Fair Future Coach

Position: Fair Futures Coach

Agency/Organization: Police Athletic League

Reports To: Fair Futures Program Supervisor

About Fair Futures & Police Athletic League:

Fair Futures is a youth-led advocacy movement and coalition of 100+ organizations advocating for young people who are system-involved in New York City to have access to the individualized supports they need to achieve their potential. Fair Futures is also a comprehensive model that includes a middle school program that prepares students for success in high school and a coaching program where young people ages 14+ are matched with a full-time, professionally trained Coach. Coaches provide emotional support to young people, believe in them, and help them with their academic, career development, housing, and life skills goals.

As a result of the Fair Futures youth-led advocacy efforts, New York City became the first in the nation to secure public funding for all young people in foster care through age 26. In 2020, the Fair Futures model was implemented at all 26 foster care agencies. This year, the Fair Futures model is expanding to serve youth in the justice system in partnership with the Administration for Children’s Services.

Location: Brooklyn MAAP — Police Athletic League, Inc.

As a Fair Futures Coach, you will:

Be part of this successful, innovative, and collaborative movement that is changing the landscape of child welfare and juvenile justice;

Join a community of over 500 Fair Futures mission-driven, passionate professionals across organizations;

 Make an immediate impact in the lives of young people by helping them carve out a pathway to success in life as they define it;

 Receive significant professional development supports from the Center for Fair Futures, including quality trainings and workshops on every topic you will need to succeed as a coach, unlimited 1:1 support in any area, 1:1 professional coaching to help YOU with your goals, and access to a learning community for Coaches across agencies where you can share best practices, challenges, build your network, and be celebrated. 

The overall goals of the Fair Futures program model are to help young people:

Build trusting relationships and a network of positive adult and peer supports;

 Prepare for and graduate from high school;

 Connect to and persist in post-secondary settings;

 Engage in career exploration and career development experiences in line with their interests to help them eventually navigate onto a living wage career pathway;

Access and maintain stable, affordable housing if they are exiting foster care and gain independent living and life skills.

MAAP (Mentoring and Advocacy Program) is an individualized, strength- and advocacy-based wraparound support services program provided by mentors who work individually with youth up to 20 hours per week based on needs of each youth for 6 months. Fair Futures Coaches will engage with youth during their time with MAAP and will ramp up formal coaching support after the 6-month MAAP program concludes, sticking with young people through age 21.

Coach Position Summary:

Coaches are full-time, trained professionals who are matched with up to 10-15 young people ages 13 and older who have had experiences with the justice system. Coaches meet young people “where they are” and build a trusting relationship with them using an authentic, trauma-informed, strength-based approach, often in partnership with colleagues at MAAP. In addition to providing weekly emotional support, Coaches help young people make progress towards their academic, career development, housing/independent living, and other life goals. When a young person is unsure of their goals/interests, Coaches help them explore and expose them to potential opportunities. They then help young people connect to schools, programs, and opportunities in line with their goals/interests, persist in those settings, and plan/prepare for the next step on their journey. Coaches celebrate young people’s progress; if something doesn’t work out, Coaches help young people reflect and connect to the next opportunity.

We respectfully ask for a minimum 2 year commitment to this role, given the importance of young people having consistent, caring adults in their lives, and the significant investment our team will make into supporting and developing Coaches.

Coach Responsibilities:

Build relationships with up to 10- 15 young people. Coaches employ creative, out-of-the box approaches to engaging youth and do not give up if they are not responsive. Please provide a Cover letter outlining why you are applying for this specific position. This is REQUIRED

 Provide weekly, ongoing social/emotional support.

 Build relationships and collaborate with the key adults in the young person’s life to support their goals and well-being, including other agency staff (e.g., Case Planners and Specialists), foster parents, school/program staff, and other significant adult figures.

Help young people explore their interests and expose them to opportunities in line with their interests;

 Work 1:1 with young people to develop individualized academic and career development goals based on their interests/strengths and take measurable steps towards their goals;

Connect young people to quality schools, programs, resources, and opportunities in line with their goals;

Help young people persist in academic/career settings, navigate any challenges that arise, celebrate successes, and plan/prepare for the next step on their journey.

Should a youth not be successful in any particular school/program, Coaches help young people reflect on the experience and work with them to transition to the next opportunity.

Use an online platform each week track contacts, young people’s goals, steps taken towards goals, and other key data. Full support will be provided on how to use Care4.

Connect young people to peer group supports and build positive relationships;

Ensure young people who are aging out can access and maintain stable, affordable housing and build independent living skills.

Supports Provided to Fair Futures Coaches:

From day one, you will join our Fair Futures Training 

& Learning Academy. You will learn:

The latest techniques in youth engagement

How to use proven coaching language and skills

How to navigate the educational, career, and housing systems and resources in NYC

How to use the Fair Futures goals and steps tracking platform

You will also receive ongoing support to help you become a fully empowered and knowledgeable professional. This includes:

1:1 professional development and empowerment coaching

1:1 technical assistance

Access to an array of voluntary professional development supports

Membership to our Learning Communities, where you can share best practices, problem-solve with peers, and network with the other agencies.

QUALIFICATIONS:

As helping young people enroll and persist in post-secondary settings is one of the goals of the Fair Futures model, it is important for Coaches to have a post-secondary credential. The Coach role is not an entry-level role; experience working with young people in a professional setting is required. Candidates should have either:

• A Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of experience working with young people;

• An Associate or other accredited vocational degree, and 2+ years of experience working with young people.

• Lived experience is a major plus!

To be effective in their role, Coaches must have strong relational and technical skills. While the ability to form relationships is at the core of this work, Coaches also need to have strong organizational, time management, and technical skills to help young people make progress toward their goals, track data, and navigate NYC’s systems and resources. While Coaches will receive all the support and training they need to do so, they have to have to have an ability and willingness to learn, not give up, be resourceful, and think outside the box.

RELATIONAL SKILLS:

• Ability to work from a strength-based, trauma-informed, youth development lens;

• A love for working with young people;

• Ability to relate to young people, engage them in conversation, and provide support and encouragement;

• Ability to form collaborative, working relationships with parents/families, school and agency staff

• Consistent and reliable;

• Ability to think outside the box and employ creative approaches;

• Values and promotes diversity;

• Carries a belief that change is possible;

• Able to maintain healthy boundaries;

• Able to remain calm during moments of tension and stress.

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills;

• Strong time-management, organizational skills, and attention to detail;

• Ability to troubleshoot, advocate, and navigate obstacles where there is not always a clear-cut pathway;

• Open to learning how to use and interpret data to inform decision-making.

• Ability to collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners;

• Ability to use trauma-informed techniques;

• Flexible and can work independently.

Salary: $30.22 Per Hour

Full Time