Description

 ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

STRIVE is a national leader with a mission to provide pathways to life-changing careers and opportunities through comprehensive professional training, intensive personal support, and self-empowerment for those who face societal barriers to advancement. Predominately operating in low-income, Black and Brown communities, STRIVE celebrates 85,000 graduates since its founding in 1984. STRIVE's purpose is to ensure that everyone can achieve upward mobility and financial empowerment for themselves and their families and offers free programs to adults of various ages, genders, and with justice-impacted backgrounds. See why STRIVE Works in this 2-minute video or learn more at strive.org.

STRIVE Fresh Start is a STRIVE-operated program designed to address the full range of challenges involved in helping formerly incarcerated adults make successful transitions back to their local communities and economies. Building on STRIVE’s innovative service model and well-established career readiness supports, STRIVE Birmingham will design and operate a comprehensive, community-integrated re-entry programs to provide services to approximately 50-100 adults a year, ages 25 and older. 

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Fresh Start Program Manager, the Career Coach will support STRIVE’s justice-impacted program participants in the areas of employment goal setting and career exploration. The Career Coach will understand labor market information and implement proactive job placement strategies for adults navigating re-entry into the workforce from the justice system and will support STRIVE students to successfully develop the skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to realize self-sufficiency and upward mobility. The Career Coach will also connect students to resources and social supports needed to remove barriers to employment and will help our students identify education and training opportunities that result in milestone achievements and measurable outcomes for the long-term success. This is an in-office position.

Requirements

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Develop and implement effective coaching strategies to help participants overcome challenges and barriers and identify strengths, advising on how to leverage strengths and challenges to secure employment or excel in their chosen career path.

• Provide short-term counseling and works with program participants to enhance self-esteem and self-confidence through a strengths-based approach.

• Provide information on suitable career paths based on participants' skills, qualifications, interests, and experience based on assessments and providing feedback on results.

• Maintain case notes, files, and client database as specified by the Fresh Start Program.

• Coordinate supports that will assist the participant with ongoing attendance and participation in program activities, assessing needs through case management principles and making referrals to community resources as appropriate.

• Refer applicants, participants, graduates, and community residents to programs (e.g. housing services, long-term counseling, child-care, substance use counseling, mental health counseling, social services and legal services) that can assist them to resolve issues preventing them from participating in the labor market.

• Work with other key personnel focused on STRIVE Fresh Start to ensure the success of program participants. 

• Work with other STRIVE staff to maintain and update agency’s resource/referral directory.

• Maintain contact with work site supervisors to support STRIVE participants, being responsive to concerns.

• Develop, review and edit participant resumes to ensure trainees are prepared for job interviews and conduct follow-up assessments.

• Work with program participants to develop written explanation, supporting documentation (such as court records) for conviction(s) and references.

• Obtain ongoing training in counseling techniques and social services in general as provided by STRIVE’s national Program & Impact Team and/or external training sessions as budget allows. Stay current on new methodologies and studies in the social work field.

• Provide follow-up supportive services according to Fresh Start program standards and guidelines.

• Provide incremental retention follow-up up to two years on all participants who completed training.

• Maintain accurate records of student data and progress in STRIVE’s performance management system.

• Collect participant documentation and acquire verification as needed, including income, housing, identity to ensure program eligibility (pending funding requirements). 

• Completes other tasks as assigned or needed.

Qualifications, Education, and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree required or comparable work experience. 
• Professional experience with the re-entry of formerly incarcerated individuals and adult development required. 
• At least two years of counseling experience required.
• Must have knowledge of and experience with criminal justice systems, programs and issues.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of public and non-profit partners is a must. 
• Must have outstanding communication and writing skills; solid proficiency in Microsoft Office. 
• High level of comfort using and interpreting data reports to guide program service delivery.
• Commitment to leveraging data and supporting a data-driven culture at STRIVE.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is helpful.
• Location: This is an in-office position in our Birmingham, Alabama office.

Compensation is based on relevant work experience and education level.

STRIVE considers applicants for all positions without regard to: race; color; religion; gender; national origin; age; sexual orientation; marital or veteran status; the presence of a medical condition, genetic information or handicap, unrelated to performing the tasks of the job; or any other legally protected status.