Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health (RBYMH) Youth Outreach & Engagement Specialist (PT)

The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth (BBAY) is a joint powers agreement between the City of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County, and the school districts of Osseo, Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale and Anoka-Hennepin, Hennepin Technical College & North Hennepin Community College. Our mission is to coordinate a system of high-quality, accessible, and fully resourced opportunities that lead to an increase in high school graduation and pathways to college or career and safety & wellbeing.

The BBAY uses a collective impact framework for shared action. The Youth Engagement Specialist’s position will be responsible for a robust recruitment and outreach strategy for youth in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park at their schools and across partner organizations to participate in conversations, opportunities, initiatives, and programs available at the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth and its partner organizations.

The primary charge of the Youth Engagement Specialist is to provide school-based, youth-engagement facilitation by:

• Building relationships with youth and their families to help recruit and connect them to opportunities with the Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health Initiative, and other opportunities as they emerge.
• Outreach & Recruiting with the intention of including youth most disenfranchised.
• Facilitating youth-centered spaces, events, and activities. 
• Supporting the work of the Reimaging Black Youth Mental Health (RBYMH) Coordinator.

The Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health initiative centers youth from across the Black diaspora to participate in a variety of activities that tend to their wellbeing in the moment and give them opportunities to strengthen lasting support for their wellbeing overtime. Some of these activities include community-building field trips related to Black culture or mental health, overnight retreats related to Black Joy or policy making, attending conferences to understand and identify policies that support well-being, collective work with Initiative Advisory Council, and recruiting other Black youth to participate in demonstrations of change. The specialist will support these efforts and leverage adults to help build a network of partners who will also recruit and support youth in participating.   

This position is an essential part of the Alliance Team, which includes an Executive Director, Data and Quality Coordinator, Youth and Community Engagement Initiatives Coordinator and the Black Youth Mental Health Coordinator. This position will report to the BYMH Coordinator. 

The ideal candidate has a passion for serving and a relationship with the Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park community. Additionally, they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are rooted in anti-racist practices to authentically work to dismantle oppressive practices that block youth leadership, voice, and positive community change.

Lead (organize and execute) youth and community outreach.

• With guidance from the RBYMH Coordinator, develop and implement outreach strategies to engage youth in the Brooklyns with the Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health Initiative’s activities (i.e. Summits, Retreats, Youth Space, Project Cohorts, etc.). 
• Track outreach efforts and all youth and community met during outreach events (initiated by BBAY and/or by partners).
• Maintain a network of youth that BBAY has established a relationship with through RBYMH, and other youth engagement initiatives or events to sustainably engage with youth in the Brooklyns. 

Lead the implementation of the Safety Online curriculum.

• Coordinate with 3 school partners to establish a cohort of students at each school, as well as a space and time for them to participate in learning the 8-week curriculum together.
• Teach the curriculum to each cohort of students across our school partners at least once a week.
• Support evaluation and reporting (i.e. collect participation and survey information from students).

Support the facilitation of the Youth Voice Health and Wellbeing work with BCCS and RAS. 

• Build and maintain relationships with youth involved in the Youth Voice Health and Wellbeing work (i.e. outreach and recruitment in the schools prior to program start).
• Support the facilitation of the youth meetings and the implementation of the project that the youth craft.

Assist and provide capacity for the Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health (RBYMH) coordinator. 

• Assist the RBYMH Coordinator in all initiative activities. 
• Build and maintain relationships with RBYMH Advisory Council, youth interns, and other groups that are partners with the RBYMH initiative. Attend these group meetings and support youth participation in these meetings.
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners, joint-powers partners, and young people to reimagine ways to support and promote positive mental health in Black youth from across the local diaspora.
• Support RBYMH Interns and volunteers as needed; assist in accomplishing tasks & provide supervision to reflect on their learning and work regularly.

Support Initiative 

• As needed, support projects that impact Black youth mental health.
• As needed, support communications for the initiative. 
• As needed, lead or co-facilitate affinity spaces for Black youth in school or community-based settings.

Assist Alliance Executive Director 

• Contributing to grant applications and reports as needed.
• Support in planning and executing events, meetings, and community gatherings for BBAY.
• Bring positive energy to the BBAY team.

Education
Associate's degree or higher; or equivalent experience.

Experience
Previous experience which includes:

• Working with youth leadership groups.
• Organizing and executing projects with youth and adults.
• Working with the public, requiring tact and courtesy.
• Working with multi-cultural individuals, groups and organizations and facilitating groups.

Equivalency

An equivalent combination of education and experience closely related to the duties of the position MAY be considered.

Licenses/Certifications
Valid driver’s license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong presence and comfort as a leader in a training room. 
• Proficiency using computers (i.e. Microsoft Word).
• Ability to professionally exhibit cultural self-awareness, sensitivity, patience and understanding in the course of work duties. 
• Ability to relate to and work with individuals representing a variety of diverse backgrounds and cultures. 
• Ability to provide a level of customer service that meets or exceeds customer expectation and satisfaction.

Desired Qualifications 

• Understanding anti-racist framework that includes the following knowledge, skills, and attitudes
  1. Acknowledges the history in our country of the oppression of Black and indigenous peoples, and the power, privilege, and access disparities along the lines of social identities.
  2. Review, examine, and rework existing policies and procedures that create barriers and perpetuate inequities for certain groups of people based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, etc.
  3. Create deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain equity (racial and other) through proactive, preventative, and restorative measures.
  4. Believes in the humanity of all peoples, that racial groups are equal in all their apparent differences, and that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.
• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, sociology, recreation, youth studies, or related degree. 
• Continuing education or coursework towards an advanced degree in public policy, social work, educational leadership, political science, sociology, youth development.
• Experience with written communications e.g. report writing, editing.
• Experience in project or program coordination.
• Experience in youth led civic engagement and youth led research.
• Experience working with others and providing high-quality customer service experience.
• Experience coordinating teams, volunteers and/or workgroups.
• Previous education/training in youth development, youth program evaluation project management, youth civic engagement and service learning.
• Previous training or experience in systems building, racial equity, diversity, project management, and facilitation.
• Experience in creating partnerships with organizations and youth in the community. 
• Ability to perform a variety of planning, administrative, supervisory, and community relations work requiring independent judgment.
• Ability to foster and promote positive teamwork amongst youth and adults.
• Ability to follow through on tasks in a timely manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Understanding of professional workplace norms and expectations. 
• Previous experience working with diverse populations. 
• Fluency in Spanish, Hmong, Russian, Somali, Lao or Vietnamese language(s).

Work Conditions 
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully and safely perform the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to fully and safely perform the essential duties.

• Core business hours are set by departments based on operational needs.  Alternative schedules can be arranged, but must comply with the City’s Alternative Work Arrangement policy. 
• Part-time, non-exempt, non-union position; flexible work schedule up to 29 hours a week.  Working hours will reflect the activities of the initiative and will include evening and weekend hours. 
• Majority of hours will be at partner schools e.g., Brooklyn Center, Highview, Robbinsdale.

• Ability to meet physical demands of the job, including but not limited to, prolonged standing, walking, and sitting.
• Respond quickly to emergencies in a school setting.
• Office environment; exposure to computer screens; working closely with others, frequent interruptions.
• Ability to handle or navigate difficult or emotionally charged interactions with individuals or groups.
• Must be able to lift and carry or otherwise move 11-25 pounds occasionally.

Brooklyn Park is a thriving northwestern suburb of Minneapolis and the sixth largest city in the state with over 86,000 residents and 30,000 jobs. As the 6th fastest growing city in Minnesota, the city has become even more vibrant because of our remarkable racial and cultural diversity. Approximately 60 percent of our residents are people of color, 22 percent are foreign-born, and more than a quarter speak a language other than English at home.  

 Our Vision, Values and Goals  

Core Operational Value Statements 
Ability to work within the Alliance value system with a willingness to further promote a staff that is diversified and inclusive, where individuals are valued and respected for their unique differences, experiences, skills, and knowledge.

• Youth-centered and youth-led.
• Build sustainable community partnerships.
• Accountability to self, partners, and community.
• Intentional inclusivity and representation.
• Innovate to disrupt structural inequities.
• Authentically share power with community.

Department/Division:  Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth

Anticipated Start Date:  Early January 2026

Anticipated Pay Range:  $27.84-30.10

We welcome applications from all individuals, including (but not limited to): people of all abilities, persons of color, Veterans, LGBTQ and women.  If you need these materials in an alternate format or if you have a disability-related need and need assistance with the application process, please contact Human Resources at either 763-493-8016 or via e-mail at HumanResources@brooklynpark.org.

Salary : $28 - $30