Education & Workforce Readiness Instructor at Roca

About Roca

Roca’s mission is to be a relentless force in disrupting incarceration, poverty and racism by partnering with young adults, the police, and systems at the center of urban violence to create safety, address trauma, and find hope.

Roca is a fast-paced, data-driven, and relentless organization that annually serves nearly 1,300 young people at the center of urban violence – the young people most likely to shoot or be shot. Founded just outside of Boston in 1988, Roca operates a nationally acclaimed Intervention Model with five sites in Massachusetts, one in Hartford, CT and one in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Over 36 years, Roca has learned that to impact urban violence, we must work directly with the young people and systems at the center of it. Roca’s Intervention Model engages this population of very high-risk young adults in an intensive four-year program to address trauma, teach life-saving cognitive-behavioral skills, and break the cycle of incarceration and poverty that traditional youth programs alone can’t break. And, because it takes all of us, Roca also helps institutions like police and state agencies change the way they work with young people who are traumatized and living at the intersection of gangs, drugs, poverty, violence, immigration challenges, and involvement with multiple public systems.

Roca’s approach is rooted in understanding brain development, neuroplasticity, and the impact of trauma on the brain; the Intervention Model is built on the foundational theories of Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Stages of Change and Systems Change.

Roca is in a period of tremendous growth as we continue to expand our direct service work, lead policy and system change initiatives in Massachusetts and Maryland, and increase our national footprint through the Roca Impact Institute. Complementing our direct service work, the Roca Impact Institute is the coaching arm of our work that scales Roca’s work to cities across the U.S. that are seeking proven approaches to community violence intervention. The Impact Institute enters into intensive, on-the-ground coaching partnerships, showing communities how to implement our research-based, trauma-informed approach violence intervention.

Position Overview 

This position reports to the Assistant Director.   The Education & Workforce Readiness Instructor will work intensively to support and motivate the target population to re-engage in education and work force readiness programming to help them successfully enter the workforce.  The Ed & WFR Instructor will work as part of the Ed/Voc Team to implement GED and other educational programming and to meet the organization benchmarks for successful educational attainment with each participant.   Applicants should have experience in community-based technology training, including basic computer skills; basic internet use, safety and security; and knowledgeable support for participants in acquiring affordable computers and home internet access.

Roca strives to meet the following outcomes with each participant: No Re-Incarcerations and Retained Employment.

General Responsibilities 

• Facilitate, apply, practice, and demonstrate Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) using Roca’s Intervention Model.
• Consistently exercise and application of Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) informally, formally and virtually.
• Assist and role model in the process of obtaining and sustaining employment through job search and overall workforce professionalism.
• Engage with other aspects of work, such as but not limited to, court engagement, work behind the wall, peacemaking circles, work with the community, productive and professional participation in meetings, etc. 
• Continually learn, demonstrate, practice and improve skills related to Roca’s intervention model.
• Ensure accurate and timely entry of case notes into ETO (Efforts to Outcome system) daily.
• Act as a Crew Supervisor and manage a work crew, when needed.
• Analyze and interpret ETO data as it relates to young people and understanding how data relates to a young person’s progress. 
• Ability to adapt outreach efforts in accordance of data collected in ETO.
• Other duties as assigned.

Specific Job Responsibilities

• Demonstrated expertise and ability to deliver specific aspects of education and/or pre-vocational training and programming.
• Ability to carry a caseload for participants that are in any stage of Roca’s Intervention Model, where applicable.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide additional types of educational/vocational/life skills programming, in person and virtually, e.g. educational classes, ServSafe, upgraded workforce professional skills, parenting, healthy habits, driver’s education, and/or the ability to help with job placement.
• Active engagement and collaboration with job development and placement team.
• Assist and participate in all aspects of job development and placement for young people.
• The ability to educate and teach Roca participants in person, behind the wall, and virtually.
• Continuous improvement of curriculum quality and methodology for teaching in alignment with Roca’s Intervention Model.

Qualifications

The very nature of Roca’s work requires an individual of great commitment and energy to the mission.  Roca seeks a highly driven individual who is in alignment with the culture and values of Roca.  In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker.   He/she will have a sense of humor, feel passionate and committed to direct work with high risk youth, and demonstrate interest in coaching and supporting coworkers.  

Roca expects candidates to have the following skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree 
• Some teaching experience- Post-collegiate experience teaching or working with a disenfranchised population is preferred 
• Comfortable troubleshooting minor computer and printer issues 
• Excellent group management and behavior modification skills
• Desire to work with street involved high risk young people
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Excellent group management and behavior modification skills
• Desire to work with street involved high risk young people
• Ability to outreach to, engage and motivate young people to increase attendance in educational programming
• Capacity to think and act  intentionally and strategically to help young people change behaviors
• Creative and flexible problem-solving and thinking
• Excellent at organizing, managing and completing multiple complex projects and tasks simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor.
• Self-motivation, initiative, sound judgment, and commitment to ongoing learning are essential
• Ability to work as a part of a team. 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred but not required

Requirements for the position: 

• Ability to travel around the service area
• Computer Literacy
• Valid state issued driver’s license 
• Criminal background and current driving record check
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, and Holidays and/or weekends as needed.
• Ability to work with diverse cultures
• Strong attendance and high energy

Physical Demands:

The physical demands that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, and talk and hear. - The employee is frequently required to push, pull, stock, and must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Work can be repetitive in nature.- Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception, peripheral vision, the ability to distinguish basic colors and the ability to adjust vision to bring objects into focus. 

It may be necessary to wear some protective clothing and/or equipment such as rain and snow gear, boots, goggles, hard hat, full face shield, respirator, ear plugs/muffs and gloves. Work requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven surfaces, and recurring bending, climbing, crawling, crouching, stooping, and reaching, and occasional lifting or moderately heavy items. Work requires average physical agility and dexterity.

Work Environment: 

The work environment an employee is exposed to while performing the essential functions of this job. 

The position can work in outdoor and indoor environments. - The noise level is typically moderate. - The incumbent is frequently exposed to all outdoor weather conditions.