Community Outreach and Professional Training Coordinator

Description

THE ORGANIZATION: Between Friends envisions a community without domestic violence (DV) where equality, safety, and justice exist for all. Between Friends provides a safe, violence-free, supportive, self-help environment for individuals and families in crisis. Between Friends' counselors empower individuals to make their own decisions and choices, rather than making choices for them. Between Friends helps survivors and children to recognize that their experience is shared and that the problem of domestic violence is social and political. To learn about its programs go to www.betweenfriendschicago.org. 

THE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Community and Professional Education Programs for Adult Audiences: The Community and Professional Education Program is leading the way on Chicago’s far north side, preparing various professionals and community members to more effectively support survivors of domestic violence.  We have provided extensive training within the healthcare field - including general health, adolescent health, and behavioral health providers - to safely and critically respond to the needs of domestic violence survivors. We partner with hospitals and healthcare providers to equip nurses, physicians, clinicians and other healthcare professionals with the tools and support they need to respond to the holistic needs of survivors.  This is accomplished through training and community engagement with our healthcare partners. Between Friends is an ICDVP (Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals) approved site for in-person, virtual, and hybrid 40-hour domestic violence training, as well as CEU (Continuing Education Unit) training for ICDVP professionals. The Professional Training Program offers education throughout the year for DV professionals, new staff, interns and volunteers - not only within the agency but also to other organizations and community partners. Our workshops cover a wide range of ICDVP approved topics such as: trauma informed care; neurobiology of trauma; cultural humility; and anti-oppression.  Between Friends is also approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to provide domestic violence training to salon professionals.  In addition, the Professional Training Program works with professionals from diverse fields – including first responders and legal system officials, educators, those in business and government - to raise awareness, provide skills and tools, and build a strong constituency for ending the cycle of domestic violence. Our program extends these educational opportunities outside of professional settings as well.  We connect community organizations, youth coalitions, mutual aid societies, elected officials, parents, clergy and community members to services and training opportunities that raise awareness about domestic violence as a social and political issue. We conduct outreach to inform and educate the community about the persistence and severity of domestic violence through facilitation of training and community awareness events, as well as participation in community driven initiatives and partnerships. 

Community Education Programs for Youth Audiences: REACH Program - We believe it’s important to talk to young people at an early age about what makes a healthy relationship and what are the signs of harm or abuse. We put these principles into practice through our program, Relationship Education: A Choice for Hope (REACH), one of the largest and most comprehensive teen dating violence prevention programs in Illinois. Since 1995, REACH has served tens of thousands of young people.  In Chicago Public Schools classrooms, and wherever we are invited to talk, REACH engages 6th through 12th grade youth to examine issues including empathy, consent, boundaries, and conflict resolution in all kinds of relationships, as well as how to make positive differences in their communities. Between Friends educators also make sure teens know how to access information and services. 

POSITION SUMMARY: This position will work as a member of Between Friends’ Prevention and Education (PE) Team, which is comprised of a Prevention and Education Manager who oversees programs for youth audiences, a Community and Professional Training Manager who oversees programs for adult audiences, and several Prevention Educators who provide healthy relationship education to students within Chicago Public Schools (CPS), through Between Friends’ REACH Program. The Community Outreach and Professional Training Coordinator will report to the Community and Professional Training Manager and/or Director of Prevention and Community Education. The coordinator will be responsible for planning, delivering and overseeing all programming for adult audiences.   This includes:  

• Planning,           developing, and facilitating community      education workshops for adults      within each      Chicago public school that hosts one of our REACH           teams.  The adult audiences within each      of these schools could      include,      parents/caregivers, neighbors, coaches, LSC (Local School           Counsel) members, and other community-based      constituencies.  The      planning of these      workshops will happen in collaboration with the Between           Friends’ REACH Team. 
• Co-facilitating           the REACH program if needed. 
• Planning,           developing, and facilitating community      education and awareness events and      training,      within community settings. 
• Cultivating           meaningful relationships with different      stake holders within community and           professional settings. This includes      maintaining existing partnerships and      collaborations      as well as initiation and development of new connections           with potential partners.  
• Developing           and honoring existing agreements with      community partners, outlined      in        MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding), contracts, payment           agreements, invoices, and the like - in      accordance with agency      guidelines. 
• Planning           and facilitating Between Friends’      40-hour domestic violence      training. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: Outreach, Direct Service, and Programming (50%) The Community Outreach and Professional Training Coordinator will work as a member of Between Friends’ Prevention and Education (PE) Team, to develop and refine the protocols, policies, and programs our community partners are using to work with domestic violence survivors. This will be accomplished through:  

• Responding,           on an ongoing basis, to questions or      concerns expressed by allied      professionals      and community members, regarding crisis intervention,           advocacy, information, and referrals for      those experiencing harm. 
• Developing           and distributing educational materials to      community partners - intended to      raise      awareness about domestic violence and provide information about a           survivor’s rights and the resources      available to them. 
• Closely           working with the REACH Team to      initiate and maintain professional           relationships with CPS parents and staff and      creating opportunities for      training,      collaboration, and ongoing communication - to encourage      engagement      and continued involvement. 
• Coordinating,           scheduling and facilitating workshops for      adult audiences. These workshops      will      address various issues concerning domestic abuse and provide guidance           about how to effectively identify and      support someone experiencing harm in      a      relationship. 

Program Planning and Implementation (35%) 

• Collaborating           with the PE Team and other program      departments to schedule domestic      violence      and teen dating violence prevention workshops.  
• Planning           and facilitating 40-hour domestic violence      training for Between Friends      staff/interns      and other DV professionals. 40-hour related tasks could           include, but are not limited to: 
• Facilitating           training sessions. 
• Creating           a training schedule. 
• Working           with community partners to identify an      available training room to      accommodate 20      hours of the training. 
• Setting           up zoom links and event registration      pages. 
• Contacting           and scheduling professional speakers for      various topic areas. 
• Collaborating           with the PE team to schedule staff      coverage. 
• Preparing           and processing participant information and      payment.  
• Developing           and implementing an evaluation process for      speakers and participants.       

Administrative and Other (15%)  

• Completing           monthly and quarterly reports from the Community      Outreach and Education      Program. 
• Maintaining           records and reporting relevant statistical      information on all violence      prevention and      education activities related to community education. 
• Evaluating           programs and services by creating and      tracking relevant outcome measures      and      monitoring the results. 
• Overseeing           the evaluation of all community education      programming, and entering      outcomes data into      tracking systems when applicable.  
• Staffing           the crisis line on an as needed basis. 
• Updating           job knowledge by participating in      professional development, reading      relevant      articles, and joining coalitions and committees related to           violence prevention, healthcare, domestic      violence, and community      education. 
• Attending           and actively participating in required      professional development      programs. 
• Participating           in agency events as needed. 
• Performing           and completing other duties as      assigned. 
• Attending           and actively participating in departmental      and staff meetings. 
• Protecting           the agency’s organizational values by      keeping information confidential.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:  

• This           position requires frequent travel around the      city to different schools and           professional/community venues – therefore,      access to some form of reliable      transportation      is required.  Access to a car is           preferred.  
• The           main office location for this position in an      environment that is not fully      accessible: it      is a 3-floor building with stairs available to move between           floors and a ramp at one of the building      entrances. While performing the      duties of      this job, an employee is required to talk and hear.  
• This           is a full-time position, equaling 40 hours a      week. Evening and weekend      work is      occasionally required. 
• This           workplace is a smoke-free and drug-free      environment. 
• Between           Friends is an Equal Opportunity Employer.      Decisions and criteria governing      the      employment relationship with all employees are made in a           non-discriminatory manner, without regard to      race, ethnicity, creed,      religion, color,      sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,           age, national origin, citizenship status,      military service and/or marital      status,      order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other           factor determined to be unlawful by federal,      state, or local      statutes. 

COMPENSATION: 

• Annual           salary is in the range of $48,000-$55,000 -       salary negotiable based      on experience.
• Between           Friends offers a comprehensive benefits      package (with some employee      contributions)      including medical, dental, and vision insurance. 
• Between           Friends provides 24 days of paid time off      which is accrued during the      first year of      employment, and also provides 11 paid holidays. 

*hours based on a 40-hour work week 

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Education 

•A Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, or another related field is preferred. 

•Attainment of the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professional credential is required upon hire or within one year of hire. 

•40-Hour Domestic Violence Training Certificate preferred, or willingness to complete 40-Hour Training immediately upon hire. 

Experience 

•Teaching or public speaking experience is required. 

•Program development experience is preferred. 

•Direct service experience with domestic violence survivors is highly preferred.   

•Experience working in a healthcare setting or community service agency is preferred. 

Skills 

•Possessing skills related to coordination, implementation, and evaluation of capacity-building programs is highly preferred. 

•Fluency in Spanish and English is required. 

•Technology experience with word processing, publication design, spreadsheet use, and virtual meeting platforms is highly preferred.