Early Bridge Builders Program Coordinator

Raphah Institute

Early Embrace Program

Early Bridge Builders Program Coordinator

Please read the job description carefully.

Who we are:

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 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. To learn more, please visit www.raphah.org.

Who you are:

● You believe that relationships are the most important lever of change. Forming and maintaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships are at the core of who you are.

● You are a creative and driven individual looking to join a team of restorative justice practitioners, therapists, educators, mentors, consultants, and researchers looking to create change in greater Nashville and beyond.

● You share Raphah Institute’s vision of a Nashville free from harm and trauma; you are dedicated to combating poverty and injustice.

● You have a passion for working with people from all walks of life and are a compassionate, dedicated person who wants to help empower communities to heal.

Specifics

The Early Bridge Builders Program Coordinator will lead the launch and ongoing execution of our new Early Bridge Builders initiative. The Early Bridge Builders initiative is a key component of Early Embrace, a multi-generational early childhood initiative that actively engages the entire family and community as a part of the learning and healing process for children.

The Early Bridge Builders Initiative will utilize community organizing strategies to engage in deep canvassing and relationship building with mothers and families in Nashville’s public housing communities who could benefit from prenatal-age 5 programs and services. We will launch the initiative in the MDHA communities of Cumberland View, Edgehill, and Napier/Sudekum in early 2022. The Bridge Builders team will help families in those communities enroll in Head Start, MNPS Pre-K, and other early childhood education programs; access therapy and mental health services; connect with evidence-based home visiting programs; and participate in financial literacy and employment opportunities. We will sign MOUs with other nonprofits that participate in creating this collaborative of early years organizations working together to heal and transform public housing communities.

The Early Bridge Builders also work with families to design and develop community programs to fill the gaps where additional resources are needed for families to meet their collective goals. These programs could include healing circles, playgroups, and more. Our family empowerment programs help us extend our impact to the entire community. Therefore, Early Bridge Builders Coordinator is a community organizer, actively outreaching and partnering with community members and organizations in order to transform whole neighborhoods into safe and affirming spaces for young children.

Our programs are inspired by popular education and participatory action research. We are looking for a candidate who is committed to working alongside participants to collaboratively design programs through a grassroots model. A strong candidate will have a deep understanding of culturally responsive/sustaining pedagogy and trauma-informed/healing-centered care.

The Early Bridge Builders Coordinator is an entrepreneurial person who will build the infrastructure for the Early Bridge Builder program from the ground up. The coordinator will recruit, train and supervise the Early Bridge Builders team. They will develop systems and routines to ensure the team reaches its goal of connecting deeply with MDHA families. The coordinator will also establish strategic partnerships with other organizations in Nashville so that Early Embrace and Raphah Institute can be a part of a larger collaborative effort of building a cradle-to-homeownership pipeline for racially and economically marginalized families.

Why You Should Apply

· Earn a competitive salary with medical benefits and flexible paid time off.

· Receive extensive training and support community organizing, relationship building and transformative justice.

· Work on passionate and dedicated team of therapists and Restorative Justice Facilitators who, like you, are willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference in the life of a young person and their family.

· Work in a culture that values you as a person, your passion, and your wellbeing.

· Embark on a career in which you can go to work every day knowing that you are making an impact.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Supervise, train, and support Early Bridge Builders Team

· Create program structure, routines, policies, and procedures for the Early Bridge Builders Team

· Offer professional development for staff on community organizing strategies, relationship building, interpersonal communication, compassion, and other healing-centered approaches to outreach

· Establish and manage partnerships with community-based prenatal and early years programs and other organizations that support family wellbeing

· Collect data from staff and partner organizations on initiative outcomes and impact

· Work side-by-side, in the field, with Bridge Builders at least 2 hours a week in each community to support their work

· Support Bridge Builders as they facilitate community gatherings and participatory action research

· Participate in program evaluation and measure effectiveness of programs

Educational Requirements

· Master’s degree in social science related field

· Bachelor’s degree in social science related field with five (5) years of field experience.

Preferred Knowledge (not required but makes you a more competitive applicant):

· Trauma-responsive care

· ACEs

· Community organizing

Preferred Experience (not required but makes you a more competitive applicant):

· Leading a community outreach effort, political campaign, and/or community organizing team

· Volunteer recruitment and management

· Popular education and/or participatory action research

· Collaborating and partnership development with community agencies

· Racial and/or economic marginalization

· Working in communities experiencing severe harm and violence

Preferred Personal Competencies

· Excellent organizational and time-management skills

· Creativity and willingness to learn new skills

· Strong ability to work both in a team and independently

· Strong interpersonal skills coupled with high emotional intelligence

Communication Skills:

· Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Reasoning Ability:

· Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Physical Demands:

The Physical Demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
You must be willing to work flexible and unconventional schedule

Work Environment:

The Work Environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. You must possess a valid driver’s license and auto insurance and have reliable transportation to travel to client’s homes and possibly transport multiple clients at once. Must live within a 30 – 45-minute travel time from the Nashville, Davidson County, TN service area.

Salary and Benefits

$58,000 - $65,000 plus benefits. Benefits include:

· Medical

· Dental

· Personalized and Responsible Paid Time Off

· Flexible work location