Job Description
Job Description
Job Title : Education and Career Specialist
Job Summary :
CASES' youth programs aim to help New York City's systems-impacted young people, aged 13-27, to lead productive lives. Our approach is distinguished by individualized case management, evidence-based programming, and group activities that build positive peer associations. For many, this is the first time in their lives that they are participating in activities that help them set personal goals and develop the skills they need to reach them.
Fair Futures is a youth-led advocacy movement and coalition of 100+ organizations advocating for young people who are system-involved in New York City to have access to the individualized supports they need to achieve their potential. Coaches provide emotional support to young people, believe in them, and help them with their academic, career development, and life goals. Fair Futures Educational and Career Specialists work collaboratively with Coaches and young people to conduct specialized tasks that will help them achieve their academic and career development goals.
Fair Futures Specialists at CASES work collaboratively with Coaches to help young people make progress towards their academic and career development goals. This can include liaising with schools and providing educational advocacy; helping young people enroll in or transfer to best-fit schools, colleges, and / or career development opportunities; filling out high school, college, and / or financial aid applications; helping young people obtain IEP services; and conducting deep career exploration, among other activities.
Are you :
- Looking to work with young people and their families—engaging them in conversation and setting goals while providing support and encouragement?
- An outside of the box thinker who can employ creative approaches?
- Someone who believes that change is possible?
- Passionate about working from a strengths-based, trauma-informed, youth development lens?
Becoming an Education and Career Specialist at CASES could be what you are looking for!
As an Education and Career Specialist, you will :
Be part of this successful, innovative, and collaborative movement that is changing the landscape of child welfare and juvenile legal system;Join a close community of over 500 Fair Futures passionate professionals across 30 organizations that has a strength-based, celebratory, and youth-centered culture;Make an immediate impact in the lives of young people by helping them carve out a pathway to success in life as they define it;Receive significant professional development supports from the Center for Fair Futures, including quality trainings and workshops on every topic you will need to succeed as a Specialist, unlimited 1 : 1 support in any area, 1 : 1 professional coaching to help YOU with your goals, and access to a learning community for Specialists across agencies where you can share best practices, challenges, build your network, and be celebrated.We respectfully ask for a minimum 2-year commitment to this role, given the importance of young people having consistent, caring adults in their lives, the trust granted to us over time by families, and the significant investment our team will make into supporting and developing Specialists.
Shift Hours : This position is full-time Monday – Friday from 10 : 00 AM – 6 : 00 PM with flexibility required to be responsive to youth / family needs (occasionally accompanying to school meetings in AM, picking up phone calls in PM, etc.)
Salary : The salary for this role is $58,349 per year.
Location Address : 4 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027. Work will be conducted in the community (primarily Manhattan and the Bronx, and across NYC) with in-office reporting responsibilities.
Workplace Flexibility : Flexible - Staff have the flexibility to complete their workday from home or another suitable space, typically after reporting to the office and / or engaging in field or community-based work.
What You Will Be Doing :
Relationship Building
Build relationships with young people.Build relationships and collaborate with the key adults in the young person’s life, as needed, to support their goals and well-being, including other agency staff (e.g., Case Planners and Coaches), parents / caregivers, school / program staff, and other significant adult figures.Work collaboratively with the Coach to help young people :
Explore their interests and expose them to academic and career development opportunities in line with their interests;Find best-fit quality schools, programs, and opportunities in line with their goals / interests;Persist in academic / career settings, navigate any challenges that arise, celebrate successes, and plan / prepare for the next step on their journey.Specific educational duties include :
Helping any 8th graders with the high school selection process.Working with Coaches to help young people enroll in or transfer to alternative high school settings and identify best-fit schools / GED programs.Assisting young people to obtain IEP / 504 Plans, as needed, and working with Coaches to ensure they are receiving the services they need.Providing support to Coaches with high school educational advocacy.Meeting with young people interested in college to have an exploratory session and discuss what that roadmap / timeline would look like.Organizing college tours.Helping young people apply to colleges in line with their interests, preferences, and performance.Helping students apply (and reapply each semester) to all forms of financial aid and other supports.Reaching out to students to ensure they are enrolled in the proper classes each semester, and assist with enrollment, if needed.Helping young people reapply to all forms of financial aid and scholarships each year.Assisting students with withdrawing from classes and transferring colleges, if needed.Register youth for GED exams and proctor test sessions.Specific career development duties include :
Assisting youth with enrolling in any onsite internship or job readiness program(s) (e.g., Summer Youth Employment Program, WPP internship);Conducting career assessments and exploration with young people;Helping young people create, update and / or refine resumes;Meeting with young people who are not on a college-bound track to explore alternative post-secondary pathways and career paths in line with their interests and skills;Advising young people on best-fit vocational, training, other post-secondary programs based on their skills and interests;Helping young people apply to other career development opportunities, including extracurriculars, internships, training and workforce development programs (after speaking with their Coach);Building relationships with external programs and employers to serve as pipeline;Assisting with job applications, when needed.General duties
Use an online platform each week to track contacts, young people’s goals, steps taken towards goals, and other key data. Full support will be provided on how to use Care4 database.Participate in weekly staff meetings.Participate in internal and external trainings, learning communities, and coalition meetings.What We Are Looking For :
A Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of experience working with young people; ORAn Associate’s or other accredited vocational degree, and 3+ years of experience working with young people; ORA “credible messenger” (has a background in foster care, criminal legal system, or other systems-involvement), with some post-secondary experience (e.g., some college), with significant experience (4+ years) working with young people in a professional, paid role.History of navigating systems such as NYC public schools, college application process, etc.Ability to work some evening and weekend hours is expected.Preferred Skills :
History of navigating systems such as NYC public schools, college application process, etc.Ability to work some evening and weekend hours is expected.is strongly preferred and lived experience is a major plus!Ability to work from a strength-based, trauma-informed, youth development lens.Ability to form collaborative, working relationships with parents / families, school and agency staff.Open to learning how to use and interpret data to inform decision-making.Ability to collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners.Ability to remain calm during moments of tension and stress.Carries a belief that change is possible.Ability to troubleshoot, advocate, and navigate obstacles where there is not always a clear-cut pathway.Consistent and reliable.Ability to maintain healthy boundaries.Strong written and verbal communication skills.Strong time-management, organizational skills, and attention to detail.Values and promotes diversity.Flexible and can work independently.Valid drivers license a plus!Physical Requirement(s) :
Ability to participate in in-person and virtual Teams meetings (cubicle, office, and conference room settings).Ability to meet youth / families in their homes and schools (sometimes involving walking up several flights of stairs).Ability to accompany youth / families to school, to open houses, to job interviews, etc. by walking or via public transit.Ability to accompany youth on outings to cultural institutions, movie screenings, colleges, etc. via public transit or passenger van.Employee Benefits :
CASES cares about employee wellbeing, and we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support you and your family, including :
MedicalDentalVisionVacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day12 Paid Holidays per yearRetirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%Employee Referral ProgramVisit www.cases.org / careers / to learn more about benefits offered by the CASESAlthough we would love to learn about the skills of every candidate, only selected candidates that are selected will receive a response. We encourage you to apply for any position(s) you feel you are qualified for.
CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal legal system.
This position is full-time Monday – Friday from 10 : 00 AM – 6 : 00 PM
35 hours per week
