending forums and coalition meetings pertaining to anti gun and gang violence
• Meeting with high-risk individuals on a daily basis to discuss issues
• Helping in the efforts to prevent all potential retaliatory shootings
• Developing relationships with key leaders in the community
• Referring potential clients to outreach workers
• Documenting conflicts resolved on conflict mediation forms
• Keeping a daily log documenting all interruptions and mediations
• Participating in all Cure Violence and work related trainings
• Distributing public education materials to the targeted audience
• Attending community events as needed
• Other duties.
• Anticipate and be responsive to Program Manager’s requests and needs Continuously keep Program Manager informed as to what is going on in the community
• Participate, as necessary, in organizing responses to shootings and increasing visibility when shootings/killings take place (e.g., developing networks with other outreach program workers to coordinate an inclusive and strategic response)
• Investigate causes of shootings/killings to assist in mediating situations and prevent retaliation between individuals and groups (e.g., working with the community, outreach programs and local law enforcement to gain information that may be helpful in preventing additional killings) and provide documentation
• Identify and diffuse “hot spots” for shootings and violence (e.g., conducting eyeball surveys with residents and community based organizations to identify areas frequented by potential offenders) and provide documentation
• Advocate for youth through court testimonies, when necessary
  
• Support team in planning and executing both community and client events
• Document shootings and other acts of violence prevented
• Respond to shootings in other communities, when necessary
• Document detailed client case notes
• Complete all other duties assigned by supervisor
  

Essential Skills:

• Knowledge of the East Harlem community
• Effective Communication
• Time Management and reliability
• Interpersonal skills with a positive attitude

Core Competencies:

• Excellent work ethic
• Commitment to working in a mission driven organization
• Demonstrated personal ethics and values
• Cross-team collaboration and cooperation
• Team-player who works well with a diverse group of people

Qualifications:

• Experience working with at-risk youth and gang members
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience or training in crisis intervention
• Knowledge of East Harlem Neighborhoods- specifically in the Wagner Houses area
• Bilingual in Spanish a plus

Compensation & Benefits:

• Salary commensurate with experience. GOSO offers a competitive salary and benefits package

Please send a resume with cover letter to: [email protected]. Resumes without a cover letter will not be considered.

GOSO is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About GOSO: Getting Out and Staying Out has a vision of a world where neither a person’s race nor their prior contact with the legal system determines their future. To work toward that vision, we partner with young people impacted by arrest or incarceration on a journey of education, employment, and emotional well-being. For many of our participants, that journey begins while they are detained or incarcerated, on Rikers Island or in youth detention centers. We work with all interested individuals, regardless of the charges that they face, engaging them in future planning through programing focused on education, employment, and emotional well-being while helping to meet their immediate needs, whether physical (warm clothing, commissary supplies), psychological (correspondence and communication to help maintain links to the outside world), or legal (coordinating with public defense attorneys on courtroom advocacy). Among the major programs that are under the GOSO umbrella are Stand Against Violence East Harlem (SAVE), GOSOWorks, and multiple education programs (including Pathways-to-Graduation, a high school equivalency program). GOSO served its participants and the Harlem community throughout the Pandemic and, in fact, expanded its budget in the past few years. We are currently building our external relations functions, including development, in order to position GOSO for continued growth and expanded impact on those at the heart of our mission.