Outreach Specialist

About the Organization

The mission of the Terence Crutcher Foundation is to create just and liberated communities free from racial violence and harm. We do this through Advancing Policy, Strengthening Communities, and Honoring the Legacy of our Ancestors. We engage the community, law enforcement, and policymakers to identify, prevent, and confront racial inequities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and across the country.

Position Purpose

The Terence Crutcher Foundation, is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated Outreach Worker for a three-year grant-funded position. This role will be instrumental in facilitating positive behavior change amongst youth and young adults and community groups through identifying and detecting conflicts to interrupt them, with the ultimate goal of stopping shootings and gun violence. The Outreach Worker is responsible for engaging and supporting individuals at highest risk of involvement in gun violence. This position builds trusting relationships with participants, provides mentorship and guidance, and connects them to community-based resources that promote healing and stability. The Outreach Worker serves as an advocate, working alongside the team to reduce shootings and homicides and to promote lasting positive change in the community.

Cure Violence is a strategic evidence-based public health approach to reduce and prevent shootings and killings. Skilled outreach workers are a key ingredient to the success of this initiative and are instrumental in helping to facilitate positive behavior change amongst high-risk individuals and groups through identifying and detecting conflicts to interrupting them.

Responsibilities/Essential Duties

Stopping Shootings by doing all that is required individually, and in a team, to prevent all shootings in the neighborhood assigned, including:

• Getting to know all the highest risk persons, their families, and peers in the target area.
• Work to develop relationships (inroads) in the target area to stop shootings by having folks reach out to you when there are conflicts that may lead to violence.
• Working to intervene in circumstances in which violence is likely, including possible retaliation.
• Working to understand why a shooting happened and to determine why it is that you and the team were not informed – developing strategies to be better informed the next time
• Working to gain trust of the community and the highest risk persons so that they know why you are there – to help prevent shootings and violence, and to help high-risk persons in any way you can.

Full participation in Cure Violence, which includes:

• Outreach to the community (individually and as a team member) to build strong relationships with youth, residents, businesses, and community groups.
• Identify youth who are active in high-risk street organization and engage in high-risk street activity and intervening in their lives through case management to aid in solving current problems and preventing future ones, help facilitate positive behavior change, and introduce positive alternatives to violence.
• Recruit and maintain a minimum of 15 high risk participants (case management) and work with participants to develop risk, needs, and resilience plan for each participant on a monthly basis
• Contact participants at least 6 times per month (4 in person and 2 via phone)
• Make referrals and support for individuals to enhance their assistance and use of opportunities and programs in the community (job programs, GED, drug treatment, and mentoring)
• Advocate for youth through court testimonies, when necessary
• Participate, as necessary, in organizing responses to shootings and increasing visibility when shootings/killings take place (developing networks with other outreach program workers to coordinate an inclusive and strategic response)
• Understanding the causes of shootings/killings to assist in mediating situations and preventing retaliation between individuals and groups (working with the community, outreach programs and local law enforcement to gain information that may be helpful in preventing additional killings) and provide documentation.
• Identify and diffuse “hot spots” for shootings and violence
• Document detailed client case notes and other duties as assigned
• Distributing public education materials within the community
• Attending community responses and events as needed

Education and Experience:

• Experience working with those likely to be involved in violence (highest risk)
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience or training in crisis intervention
• Knowledge of and deep connection to the Target Area
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and good driving record

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and conflict mediation skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, build trust, and model accountability.
• Commitment to nonviolence, equity, and restorative justice principles.
• Organized and reliable with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Culturally responsive and trauma-informed approach to community engagement.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.