Raphah Institute is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the idea that when people have the opportunity and resources to live trauma-free lives, they will.
Raphah—a Hebrew word that means “to heal”—captures the heart of our vision and work. We believe in a Nashville where justice is healing. Yes, justice in all of its forms—criminal, economic, education, social, healthcare, power—should heal those who have been broken by harm. It is our deepest desire to continue partnering with change-minded leaders and volunteers to see transformative healing in our community.
Our flagship program is our Restorative Justice Diversion (RJD). RJD is a pre-charge, community-based restorative justice partnership with the juvenile court, police department, district attorney, and public defender. As our flagship program, RJD is based on a model of restorative justice called Restorative Community Conferencing (RCC). This approach brings people who have been harmed, the responsible youth who caused the harm, and their communities together to understand the impact of harm and explore ways to repair and heal.
Court cases in Davidson County involving youth, ages 12-17, facing criminal prosecution for non-violent, felony crimes are now regularly referred to Raphah Institute and the RJD. Raphah took their first case in July 2018 and has since gradually increased the scope of cases referred from the court. To date, Raphah has diverted more than 60 cases from the juvenile court, serving over 60 persons harmed, and more than 75 responsible youth and their families. Currently, there is a 0% recidivism rate for youth you have completed the process and more than 90% of person's harmed are satisfied with the outcome of the process.
Specifics:
BSW interns are placed in the RJD working with RJ Facilitators and Family Therapists in support of restorative justice facilitation and family therapy. The team can accommodate micro and macro students. Students will complete the following task with flexibility depending on the team they are placed with and requirements of their program.
- Support restorative justice facilitation, including victim advocacy, youth empowerment, and restorative community conferencing
- Support family therapy work including case management, assessment and planning, and report writing
- Support organization-wide operational support including administrative, fund development, governance, and marketing activities
Requirements
- Must be able to pass a background check
- Must be in an accredited BSW program
- Commitment to justice, equity, and community harm reduction and ardent supporter of Raphah Institute's mission
- Preferred experience working with trauma survivors and justice involved youth
- An independent hard-working team player with a sense of humor who is flexible, patient, and respectful