DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. In addition to the starting salary, employees in the Youth Outreach Specialist classification shall also receive an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation pay.
Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force (MGPTF) is the City of San José’s Youth Violence Reduction Strategy which operates within PRNS department of the City of San Jose. Over the past 25 years, the MGPTF has strategically worked to address issues of gang involvement among youth and young adults in an effort to reduce youth violence associated with gangs.
The MGPTF was established in 1991 in response to an increase in gang activity and crime. It is comprised of a broad coalition of local residents, school officials, community and faith-based organizations, local law enforcement, and city, county and state government leaders. The MGPTF brings these diverse stakeholders together and leverages each group’s expertise as part of a coordinated, interagency effort to curb gang-related activity in San José.
The work of the MGPTF is coordinated through a Continuum of Services that works across four key areas: Prevention, Intervention, Suppression and Re-entry. The MGPTF’s successes can be attributed to its ability and willingness to continually refine and develop programs and services that meet the needs of a changing community.
The MGPTF is currently recruiting to fill Youth Outreach Specialist positions in the following programs:
Safe Schools Campus Initiative (SSCI) —The program partners with 19 school districts on 82 middle and high school campuses, responding to incidents to reduce violence and maintain a safe learning environment for all youth. SSCI staff also provide case management services to high-risk, gang-impacted and gang involved youth in non-school evening and night hours, also working in partnership with the Santa Clara County Probation Department. The YOS in this program manages up to 5 staff members who provide: 1) school safety coverage and activations; 2) 1-to-1 case management of youth; 3) coordination and leadership of pro-social recreation trips and activities, and; 4) other youth intervention services as needed. Staff in this unit must be able to work with hi-risk, gang-impacted and gang-intentional youth in crisis and traumatic situations, including domestic violence, gang-related assaults and violent acts, sexual assault, and drug and alcohol issues.
Digital Arts—This program teaches youth the basis of music production in a studio environment. The program includes some basic music theory, hip hop history, and everything from counting time to working with samples. Most teaching occurs in small group lessons at the program’s two studio sites, Roosevelt Community Center and Sunol Community School, where the program is an after-school activity. The program serves six to eight students at a time at each location, with a target of serving at least 150 youth per year. The YOS in this program provides direct programming to youth, assisted by part-time Recreation Leader staff and/or Class Instructors, which the YOS supervises. The applicant in this position must have experience working with computerized sound studio equipment and audio visual equipment, including cameras and camcorders.
Late Night Gym—This program serves approximately 6,500 duplicated participants annually, at four gym locations. It provides positive alternative evening activities to youth who might otherwise seek to engage in gang-related activities, and is a proactive effort to deter and prevent gang-related violence. At the open gym activities, service providers attend each location to provide information on accessing mental health services, life skills classes, job training, tattoo removal, record clearance, and drug and alcohol counseling. This program is a connection point that may result in connecting youth with other MGPTF programs. The YOS overseeing this program must be willing to work night hours, when the program takes place, and have excellent organizational skills to bring equipment and other supplies to the different venues, and be able to work together with staff from other MGPTF programs and non-profit organizations who attend Late Night Gym Sessions and bring youth to participate.
Clean Slate Tattoo Removal Program—This program partners with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to assist former gang-impacted and gang-involved youth with free removal of gang-related tattoos as a barrier to future education and employment. Program participants agree to attend a series of life skills classes to assist the transition out of gang life, and to provide evidence of progress toward employment or educational improvement. The YOS overseeing this program tracks participant completion of life skills classes and other program requirements, refers participants to other services on request, and provides limited case management to participants. As a result, this position requires excellent organizational and record-keeping skills, and experience working with gang-impacted and gang-involved youth.
San Jose Works Youth Jobs Initiative—This program provides work experience to youth aged 15 to 18 who reside in designated gang hot spots in San Jose. The program permits participants to gain work experience in various non-profit or City jobs. At the same time as receiving real work experience, participants complete classes in job readiness, workplace skills, financial literacy, career exploration, and life and academic skills. The YOS in this position monitors participants’ progress, working in conjunction with case managers provided for the program. As a result, the position requires excellent organizational, record-keeping and data analysis skills, the ability to work with representatives of non-profits assisting the City with the program, and the ability to organize job fairs, training sessions, and other services provided to program participants.
Female Intervention Team (FIT) –FIT provides services to high-risk, gang-impacted and gang-intentional girls and women who are from 11- to 24-years-old. Participants are referred to the program by Juvenile Court, the Probation Department and local school districts, including alternative schools. FIT provides specialized gender-responsive, trauma-informed case management/mentorship services. Its goals are to prevent further involvement with the criminal justice system and a gang lifestyle by participants, while assisting them with setting and achieving healthier personal and social goals. The program includes cognitive counseling groups provided at about 12 local high schools, using an education curriculum informed by and addressing issues specific to young girls. Staff in this unit must be able to work with high-risk, gang-impacted and gang-intentional youth in crisis and traumatic situations, including domestic violence, gang-related assaults and violent acts, sexual assault, and drug and alcohol issues.
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.
You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, please contact Israel Canjura at israel.canjura@sanjoseca.gov.
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Manjit Atwal at manjit.atwal@sanjoseca.gov
