POSITION SUMMARY: The Senior Violence Intervention Specialist will work as a liaison between youth, parents and teachers providing high-risk youth with strategies for violence intervention and crisis response actions that include responding to specific gang-related confrontation, mediating, and diffusing hostile tensions, and promoting conflict resolution and peace by building activities in the community and surrounding neighborhoods. This position is primarily a direct service position (80%) with the balance of the time (20%) spent performing general administrative tasks, data input, case noting, and attendance of required staff meetings and trainings. These individuals will work with primarily youth and young adults ages 13-23.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Senior Violence Intervention Specialists will respond to neighborhood, gang, youth, and family conflicts within assigned areas using the Neighborhood Violence Intervention process.
2. Mentor and guide youth individually and in groups while using a behavior management system to shape youth behavior.
3. Address conflicts with crisis intervention methods such as verbal de-escalation, reframing strategies, and physical de-escalation techniques, using the least amount of physical intervention necessary.
4. Facilitate youth learning of pro-social, academic, and vocational skills.
5. Work with youth to provide gang remediation activities and anti-bullying and violence reduction interventions.
6. Ability to work collaboratively with program partners, community-based organizations, community business, community advocates, and faith-based organizations.
7. Facilitate youth group meetings in local schools and within the community.
8. Coordination of violence response services for youths and parents.
9. Personal safety initiatives with youths, parents and teachers.
10. Experience in developing and leading community in violence intervention services and commitment to continuous quality improvements.
11. Will be responsible for recruitment, transportation and mentoring to a minimum of 50 youths and young adults ages 14 to 23.
12. Link the Client to existing services to meet his/her needs within the community to facilitate substance abuse prevention services as needed.
13. Participate as a community liaison as assigned by the Intervention Manager.
14. Observe youth and maintain appropriate daily, weekly, and monthly record keeping and document progress every six months.
15. Work with youth to provide gang remediation activities and anti-bullying and violence reduction interventions.
16. Participate in staff meetings, committees, attend professional development conferences, trainings, webinars/seminars as needed to as enhance your knowledge, broaden your horizon, and obtain continued education.
17. Performs other duties as assigned to promote the overall mission and vision of CND.
18. Works with the City of Columbus Public Safety Department’s Columbus Violence Reduction (CVR) Department.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Education: A bachelor’s degree in the social/behavioral sciences or related field is preferred; or a high school diploma or equivalent, with three years of professional experience in the social service field. Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications Required:

• Exceptional analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
• Commitment to learning, creating positive change, and enabling others to learn.
• Ability to work with diverse population with understanding of basic crime data and trends.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Experience with violence prevention and intervention, street outreach and gang affiliation.

Other Requirements:

• Must possess a valid Ohio driver's license; must pass a criminal background check and a pre-employment drug screen.
• Must be fully vaccinated.

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