Community Relations And Program Improvement Specialist (51453)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Community Relations and Program Improvement Specialist will be part of the Education Division and responsible for contributing to the day-to-day operations of the Family Enrichment Center (FEC) by helping to develop and maintain a parent or advisory group; cultivating relationships with other community groups and stakeholders to collaborate around meeting community needs; ensuring a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the FEC program where information, referrals, and resources are freely offered and exchanged to support the needs of participants; and joining and/or creating a network of resources by serving on community district committees, attending local school meetings and events, and building relationships with local businesses and faith-based groups. The Community Relations and Program Improvement Specialist is focused on building connections using a warm and engaging communication style that enhances and supports the family protective factors of FEC participants and community members. Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Community Relations

• Represent the FEC at community events and venues, fostering positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Build and nurture partnerships with community organizations, public institutions, coalitions, and others to enhance engagement and leverage resources for FEC offerings.
• Develop guides, toolkits, and resources to increase awareness and access to the FEC, with a focus on parents, caregivers of children and youth, and marginalized individuals.
• Support the connection of caregivers and families to local resources, services, and other supports.
• Utilize outstanding people/interpersonal, community organizing, collaboration, and advocacy skills to promote the FEC's mission.
• Develop and nurture collaborative and effective relationships with community stakeholders to provide relevant activities and programming around key issues of significance to the community while fostering a sense of self, belonging, pride, and mutual respect.
• Identify and engage with community stakeholders, including residents, local businesses, community organizations, and government agencies
• Create, gather, and disseminate resource material and referral information regarding issues and themes significant to the Brownsville community and of importance to the FEC participants
• Co-manage the FEC website/social media accounts and other outreach access points to communicate with and engage FEC membership
• Collaborate with the team to plan, coordinate, and execute outreach events, workshops, and activities to connect with the community and build relationships including the maintaining of systems for quantifying participation
• Train community advisory board, program staff, and interns in the skills of outreach, engagement, and recruitment to ensure full utilization of FEC programs and activities
• Identify and develop emerging community leaders to assume leadership roles as community advisory members and staff
• Engage community members, especially youth and young adults, in a variety of strategies to work toward identified goals, including but not limited to strengthening problem-solving skills; providing mentoring; engaging in community resources exploration; and providing life skills support
• Build partnerships with community organizations, schools, public institutions, public officials, coalitions, and other stakeholders to increase engagement with these entities and leverage resources for FEC members; serve as a liaison between RiseBoro and the community, responding to inquiries, providing information, and addressing concerns.
• Create guides, toolkits, and other tools that help increase resident awareness of and ability to connect to local resources, services, and other supports
• Attend and actively participate in Community Board meetings, school meetings, and all other Brownsville-based community meetings as appropriate to represent the FEC's interests
• Identify and maintain up-to-date information on key community issues and trends impacting children, youth, and families
• Promote opportunities for youth, families, and community residents to participate in FEC program planning and implementation
• Supervise interns and volunteers, when required
• Work collaboratively with FEC staff, community advisory board, and funders to develop, track, and evaluate program efforts and outcomes

Quality Assurance and Improvement

• Collaborate with FEC staff, parent and caregiver members of the Advisory Council, and ACS to develop, implement, and maintain internal systems for ongoing feedback, performance measurement, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
• Establish an anonymous, voluntary membership engagement system to document community member engagement during FEC visits and offerings
• Design and submit recurring reports documenting deliverables, offerings, and other programmatic elements requested by ACS in collaboration with FEC leadership
• Participate in learning collaboratives with ACS and FEC leadership to develop and implement a system-wide collaborative system for continuous learning and growth
• Other related duties as needed

COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the FEC model and standards as expected by the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), sharing knowledge and expertise with FEC staff to enhance capacity
• Knowledge of and commitment to the Brownsville community preferred
• Demonstrated experience in community organizing, building partnerships, and/or community-led programs preferred
• Ability to influence others to be excited and committed to furthering RiseBoro's goals
• Ability to use personal experience with disability, mental illness, criminal legal system, justice, special education, substance use disorder, and/or foster care to assist in supporting the community in their resiliency/recovery and wellness
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate and or present to groups of families, adults, and community stakeholders
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively
• Excellent organizational skills and time management
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain positive relationships
• Possess a positive attitude and entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to work collaboratively, and creatively and build relationships
• Ability to plan and manage multiple projects
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, problem-solve, manage time effectively, and execute goals
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and related web-based applications i.e. Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, Google Docs, etc.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable with work schedule i.e., occasional evening or weekend as needed
• Experience in building and implementing performance measurement, quality assurance, and continuous improvement systems for community-driven programs, along with expertise in qualitative and quantitative participatory research methods preferred
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish preferred
• Commitment to RiseBoro's mission, vision, and values
• Ability to understand the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities
• Demonstrated commitment to work that supports communities who have experienced systemic oppression and bias (e.g. people of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, justice-involved persons, etc.)

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's Degree in social work or related field required
• A minimum of three (3) years of professional experience required in community organizing, managing partnerships, collaboratively building and implementing performance measurement, quality assurance, and/or continuous improvement systems for community-driven programs required