Community Safety Worker/Outreach Worker

Organization Description: Founded in 2016, Focused Interruption was created by a small group of community members, many of whom have been directly impacted by gun violence and the criminal justice system. These volunteers were committed to taking action to end the growing gun violence in Dane County. Over five years, Focused Interruption has provided counseling and support to over 300 victims and perpetrators of gun violence, visiting area hospitals at all hours of night and day partnered with the City of Madison to address gun violence. Our mission is to use a holistic approach to reduce generational trauma by providing evidence-based intervention and prevention services to the people, neighborhoods, and families most impacted by gun violence. Position Summary: The Focused Interruption Outreach Worker is a critical member of our team dedicated to reducing generational trauma caused by gun violence. By employing evidence-based interventions and prevention strategies, this role focuses on establishing meaningful relationships with individuals at the highest risk of gun violence victimization and perpetration. The Outreach Worker will engage these individuals in a range of supportive services, including job placement or training, mental health treatment, legal assistance, and mentorship. In addition to providing ongoing support, life coaching, and dispute mediation, Outreach Workers will respond to incidents of community violence and actively work to prevent retaliatory actions. This role requires relentless outreach efforts, trauma-informed approaches, and a commitment to fostering positive change within the community. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Conduct relentless outreach efforts, including home visits, street-level engagement, and prison or jail visits, to connect with individuals at the highest risk of gun violence. Collaborate with the manager and community partners to identify individuals at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of gun violence. Maintain a caseload of 5 or more individuals at the highest risk, ensuring their continued engagement in mental health treatment, work, school, and other prosocial activities. Utilize trauma-informed approaches to identify, connect, engage, and support individuals at the highest risk. Prepare and submit reports as required, and enter program information into the data management system, maintaining detailed case notes. Attend regular staff meetings, partner meetings, supervision sessions, and community events as instructed. Build strong relationships with residents, businesses, and community groups through individual and team outreach efforts. Provide linkages and support for individuals to access community opportunities and programs, such as job programs, GED, drug treatment, and mentoring. Facilitate proper referrals and supportive case management for court advocacy, school enrollment, counseling, substance abuse services, employment, and job training. Participate in media opportunities as requested and perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications: High School Diploma/GED required; Bachelor's degree preferred; Associates Degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited institution highly desired. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proficiency in computer literacy to fulfill job duties. Demonstrated initiative in community involvement and crisis intervention experience. Ability to work effectively on a team and demonstrate empathy with participants and the target population. Expectations: Adhere to Focused Interruption’s model, philosophy, approaches, policies, and procedures. Attend relevant trainings, including restorative justice, trauma-informed care, conflict mediation, and mental health support. Possess a valid Wisconsin driver's license, insurance, and a good driving record. Participate in self-care sessions and exhibit emotional maturity, effective teamwork, professional conduct, good judgment, integrity, and tolerance of differing points of view. Be willing to respond to crime scenes, hospital emergency departments, and other chaotic environments. Collaborate and communicate effectively with external partners. This position is a part-time position, $28/hour, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Normal working hours are 3:00 PM-7:00 PM but some special events may require occasional weekend hours. Focused Interruption provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Focused Interruption complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences to apply.