Re-Entry Coach

Job Title: Re-entry Coach

Reports to: Director of Re-entry

Type: Full-Time

Category: Re-entry

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 mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

Job Summary

UTEC’s Reentry Coach is a seasoned youth worker with lived experience that works Behind The Walls to provide programming support and services to young adults in various facilities in Middlesex and Essex county. In collaboration with the Re-entry Manager they seek to implement a transformative, signature program that can best reimagine the experience of young adults, motivating and inspiring their continued involvement, post-release. The Re-entry Coach will spend most of their time working in correctional facilities to deliver programming via restorative justice circles and supporting young adults in the development of Re-entry Preparation Packets in various facilities (Essex County Sheriff’s Department, Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, and the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, particularly MCI Concord). The ideal candidate is a strong group facilitator!

Duties/Responsibilities

The Re-entry Coach will be responsible for delivering curriculum and support to young adults who are currently incarcerated at least 6 months pre-release where possible. They will be able to identify young adults that are a good fit for entering UTEC programming post-release and will ensure communication to the Outreach Coaches to support post-release needs. The Re-entry Coach will also be responsible for ensuring every young adult has completed a Re-entry preparation packet to address areas of need from housing, food, benefits, employment and education.

• Implement an Inreach plan to target specific groups of young people such as those that are eligible for UTEC programming, and are at highest risk for recidivism post-release
• Implement peace-making processes with all gang-involved youth Behind the Walls where conflict impedes young adult progress
• Engage and participate in training for other staff around restorative justice circles
• Communicate with Streetworker team when a young adult will be released to ensure continuation of services
• Ensure that young adult referrals from project partners (jails and prisons, schools, probation department, gang unit, DYS, etc.) have proper follow and where eligible they have outreach and support plans
• Facilitate small group talking circles in correctional facilities to address issues of shared interest and to deepen relationships
• Ensure young adults returning from incarceration receive proper support via Streetworker and Reentry team, including picking them up from their facility, taking them out for a meal or haircut, bringing them to their family or transitional housing, etc.
• Maintain updated paperwork and files on all young adults engaged in services
• Ensure timely data entering and compliance with various grants and state contracts
• Provide supportive counseling and advocacy for gang or justice-involved young adults.
• Identify and provide resources, referrals, and follow-up for each youth re: education, employment, treatment, shelter, recreation, peacemaking, etc.
• Develop partnerships with neighborhood organizations, social service agencies, and local and state institutions that may support youth with post-release services
• Support 2-generational approaches via communication with the families of young adults
• Attend monthly meetings with Funders and coalition partners
• Intervene/practice respectful curiosity and follow up on incidents related to the youth population.
• Be on 24-hour on-call to respond to youth crises (rotating schedule).
• Contribute to UTEC site visits and tours of UTEC.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Ability to connect with young adults
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Proficient in Google/Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks, ability to work to be on call
• Ability to foster relationships with individuals both internal and external to the organization
• Excellent facilitation skills for training, circles, and focus groups
• Ability to develop Individual Success Plans, and execution of plans
• Knowledge and experience with trauma-informed and asset-based approaches to learning and support.

Education and Experience

• Lived experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree a plus, at least 2 years of street outreach or re-entry experience
• Experience working with proven risk young adults
• Experience with justice-involved young adults
• Experience with reentry work
• Youth development experience
• Knowledge of correction institutions, experience with restorative justice circles, and reentry programs

Requirements

• Valid driver’s license
• Reliable access to a vehicle, and ability to travel to different institutions across Massachusetts
• Able to lift 25 lbs.

Starting Salary:

$55,000 plus benefits. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, a 457B retirement plan and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support.  With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3 week sabbatical.

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e. for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee!