School Success Mentor, PS/MS 123 (Part-Time)

About Graham:

Graham provides life-changing tools and resources for children, young adults and families who face some of the most difficult obstacles caused by poverty, racial injustice, and lack of access to educational opportunities, living wage employment, quality healthcare, and affordable housing.
 

We collaborate with communities and strong partners to create and implement innovative strategies so everyone can lead healthy, joyful, and successful lives.

Program Description:

Community Schools is a strategy to organize resources and share leadership to integrate social services into the fabric of the schools.  The program is equipped to better serve the needs of families so that students succeed, and families feel connected.

Community Schools offer a family focused holistic approach toward supporting wellness driven by strong, collaborative partnerships among parents, School Building Leaders, teachers and the greater community. In Community Schools, parents are real and active drivers in their families’ success, the school climate is inviting, joyful and positive, and opportunities are endless.

An integral part of this approach is the integration and alignment of school- and community-based services such as health & wellness services, student/family support, parent engagement opportunities and enrichment. This position has been established to strengthen the Community School program’s ability to increase student attendance rates, academic scores and family engagement strategies simultaneously. 

Principal Objective/Role Overview:

The Community School Success Mentors connect with students and families during the traditional school day, both independently and/or with a lead teacher or partner Graham staff to support students who have a historical pattern of chronic absenteeism from school throughout the school year.  Contact by the mentor includes daily check-ins in school with students, home visits, in- school conferences with parents/guardians to mediate and advocate on behalf of students and families.  Relationship building is core to this work for students and families to create a realistic SMART plan and continue to receive the support for them to be achieved.

The Success Mentors will be assigned to students/families based on the following categories of attendance challenges:

• Family Health & Wellness and Medical Services
• Time management, managing multiple appointments and priorities
• Parent & student motivation and youth development
• Temporary housing and homelessness
• Student suspensions and/or behavioral concerns

Mentors will have some skill/expertise with working with families in these areas to support the families in reaching monthly attendance targets and yearly attendance goals.

Job Responsibilities: Success Mentors’ main goals are to be assigned to students and families to support with attendance. But their responsibilities are not limited to:

Family Empowerment:

• Exercise a customer service approach to welcome families into the school and share information about school services and programs.
• Use a strengths-based approach to create SMART attendance plans, agreed upon with students and families.
• Schedule and conduct meetings with students and families to discuss student progress with attendance and its impact on academics
• Engage families in school support services and events including volunteer opportunities, after-school/weekend programming, wellness support, etc.
• Attend and represent students and families in Student Support, Community Engagement and other school meetings, update school on family needs and progress
• Update and celebrate with families regarding student progress
• Collaborate with One Graham network, like the Harlem Beacon program, and Harlem Community Cornerstone Center and In school full clinic regarding wellness, family referrals, family interests and family status; refer families to Grahams off site programs and services
• Support parents with completing documents for program or other in school/community referrals

Attendance:

• Build a trusting relationship by providing in-school check-ins, parent conferences, success visits, etc. with 20-25 students/families who are experiencing challenges with daily attendance, permanency, behavior, or several other challenges
• Document all demographics and attendance progress in Graham attendance database to track attendance, set monthly targets, search for patterns and predict outcomes
• Attend and participate in weekly Attendance meetings; communicate updates regarding student progress
• Document family outreach on school reports.
• Share ideas and attend monthly attendance celebration meetings

Position Qualifications: What do successful candidates need to have to do well in this position?

• Some college preferred, high school diploma or equivalency required. 
• A minimum of 2 years working with elementary and/or middle school students and families in a structured environment.
• Experience in working with students from diverse backgrounds, specifically low-income communities.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• Microsoft Suite proficiency
• Demonstrated experience working in a field that supports families in the following areas: Youth Development, Social Services, Family Assessments, Community Engagement, etc.
• Ability to prove experience of developing and executing a vision
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Practical and strong decision-making skills.

Salary & Compensation:

• Base Salary or Hourly Rate: $21.00/hour
• FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

EEO Statement

The Equal Employment Opportunity Policy of Graham is to provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all associates and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability. Graham hires and promotes individuals solely based on their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Graham believes that associates should be provided with a working environment which enables each associate to be productive and to work to the best of his or her ability. We do not condone or tolerate an atmosphere of intimidation or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.

We expect and require the cooperation of all associates in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free atmosphere.