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School Success Mentor (PS 123)

Job Details

Entry
301 West 140th Street, New York, NY 10030 - New York, NY
High School
$20.00 Hourly

Community Schools Success Mentors PS 123 (Harlem) 

Regular Part-Time Service Worker

NEW YORK, NY, US

Salary Range:$20.0000 To 20.0000 Hourly

Title:

School Success Mentors

Program:

Community School

Report To:

Family Coordinator

Direct Reports:

 N/A

FLSA Status*:

Non Exempt / $20 per hour

Part Time: 20 hours a week

Non-Exempt:  Eligible for overtime pay. 

  1. Principal Objective

Mission of the job, need to address the question: why does this job exist? Need to states what outcomes are expected and how perform to accomplish them. 

Community Schools is a strategy to organize resources and share leadership to integrate social services into the fabric of the schools.  The program is equipped to better serve the needs of families so that students succeed and families feel connected.

Community Schools offer a family focused holistic approach toward supporting wellness driven by strong, collaborative partnerships among parents, School Building Leaders, teachers and the greater community. In Community Schools, parents are real and active drivers in their families’ success, the school climate is inviting, joyful and positive, and opportunities are endless.

An integral part of this approach is the integration and alignment of school- and community-based services such as health & wellness services, student/family support, parent engagement opportunities and enrichment. This position has been established to strengthen PS/MS 123 community school program’s ability to increase student attendance rates, academic scores and family engagement strategies simultaneously.  

The Community School Success Mentors at PS 123 connect with students and families during the traditional school day, both independently and/or with a lead teacher or partner Graham staff in order to support students who have a historical pattern of chronic absenteeism from school throughout the school year.    Contact by the mentor includes daily check-ins in school with students, home visits (defined as wellness checks), in- school conferences with parents/guardians to mediate and advocate on behalf of students and families.  Relationship building is core to this work  in order for students and families to create a realistic SMART plan and continue to receive the support in order for them to be achieved.    

The Success Mentors will be assigned to students/families based on the following categories of attendance challenges:

-Family Health & Wellness- Medical Services

- Time Management- managing Multiple Appointments/ Priorities

-Parent/Student Motivation- Youth Development

-Temporary Housing/ Homelessness

-Student Suspensions

Mentors will have some skill/expertise with working with families in these areas in order to support the families in reaching monthly attendance targets and yearly attendance goal.

 

  1. Duties & Responsibilities (but not limited to):

With the guidance and support of the Director, the Success Mentor will:

 

Family Empowerment

  1.  Exercise a customer service approach to welcome families into the school and share information about school services and programs.
  1. Use a strengths based approach to create SMART attendance plans, agreed upon with students and families
  1. Schedule and conduct meetings with students and families to discuss student progress with attendance and its impact on academics
  1. Engage families to in school support services and events including volunteer opportunities, afterschool/weekend programming, wellness supports, etc.
  1. Attend and represent students and families in Student Support, Community Engagement and other school meetings; update school on family needs and progress
  1. Update and celebrate with families regarding student progress
  1. Collaborate with onsite Graham units- Wellness, Operations and Community Outreach & Programming  regarding family referrals,  family interests and family status; refer families to Grahams off site programs and services
  1. Support parents with completing documents for program or other in school/community referrals

 

Attendance

  1. Build a trusting relationship by providing in school check-ins, parent conferences, home visits, etc. with 20-25 students/families who are chronically absent, in order to get a full understanding of attendance challenges and supports needed.
  1. Document all     demographics and attendance progress  in Graham attendance database in order to track attendance, set monthly targets, search for patterns and predict outcomes
  1. Attend and participate in weekly Attendance meetings; communicate updates regarding student progress
  1. Document family outreach on school reports.
  1. Share ideas and attend monthly attendance celebration meetings.
  1. Coach student leaders as Jr. Mentors to support students who are at risk of becoming chronically absent

 

  1. Graham Norms (Pillars)

 

  1. Treat all with respect 

We respect the inherent dignity and worth of all with whom we work. We are diverse in gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. We respect everyone we meet knowing that we all face challenges in life and we believe that all are capable of developing solutions. Trust is an essential element of respect – trust between kids, families, and each other, and trust among the agency, funders, regulators and the public. There is no trust without integrity, both personal and organizational.

 

  1. Promote Safety and Well-Being

Kids and families come first. Our decisions and actions are always driven by their need for safety, family, education and opportunity. We recognize the effects of trauma and provide a safe and nurturing environment where people can heal. We support each other in the work that we do. 

 

  1. Encourage learning 

We are committed to continuous self-reflection and an insistence on best practices, with rewards and celebration for excellent performance. We accomplish very little alone.   We achieve the best results through active collaboration with all who are involved, both within and outside the agency. Genuine, lasting solutions come from working together. Our team includes kids and families, allowing them (as the experts of their families) to lead the way.

 

  1. Support opportunities for growth 

We value a culture that provides opportunities to develop, practice and master skills, with supports along the way. We recognize what we do well and where we need to partner with others. We recognize that setbacks are part of growth and behavior change. We take every opportunity to celebrate progress and the accomplishment of goals that kids, families, and we have set for ourselves. 

 

  1. Thrive in life

We are bold and passionate about this work. We enjoy empowering kids, families, and each other, helping us grow stronger so that we can sustain progress and thrive in life.

 

  1. Context Description

The context is the environment that the person will be exposed when he performs. For example, hazardous environment, need to travel, office environment, school environment, or working with community. Also in this part should be a description of the objectives of the program

  1. Must have flexible schedule to accommodate family needs, may include some evenings.
  2. Must practice a customer service approach to all
  3. Practice cultural competency in all decision making and approach
  4. Maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.
  5. Ability to work independently and as a team member collaborating with staff, parents and community resources.
  6. Ability to practice clear communication- written, verbal, email, etc.
  7. Open for honest conversation and giving feedback
  8. Proven track of maintaining respectful relationships and building teams and meeting results.

  

EEO 

  1. Minimum Requirements:

Education Degrees, licensures, certifications. 

Some college preferred, high school diploma or equivalency required.  

 

Experience Years of experience in a specific position required. 

 A minimum of 2 years working with elementary and/or middle schoolers and families in a structured environment.

Experience in working with students from diverse backgrounds, specifically low income communities.

Other abilities Computer skills and/or knowledge, languages. Other Abilities (e.g. ability to interpret the regulations, etc.) 

  1. Bilingual- English/Spanish preferred
  2. Microsoft Suite proficient
  3. Demonstrated experience working in a field that supports families in the following areas: Youth Development, Social Services, Family Assessments, Community Engagement, etc.
  4. Ability to prove experience of developing and executing a vision
  5. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  6. Practical and strong decision making skills.

 

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