MENTOR Program Coordinator, Court of Common Pleas

Posted by Court of Common Pleas on October 2, 2017

Job Posting
Position: MENTOR Program Coordinator
Employer: The Honorable Michael Erdos, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas
Application Deadline: October 18th, 2017
Hours: Full time, 40 hours/week. Occasional evening hours required.

Responsibilities and Opportunities:
 Coordination of Mentors and Participants
o Oversee day-to-day operations of program
o Manage recruitment, screening, training, matching and support of mentor volunteers and participants
o Facilitate intake of new program participants; facilitate biopsychosocial needs assessments
o Address issues involving mentor and participant (i.e. mentoring concerns, providing pairs with reentry resources, etc.)
o Prepare for two monthly Status hearings with participants, mentors and Judge
o Assist with implementing ongoing MENTOR volunteer and participant trainings and events
o Support transition plan post-graduation for MENTOR participants
o Research best practices for reentry and mentoring formerly incarcerated adults
 Case Management
o Connect MENTOR program participants with appropriate community resources (i.e. employment, housing, benefits, education, etc.)
o Support existing partnerships and develop new connections as needed
o Provide participants ongoing support throughout involvement in program
o Contribute to grant-funded outcomes evaluation including consistent data collection, data entry and use of PAJCIS case management system
o Respond to participant crises and develop and implement an internal crisis response protocol
 Gain Exposure to Pennsylvania’s Justice System: Civil and Criminal
o Directly and frequently interacting with the Judges and representatives of the DA’s Office, the Defender Association, Adult Probation and Parole, and other criminal justice stakeholders and community partners

Required Qualifications:
 MSW degree required, LSW preferred
 Highly organized, self-motivated individual who is capable of managing multiple projects with minimal supervision
 Strong sense of appropriate boundaries and ethics
 Comfort working in prisons and court rooms and one-on-one with individuals who are/have been incarcerated and experienced other trauma
 Ability to quickly develop relationships
 Critical and creative thinker (i.e., able to respond to participant needs when faced with individual challenges and structural barriers)
 Able to navigate situations involving conflicting interests/priorities
 Punctual and reliable
 Ability to work occasional evening hours

Preferred Qualifications:
 Experience in case management
 Knowledge of Philadelphia reentry resources, network of social service providers, and public benefits
 Experience working with young adults involved in the justice system
 Experience coordinating social service programs for young adults
 Experience working in Philadelphia’s criminal justice system

Application Process:
Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis. Please send your resume and cover letter via email directly to Carly Friedman, MENTOR Program Director, at Carly.Friedman@courts.phila.gov.
For any questions, please contact 215-686.3731.

Program Overview:
MENTOR is a 12-18 month voluntary reentry program that offers mentoring and case management services pre and post-release. Over mentees’ 12-18 months in the program, mentors provide rich emotional support and unique strengths-based coaching to help their mentee overcome barriers to reentry. The pair is required to communicate via technology at least twice per week and meet in person at least once per month for a minimum of 1.5 hours. Mentors respond to the needs of their mentee, whether it’s applying for a job, designing a resume, decompressing after a stressful week, setting personal goals and more. In addition to building a relationship with their mentor, mentees are required to appear before Judge Michael Erdos or Judge Kai Scott each month for a 3 hour status hearing at which the Judge provides additional support and encouragement to each pair. MENTOR works with various partners to provide essential resources to mentees, including employment, housing, education, legal services, and public benefits. Additionally, MENTOR provides case management services for all mentees and makes appropriate referrals based on mentees’ initial biopsychosocial needs assessment and ongoing needs. Participants who complete 12 successful months of mentoring will receive a reduction in their remaining probation sentence upon graduation.