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Support Services Advisor

PowerCorpsPHL |

About PowerCorpsPHL

PowerCorpsPHL (PCPHL) connects people to careers and advances community. PCPHL engages out-of-school or out-of-work 18- to 30-year-olds in an immersive, paid 4- to 24-month program that results in connection to living wage jobs in energy, green infrastructure, and community-based careers.

PCPHL specifically recruits young people most impacted by the city’s gun violence epidemic and lack of opportunities. To date, 92% of graduates transition to career pathway employment and justice-involved young people average an 8% one-year post-program recidivism rate compared to the citywide average of 45%.

Specifically, PowerCorpsPHL runs three programs and one social enterprise in Philadelphia and provides technical assistance to cities nationwide interested in adapting our model to their region.

Philadelphia initiatives include:

  1. TRUST: an urban-farm-based healing initiative exclusively for justice-involved young adults and young adults vulnerable to gun violence. TRUST offers rolling enrollment and immediate income while engaging in work-readiness skill-building and therapeutic supports with the goal of preparing them to enter other PowerCorpsPHL programming or enter other employment.
  2. Foundations: an AmeriCorps program engaging un- and under-employed young people in crew-based environmental and community-based projects. Foundations offers full-time work experience, professional development, supportive services, and career exploration with the goal of transitioning graduates into careerspecific training or entry-level employment.
  3. Career Training: industry-specific advanced training tracks in Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Urban Forestry, Solar, Masonry, Park Rangers, and Youth Work. Career Training on-the-job and classroom-based training is designed with employers and industry with the goal of transitioning graduates into career-track employment in the field.
  4. Philadelphia Reforestation Hub: a first-of-its kind public-private-partnership model for wood waste capture and job skills training. Developed in partnership with Cambium Carbon, PCPHL operates a sawmill and lumber yard to give new life to fallen city trees, while providing jobs and career pathways for local residents.

Nationally, PCPHL provides technical assistance to three cities and several key national partners to design, seed, and expand the number of equity-focused, workforce development climate corps in the nation based on the model and learning of PowerCorpsPHL. This nascent work has resulted in:

  • the launch of the Environmental Justice Corps in Buffalo, NY in 2021
  • the launch of the Reading Climate Corps in Reading, PA in 2022
  • the launch of PowerCorpsBOS in Boston, MA in 2022
  • hundreds of hours of technical assistance to communities affiliated with the Delaware River Climate Corps initiative and member organizations of The Corps Network

Position Overview

The Support Services Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day holistic support of corps members and alumni in building self-empowerment and working through barriers to self-sufficiency. The Support Services Advisor will work with a team of Supportive Services staff members to provide both proactive and responsive corps member and alumni interventions. The Support Services Advisor reports to the Director of Trauma Informed Practice and will work on-site with corps members at least 50% of the time.

Essential Functions

The Support Services Advisor will:

  • Coordinate and deliver a comprehensive set of proactive support services interventions to corps members each cohort and to alumni as needed, including:
    • Individual needs assessments and personal goal-setting
    • Public benefits enrollment and navigation
    • Information sharing of support services and resources available
  • Provide responsive support services interventions to address continuing struggles and emergency needs, including:
    • One-on-one processing
    • Self-advocacy coaching
    • Referrals to and follow-up with social services agencies
  • Work with Crew Leaders and the Programs team to provide holistic interventions that take into account the multiple factors involved in corps member needs
  • Work with the Workforce Development team to provide holistic interventions that take into account the multiple factors involved in corps member and alumni needs
  • Document and communicate all corps member and alumni interventions
  • Contribute to program reports monthly and as requested

Education, Experience & Skills Required:

  • • Master’s degree in Social Work or related field with a minimum of two years direct service experience working with Opportunity Youth and/or similar high risk population, OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field with a minimum of 5 years direct service experience working with Opportunity Youth and/or similar high risk population
  • Ability to work as a part of a collaborative team
  • Minimum two years experience with local social services agencies or public benefits access
  • Experience working with young parents and navigating child welfare supports
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills to diverse audiences
  • Experience with recording and tracking of data
  • Excellent self-direction and the ability to take ownership and drive responsibilities through to completion
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity and cross-cultural issues
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce
  • Successful completion of background checks (PA state criminal, Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse, National Sex Offender Public Registry, and F.B.I. fingerprinting)

Core Competencies

Caring Relationships

  • Motivate and lead program staff to work collaboratively perform with excellence
  • Establish and foster, with diverse partners, positive relationships and open, informative and effective communication
  • Demonstrate high level of enthusiasm for and ability to convey the PowerCorpsPHL mission to internal and external stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner
  • Exercise sound judgment

Professionalism and Professional Development

  • Self-direct and assume full ownership over responsibilities
  • Set clear direction and accountability for staff while offering opportunities to share resources, obtain professional development and advancement to reach goals and objectives
  • Provide clear communication and high level of organization to all staff; including sound written and oral communication skills
  • Present strong problem solving processes
  • Commit to professional development to advance skill growth of serving urban youth

Cultural Competence and Inclusion

  • Promote inclusive behaviors and practices and equity among staff; setting high standard for open dialogue and problem solving

Adolescent Development and Empowerment

  • Commit to the advancement of urban youth; including staff development

Program Management

  • Evaluate program effectiveness and build capacity to develop systems and align resources to optimize success
  • Develop relationships and plans to advance the goals of the PowerCorpsPHL program

Please submit a resume and cover letter to jasmine@powercorpsphl.org with the subject line as “Position Title_Last Name” (ex. Support Services Advisor_Smith).

For more information, click here.

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