Career Opportunities – Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington

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Lead Caseworker: NW and NE (DC)

Lead Caseworker: Anacostia- Congress Heights (DC)

Grantwriter: NW

STRIVE Employment Readiness Trainer

Lead Caseworker: Anacostia – Congress Heights (DC)

Hiring Immediately

Full-time

Position Summary

The Lead Caseworker (LC) establishes and maintains the Anacostia – Congress Heights (SE DC) offices as a strong, reliable presence in the Anacostia and Congress Heights Community through outreach, advocacy, casework, and support. As team leader for these offices, the LC supervises volunteers; creates and expands community partnerships; and manages the U Street office. He/she also provides casework on site to participants in both the U Street and Congress Heights locations. He/she will collaborate with SMGW staff share best practices, establish consistency, and exchange ideas for participant engagement. The LC for this office reports to the Program Director.

SMGW’s Mission

SMGW is a faith-based, non-profit organization committed to empowering program participants to realize significant and positive life change. Through a practice of rigorous compassion and coaching, trained caseworkers, specialists, and instructors, partner with participants who set life goals in the areas of employment, housing, education, health, and benefits, then identify the smaller “next steps” required to meet those goals. SMGW is comprised of a diverse team of staff and volunteers who are also committed to community change through deliberate, ongoing, and collective action to end systemic racism, while seeking equity for all people. SMGW has no religious requirements for its participants or employees and welcomes all.

Position Responsibilities

Team Leadership

Serve as team leader for the Anacostia office (Team leader for Congress Heights is ABE Coordinator), ensuring an inclusive and collaborative workplace.
Supervise volunteers and casework interns. Collaborate with Program Director and Volunteer Manager to identify needs and opportunities for volunteer engagement.
Oversee collection and distribution of in-kind donations (e.g., food, toiletries, PPE, etc.) to support the site’s program participants, in coordination with Pantry Manager and Volunteer Manager.
Monitor allocation of direct services (e.g., financial assistance, Metro cards, toiletries, food) and track approved disbursements. Collaborate with peers across sites to ensure consistent processes.
Ensure proper functioning of office equipment and IT services related to program delivery, communicating any concerns with the Chief Operating Officer
Perform and/or assign daily housekeeping tasks to ensure a clean, organized office.
Ensure adequate supply of program materials (e.g., forms, resource directories, flyers) and other supplies (e.g., PPE, office supplies, participant resources such as non-perishable food & toiletries).

Community Cultivation & Engagement

Develop strategy to generate SMGW presence in the Anacostia – Congress Heights community and attract more prospective participants to the office.
Develop, sustain, and grow positive relationships with local service providers and potential referral sources for all SMGW services.

Casework & Casework Oversight

Provide casework services to all those who request assistance in accordance with SMGW policies. This includes conducting intakes, formalizing, and implementing the ID voucher process, and assisting participants with various goal-related tasks (e.g., online job or housing applications).
Provide supervision for Casework Associates/Interns at the Anacostia and Congress Heights offices.
Refer participants to appropriate in-house services (e.g., job placement) and or outside community resources and maintain follow-up as needed.
Collaborate with the Adult Basic Education Coordinator, the Employer Specialist, and STRIVE Trainer(s) to provide comprehensive, coordinated services.
Create/update participant records within three days of service, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
Maintain other participant files as appropriate, ensuring the confidentiality of participant information in accordance with SMGW’s confidentiality/boundaries policy.

Organizational Responsibilities

Participate in SMGW special events, sharing information and success stories about SMGW participants; assist event staff as needed to ensure event success.
Attend staff meetings, trainings, and organizational events, as requested.
Take on other duties as needed and assigned.

Qualifications

At least five years of casework experience in social/human services with adult populations, or related experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
Knowledge of and experience in the Washington, DC area and its resources.
Ability to work within an organizational framework, while recognizing and responding to the unique needs of the Anacostia community. Proven supervisory/leadership experience is strongly preferred.
Database experience required; Salesforce preferred. Comfortable with Zoom, Outlook, WORD, as well as digital research and recordkeeping.
Public speaking experience highly desirable, to facilitate outreach and ongoing interaction with other agencies and prospective participants.
Capacity to work occasional non-traditional hours and travel in the community between and around the SMGW offices(s) in which you serve. Occasional travel between offices may also be required.
Nature of the work largely requires in-person presence, with limited exceptions.

COVID Precautions: As part of our commitment to safety, all staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID (including all boosters for which they may be eligible) or be approved for a religious or medical exemption and agree to undergo weekly testing. All new hires must provide proof of full vaccination or have received an approved exemption prior to their start date.

Salary: Starting salary is $50,000 based on qualifications above. Starting salary can be adjusted commensurate with significant relevant experience, demonstrated success in producing program impact, and/or additional credentials. Starting salaries are competitive with similarly sized non-profits in the Washington area. To apply, please send resume and a cover letter, explaining why you think this position and this organization might be a match for you to: Ms. Jennifer Seager-Valentine, Program Director, at jseager@samaritanministry.org

Lead Caseworker: NW and NE (DC)

Hiring Immediately

Full-time

Position Summary

The Lead Caseworker (LC) divides his/her time between our established NW DC office and a new site on the border of NW DC and NE DC on the grounds of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. At that location, he/she will establish and maintain a reliable SMGW presence in the area through outreach, advocacy, casework, and support. As team leader for the NE DC office, the LC supervises volunteers, provides casework, creates, and expands community partnerships, and manages the office. This role presents a unique opportunity to develop a strategic outreach plan for establishing our presence in the community at a new site. The LC reports to the Program Director.

SMGW’s Mission

Position Responsibilities

Community Cultivation and Engagement

Co-design and implement evolving outreach and engagement strategy.
Cultivate relationships with community partner organizations in the NE DC area, with the objective of establishing pipelines for prospective participants.
Develop, sustain, and grow positive relationships with local service providers and potential referral sources for all SMGW services.
Strengthen our connection with host congregation (St. Paul’s Church, Rock Creek Parish) by collaborating with parish staff and volunteers to coordinate efforts to help participants and visitors from the church’s community.

Team Leadership

Serve as team leader, establishing and ensuring an inclusive and collaborative workplace.
Supervise volunteers and casework interns. Collaborate with Program Director and Volunteer Manager to identify opportunities for volunteer engagement.
Oversee collection and distribution of in-kind donations (e.g., food, toiletries, PPE, etc.) to support program participants, in coordination with Pantry Manager and Volunteer Manager.
Monitor allocation of direct services (e.g., financial assistance, Metro cards, toiletries, food) and track approved disbursements. Collaborate with peers across sites to ensure consistent processes.
Ensure proper functioning of office equipment and IT services related to program delivery, communicating any concerns with the Chief Operating Officer.
Perform and/or assign daily housekeeping tasks to ensure a clean, organized office.
Ensure adequate supply of program materials (e.g., forms, resource directories, flyers) and other supplies (e.g., PPE, office supplies, participant resources such as non-perishable food & toiletries).

Casework and Casework Oversight

Provide casework services to all those who request assistance in accordance with SMGW policies. This includes conducting intakes, formalizing, and implementing the ID voucher process, and assisting participants with various goal-related tasks (e.g., online job applications, housing applications, etc.).
Provide supervision for Casework Associates/Intern Caseworkers at the Northeast DC office.
Refer participants to appropriate in-house services (e.g., job development) and or outside community resources and maintain follow up as needed.
Create/update participant records within three days of service, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
Maintain other participant files as appropriate, ensuring the confidentiality of participant information in accordance with SMGW’s confidentiality/boundaries policy.

Organizational Responsibilities

Participate in SMGW special events, sharing information and success stories about SMGW participants; assists event staff as needed to ensure event success.
Attend staff meetings, trainings, and organizational events, as requested.
Take on other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

At least three years of casework experience in social/human services with adult populations, or three years of related experience. demonstrating increasing responsibility and leadership. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

At least five years of casework experience in social/human services with adult populations, or related experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
Ability to work within an organizational framework, while recognizing and responding to the unique needs of the community. Proven supervisory/leadership experience is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of and experience in the Washington, DC area and its resources.

Experience with or in DC social services, both public and community based strongly preferred.
Database experience required; Salesforce preferred. Comfortable with Zoom, Outlook, WORD, etc., as well as digital research and recordkeeping.
Public speaking experience highly desirable, to facilitate outreach and ongoing interaction with other agencies and prospective participants.
Capacity to work occasional non-traditional hours and travel throughout various parts of the metropolitan area as needed.
Nature of the work largely requires in-person presence, with limited exceptions.

COVID Precautions: As part of our commitment to volunteer and participants safety, all staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID (including all boosters for which they may be eligible) or be approved for a religious or medical exemption and agree to undergo weekly testing. All new hires must provide proof of full vaccination or have received an approved exemption prior to their start date.

Salary: Starting salary is $50,000, based on qualifications above. Starting salary can be adjusted commensurate with significant relevant experience, demonstrated success in producing program impact, and/or additional credentials. Starting salaries are competitive with similarly sized non-profits in the Washington area.

To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter, explaining why you think this position and this organization might be a match for you to: Ms. Jennifer Seager-Valentine, Program Director, at jseager@samaritanministry.org

Grantwriter

The Grantwriter position at Samaritan Ministry is integral to the success of the Development Department and plays a vital role in securing funding through Foundation and Government grants. The Grantwriter reports to and largely interfaces with the SMGW Development Director and is primarily responsible for writing Letters of Inquiry (LOIs), proposals, interim/final reports, prospect research, and maintaining the grant calendar.

Compensation begins at $60 per hour with an expectation of 20 hours per week. Responsibilities include:

Maintaining and implementing a Foundation workplan as agreed upon;
Drafting letters of introduction, letters of inquiry, and proposals;
Submitting letters of introduction, letters of interest, and grant proposals as agreed;
Recommending and researching additional foundations and government grants to add to the Foundation calendar/schedule as time permits, with a priority on grants that are included in the budget and those that are not in the budget but have been qualified and are on the grants chart;
Following up on grant denials in consultation and collaboration with the Development Director within a reasonable period to determine next steps; and,
Retaining all working drafts (as needed) and final drafts in Foundation files through the SMGW SharePoint file system.

STRIVE Employment Readiness Trainer

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington (SMGW)

Full-time, Hiring Immediately

Position Summary

SMGW seeks an Employment Readiness Trainer whose primary role is to facilitate and lead the STRIVE employment readiness training. STRIVE training is the workforce development component of the Next Step program. STRIVE training uses the nationally recognized and trademarked STRIVE curriculum, which produces demonstrated results in major urban areas across the country. SMGW is the STRIVE affiliate in the Washington, DC area. The Trainer selects, plans, creates, and implements daily lesson plans; assigns and checks homework; and, provides individual sessions as warranted with assistance from Next Step caseworkers and other members of the STRIVE team. Trainings are virtual now but will be delivered in person soon. The STRIVE Trainer collaborates with the whole program team on referrals and participant progress, and reports to the Program Director (PD).

SMGW Mission

SMGW is a faith-based, non-profit organization committed to empowering program participants to realizing significant and positive life change through a practice of rigorous compassion and coaching from trained caseworkers, specialists, and trainers who collaborate with them for change. Participants set life goals in the areas of employment, housing, education, health, and benefits, then identify the smaller “next steps” required to meet those goals. SMGW is committed to community change through deliberate, ongoing, and collective action to end systemic racism, while seeking equity for all. SMGW has no religious requirements for program participants or employees and welcomes all applicants.

Responsibilities

Instructs and leads STRIVE employment readiness training, including the planning, creation, and implementation of daily lesson plans.
Ensures effective and high-quality delivery of the training, adjusting style and content based on participant learning needs. Presents information using a variety of instructional techniques and formats, such as role-playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, and lectures.
Guides participants to develop realistic and appropriate job expectations and encourages growth, learning, and positive work attitudes.
Implements individual employment development plans using career assessment testing tools and/or informal assessments.
Evaluates participant progress in the training by making individual participant assessments and subsequent recommendations for service needs for a participant, to or through the participant’s Next Step caseworker.
Tracks STRIVE enrollees, graduates, and placements; enters case notes and other participant information into both Salesforce and Apricot.
Represents Samaritan Ministry in Trainer meetings with other STRIVE affiliates, STRIVE National, and among other workforce development professionals and groups, as assigned.
Utilizes national I-STRIVE library for online learning and best practices, as well as other resources as identified and assigned.
Collaborates with the program team to assess potential STRIVE participants and to increase program completion and retention rates.
Assists Employer Specialist in matching employment opportunities with participants.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

At least two years of experience teaching or training, ideally in workforce development with chronically unemployed/underemployed adults, returning citizens, senior citizens, persons without a GED or high school diploma, and/or persons with differing abilities. Knowledge or experience with the STRIVE curriculum, or a similar curriculum, is an asset.
At least one year of experience in social services and/or workforce development, with direct service responsibility, including an understanding of barriers to employment and demonstrated experience with assisting people overcome such barriers.
Ability to demonstrate to participants an effective resume, cover letter, and candidate interview.
Proficiency with Zoom and other online learning platforms such as Microsoft Teams, including but not limited to the ability to create/edit slides, share screens and conduct online learning sessions.
Proficiency in maintaining electronic records and data.
Experience with program databases, as well as Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Associate degree, or higher, in the Human Services, Education, Social Work – or other related field.
Lived experience navigating the challenges that our program participants face is a plus.
Ability to administer CASAS tests, is a plus.

STRIVE, SMGW’s workforce development training, is a component of our Next Step Program. Next Step is designed to empower participants to achieve goals leading to a sustainable and purposeful life. Goals are typically set in the areas of employment, education & training, health, and housing. SMGW has five sites in the Washington area and serves over 1,000 people each year. SMGW is a STRIVE affiliate site and part of a national network known for its high rates of job placement and retention. www.strive.org

Salary: Starting salary range is $49,000 – $54,000, based on qualifications above. Starting salary can be adjusted commensurate with significant workforce training experience, demonstrated results in facilitating student success, and/or additional credentials. Actual starting salaries are competitive with similarly sized non-profits in the Washington area.

To apply, send a resume and address a cover letter to Ms. Jennifer Seager-Valentine, Program Director at jseager@samaritanministry.org, explaining why you think you are a match for this position and for Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington.