WomenCare Mentee Advisor, Women's Prison Association, New York, NY

WomenCare Mentee Advisor

Posted on: December 9, 2014
Posted by: Women's Prison Association

WPA is currently recruting for a Mentee Advisor in the WomenCare program. WPA's WomenCare program is changing from working with women incarcerated on Rikers Island to women in state prison. This position is responsible for recruiting, screening, and enrolling eligible women incarcerated at Bedford Hills or Taconic State Correctional Facilities shortly before their release to community-based volunteer mentors, for facilitating pre- release group-level interventions for enrolled clients, and for helping clients develop transitional plans to support their community reentry through connection to post-release resources and services.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Facilitate outreach sessions for potential clients at Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities to market WomenCare to eligible potential clients.
• Conduct initial screenings and intakes for clients, identified to potentially benefit from mentoring services
• Administer validated gender-responsive Risks/Needs Assessment to participants to identify each woman's individual risks and strengths for enrollment prioritization and for service plan development.
• Deliver group-level independent living skills workshops to women currently incarcerated to further engage potential clients and prepare them for successful reentry.
• Deliver group-level curriculum-based cognitive behavioral intervention, Seeking Safety, to currently incarcerated women in support of improved coping skills for past trauma and substance abuse.
• Coordinate, in partnership with other community-based staff, mentor/mentee outings and structured socialization outings/special events
• Provide one on one advising and referral to needed services for pre and post release clients participating in the mentoring program
• Serve as primary liaison for clients throughout the mentor/mentee commitment
• Collaborate with WomenCare Coordinator to match potential mentors with clients based on mentor matching tool to facilitate effective mentoring relationships
• Assist pre-release clients in the development of transitional plans to promote successful reentry either directly or in collaboration with Corrections Department or other discharge planners.
• Maintain small caseload of transitional planning clients being released from State Correctional Facilities to New York City communities.
• Connect clients to critical services post-release such as public assistance, housing, and health and mental health services
• Conduct regular follow-up with clients under community supervision or receiving case management services at WPA or elsewhere to track client progress towards goals and obtain outcome information for reporting purposes.
• Conduct scheduled interviews with program participants to collect federally-mandated GPRA data
• Maintain written records of all program activities and client interactions for monthly statistical reporting
• All other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma/GED required, Bachelor's or Associate's degree strongly preferred
• minimum two years of relevant service provision experience
• Strong interpersonal and group facilitation skills, with experience facilitating manual driven curriculum based interventions strongly preferred
• Background in case management or supportive services
• Experience in clinical settings or with substance abuse/mental health populations
• Familiarity with issues related to women involved in the criminal justice system required; past work or volunteer experience with population preferred.
• Basic counseling skills
• Strong writing, organizational and computer skills using Microsoft Office applications required; past experience using electronic client record applications preferred.
• Experience working with volunteers preferred
• Ability to gain clearance to New York State correctional facilities required

HOW TO APPLY

For consideration send your resume and cover letter (word formatted) with salary requirements to jobs@wpaonline.org. EOE