Youth Empowerment Program Advocate at Sakhi for South Asian Survivors, Inc. – Brooklyn, New York

Youth Empowerment Program Advocate

Sakhi for South Asian Survivors exists to represent the South Asian and Indo Caribbean diaspora in a survivor-led movement for gender-justice and to honor the collective and inherent power of all survivors of violence. Sakhi is committed to serving survivors through a combination of efforts including—but not limited to—direct services, advocacy and organizing, technical assistance, and community outreach.

Sakhi serves survivors from the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora who trace their backgrounds to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Africa. Members of our community come from diverse backgrounds including age range, gender, religion, ethnic origin, economic and educational background, language spoken, and immigration status. We work to represent, inform, actively engage, and mobilize the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities in an intersectional, intergenerational survivor-led movement for gender justice.

At Sakhi we offer a unique work environment that is collaborative, fun, and committed to social justice. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons of color and bilingual/bicultural applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. At Sakhi, we have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay and do their best work. Sakhi is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

The Youth Empowerment Program Advocate will report to the Youth Empowerment Program Associate Director and will work with South Asian and Indo-Caribbean survivors of gender-based violence. The ideal candidate will:

Case Management

• Provide culturally-appropriate, trauma-informed, holistic advocacy/case management services to youth survivors of gender-based violence and their families;

• Encourage limited English proficient survivors to discuss emotions and experiences in a language most comfortable for them;

• Help survivors understand power and control dynamics and cycles of violence within their relationships, and create safety plans as needed for emotional and physical health;

• Act as advocate in order to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations;

• Gather information about community needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with Sakhi services;

• Refer survivors to community resources or specialists as necessary;

• Collaborate with other Sakhi staff, including interns, for referrals and to streamline survivor services and programs;

• Evaluate the effectiveness of youth programs in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objective;

• Adhere to Sakhi’s policies around confidentiality and mandated reporting;

• Maintain updated records of client and client-related interactions;

Preventative and Supportive Program Development and Implementation

• Organize and facilitate workshops and groups that explore topics around substance use, aging, bullying, anger management, careers, depression, relationships, LGBTQ issues, self-image, stress and other pertinent topics;

• Create, implement and facilitate YEP related and supportive programming in NYC schools and other settings, as needed;

• Learn about new developments in their field by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, and maintaining contact with other social service agencies;

• Continue to build on short-term and long-term program goals after identifying constituency needs

Grant Management and Development

• Maintain records of all survivor related work/activities through efficient data collection and notetaking;

• Produce accurate reports and draft narratives for grant reporting;

• Work with the Development Team to attend site visits, and offer pertinent program information as needed.

Outreach, Training, and Advocacy

• Break the stigma around gender-based violence and raise awareness in the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities;

• Advocate for equal access for survivors of gender-based violence to various public services agencies including health, educational, governmental, and judicial;

• Develop ongoing referral relationships within the health, legal, educational and social service systems;

• Collaborate with other youth-serving agencies to create partnership opportunities, co- host workshops, and share knowledge regarding strategies to engage youth

• Represent Sakhi on relevant task forces, coalitions, and committees to voice trends of gender-based violence and mental health of youth in South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities.

Required Qualifications

• Must hold a Bachelors of Social Work, Masters of Social Work, Bachelors of Psychology, Bachelor of Public Health or related degree.

• Fluency in one or more South Asian and Indo-Caribbean languages, especially Bangla and/or Hindi and/or Urdu

• 2-3 years of experience in direct social service with knowledge of trauma, gender-based violence, and gender issues

• An investment and background in survivors' rights advocacy issues is a must

• Excellent leadership and managerial skills

• Strong attention to detail

• Experience with working with vulnerable populations and trauma survivors

• Ability to work flexible hours including some evenings and weekends

• Ability to work well under pressure and juggle multiple time-sensitive tasks

Sakhi’s office hours are Monday - Friday, 10am-6pm. Some evenings and weekends will be required. Salary: $65,000, commensurate with experience. Sakhi offers a generous benefits package, including unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and health/dental/vision insurance. Additionally, all full-time staff have access to clinical supervision.

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Ideal candidates will be available to start as soon as possible.

Please complete the application via Sakhi’s Career Center, available on our website. You must submit a

resume and cover letter with your application to be considered. Only applicants selected for an interview

will be contacted.