Street Outreach Mentor

The Street Outreach Mentor works with high-risk individuals in the community to prevent violence and provide linkages to prosocial alternatives. The role involves building trust with the community, mediating conflicts, and providing support and advocacy to victims of violence.

What You Will Do

The Street Outreach Mentor will work to gain trust of the community and the highest risk individuals to help prevent shootings and retaliatory violence, and to provide linkages and robust accompaniment to prosocial alternatives including activities, jobs, education, case management, and social services.

Why It Might Be a Fit

The ideal candidate will have experience working in the human services field, cross-cultural competency, and emotional maturity. They will be willing to learn and commit to the principles of nonviolence, restorative justice, and trauma-informed practices.

Requirements

• Must become a Certified Mandated Reporter
• Must pass a background check
• Must pass a Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System background check
• Must pass a National Sex Offender Registry background check
• Must have a working phone and phone number
• One year experience working in the human services field in a capacity that involves direct services to at-risk youth
• Cross-cultural competency
• Firsthand knowledge of the specific the Little Village, Pilsen, and/or the Brighton Park community area and knowledge of current street conflicts
• Emotional maturity; good judgment; integrity; tolerance of differing points of view and beliefs
• Experience or training in crisis intervention preferred
• Willingness to learn and commit to the principles of nonviolence, restorative justice and trauma-informed practices
• Ability to work one-on-one and in groups with high-risk individuals to resolve conflicts and promote prosocial behaviors
• Willingness to work on the street and in other unstructured situations
• Ability to communicate effectively both written and verbally
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Must be willing to be trained, and proficiently utilize database(s) and information tracking systems relevant to duties
• Must keep confidentiality of participant information
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
• Valid Illinois driver’s license, insurance, good driving record, access to a vehicle. Subject to driving background check
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred but not required