Success Mentor

Salary: $22 -$25/hr

Position Summary: Under the supervision of the Community School Director, Success Mentors work with a small caseload of 4-5 chronically absent youth to address the barriers keeping them from going to school every day- and to help them reach their educational outcomes. They will help to identify the causes of poor attendance or latenesses, which may include family struggles or poor health, and work with Children's Aid and CACPCS staff to seek solutions. Success Mentors may also be asked to work directly with groups of youth, lead activities, and organize events.

The Success Mentor (Scholar Support) role is focused on providing targeted mentoring and behavioral intervention and support to 4-5 scholars who require additional assistance to meet school expectations on a daily basis. The role works across the school day and extended day (when possible) to promote scholar safety, consistency, and positive youth development. In some instances, across the Success Mentor's caseload, some students may have both attendance and behavioral challenges they are working to overcome.

This position partners closely with the Community School Director, CACPCS School Leadership, Life Coaches, and School Safety to reduce learning disruptions, strengthen student engagement, and support improved attendance and behavior outcomes for a caseload of middle school students.

Children's Aid Mission:

To help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive support to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Children's Aid annually serves children and their families at over 40 sites in New York, as well as through three national program models. Children's Aid is concentrating its efforts on creating cradle-through-college pathways in high-need neighborhoods, with a focus on children's health, family stability, education, and social and emotional development.

Culture and Values

We put children, youth, and families first: We listen to and incorporate the voices of children, youth and families in all that we do.
We seek equity and transformation in our communities: We courageously work within and outside systems to create opportunities for children, youth and families.
We strive for excellence: We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are committed to continuous learning and improvement.
We are powered by collaboration: Our work is stronger when we trust, partner, and respect each other and the communities we serve.
We are driven by compassion: We lead with kindness, care, and empathy and believe in the endless potential of the people we serve and our team.

Essential Duties:

Attendance Support/Mentoring

• Have a caseload of 4-5 youth mentees for a full year.
• Meet and greet matched youth each morning/afternoon when they arrive at school; make early morning phone calls to absent students.
• Track attendance and celebrate improvements.
• Meet with mentees regularly, both one-one and in small groups, to check in on how school is going and listen to youth's needs.
• Work with other Success Mentors, the Life Coaches, the Community School Director and other CACPCS school leadership to identify appropriate interventions to support and engage mentees.
• Seek advice and identify targeted sources of youth or family supports from appropriate school staff and community-based partners under the direction of the Community School Director.
• Keep notes about youth attendance patterns, needs and interventions-make sure monitoring of data strategic.
• Attend (or be represented at) weekly/bi-weekly student success meetings to share any best practices or challenges and to present a summary of how youth are doing.
• When working with groups of youth, develop and maintain an effective system of classroom management that encourages children to develop pro-social behavior and self-discipline.
• Communicate regularly with the Community School Director or other designated Children's Aid or CACPCS personnel regarding needs and supplies to support chronically absent youth.

Utilize a youth development approach to addressing challenging student behaviors

• Lead/facilitate a caseload of 4-5 students who need additional support (in-class and small groups).
• Provide consistent mentoring to identified scholars with repeated or elevated behavioral needs.
• Build supportive relationships while reinforcing school expectations.
• Check in with assigned scholars throughout the day and during after school.
• Support development of coping, decision making, and conflict resolution skills.
• Provide real time support during transitions, lunch, dismissal, and other high needs period.
• Assist in de-escalation and redirection using social emotional strategies.
• Work closely with Success Mentors, Life Coaches, and Middle School Dean to provide seamless support of students.

Progress Monitoring

• Maintain proactive visibility to observe students in action and to prevent escalation of potential incidents.
• Participate in meetings regarding scholar progress.
• Support strengthen coordination between youth development staff and safety personnel.
• Continue mentoring relationships during afterschool (if possible).
• Support transitions into afterschool clubs (if possible).
• Reinforce CACPCS expectations.
• Maintain required records interventions and scholar contacts.
• Support tracking of behavior and attendance goals on caseload tracker.
• Provide updates to his direct supervisor regarding progress and challenges.

Safety Monitoring and Scholar Supervision

• Serve as a reliable and visible adult presence.
• Provide coverage support at the Security desk for the campus on behalf of CACPCS for relief periods while ensuring building safety supervision.
• Participate in the Whitney Young Jr. Campus Building Response Team.
• Collaborate with School Safety Agents to maintain a safe, structured environment within the school building and in the surrounding area.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience working with student populations in grades K-8.
• A demonstrated ability to motivate, stimulate and challenge students to commit, participate, and remain engaged throughout program.
• Must be at least 17 years old and at least a senior in high school.
• Must be approved to work based on the Children's Aid's comprehensive background screening process for staff working at CACPCS.

Key Competencies:

• Reliable
• Punctual
• Organized with strong follow-up
• Mature, uses good judgment
• Good Listener
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent classroom management skills and proven ability to employ a variety of behavior management techniques to create a safe and fun learning environment.
• An understanding of and sensitivity to the emotional, social and academic needs of students during different developmental stages.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children's Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children's Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children's Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.