About Roca

Roca is a fast-paced, data-driven, and relentless organization that serves over 1,600 high-risk young people every year. Founded just outside of Boston in 1988, Roca operates a nationally acclaimed Intervention Model with five sites in Massachusetts, one in Baltimore, Maryland, and one in Hartford, CT.

Over 38 years, Roca has learned that to impact urban violence, we must work directly with the young people and systems at the center of it. Roca’s Intervention Model engages young people at the center of urban violence in an intensive four-year program to address trauma, teach life-saving cognitive-behavioral skills, and break the cycle of incarceration and poverty that traditional youth programs alone can’t break. And, because it takes all of us, Roca also helps institutions like police and state agencies change the way they work with young people who are traumatized and living at the intersection of gangs, drugs, poverty, violence, immigration challenges, and involvement with multiple public systems.

Role Summary

This position reports to the Site Director or another member of the site management team.

The Outreach Specialist is responsible for engaging young people at the highest risk of violence through consistent, proactive street outreach, crisis response, and partnership coordination. Working closely with Youth Workers and site leadership, this role focuses on identifying, assessing, and engaging young people who are most disconnected from services, including those impacted by acute violence.

The Outreach Specialist plays a critical role in supporting safety—both in the community and within Roca sites—by maintaining real-time awareness of community dynamics, responding to critical incidents, and ensuring timely communication of safety-related information. This position builds and maintains strong relationships with key system and community partners to increase referrals, strengthen coordination, and support participant engagement.

Through direct outreach and ongoing engagement, the Outreach Specialist supports young people in beginning their journey toward behavior change, reinforcing the use of Rewire CBT, and helping to stabilize participants so they can more fully engage in Roca programming.

Core Responsibilities

Conduct consistent, proactive street outreach to identify, engage, and build relationships with young people at the highest risk of violence, including those impacted by acute incidents
Respond to critical incidents, including hospital-based outreach and community violence response, to support immediate engagement and stabilization of participants
Carry and actively manage a caseload of high-risk participants, supporting engagement, safety planning, and connection to Roca programming
Work closely with Youth Workers to locate, engage, and re-engage participants who are off-track, difficult to reach, or presenting elevated safety concerns
Support participant eligibility assessment and vetting, including gathering key information related to risk factors, barriers, and system involvement
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of community dynamics, conflicts, and safety concerns and communicate relevant information to staff in a timely manner
Manage and maintain Safety Lists and Safety Profiles, ensuring accurate and real-time documentation of participant and community safety information
Build and maintain strong relationships with community and system partners (e.g., law enforcement, hospitals, shelters, and violence prevention partners) to support referrals, coordination, and participant safety
Represent Roca in community meetings, events, and partner engagements as appropriate to strengthen presence and collaboration
Engage participants in behavior change work by reinforcing and supporting the practice of Rewire CBT and other Roca interventions during outreach and engagement
Accurately document outreach, engagement, and safety information in ETO and other systems in alignment with Roca’s performance-based management practices
Support site operations and team needs as requested, including providing coverage for programming or work crews when needed
Contribute to overall site safety, including building and vehicle oversight and adherence to safety protocols
Participate in required Rewire CBT training, team meetings, coaching, and supervision to build skill and consistency in using Roca’s behavior change approach. Staff are expected to use approved AI-supported coaching tools, as appropriate, to practice Rewire CBT skills, reflect on participant interactions, receive feedback, and strengthen effectiveness in the role.
Participate in ongoing standards and competency review processes designed to support continued growth toward proficiency in Rewire CBT delivery.
For staff working with young women and mothers, support participants navigating experiences of trafficking and sexual violence, while also helping young parents engage in parenting and child development programming, complete relevant assessments, and access family and early childhood systems.
Provide coverage for work crews when needed to support participant engagement, site operations, and continuity of programming.
Other duties as assigned.

Required & Preferred Qualifications

The very nature of Roca’s work requires an individual of great commitment and energy to the mission. Roca seeks a highly driven individual who is in alignment with the culture and values of Roca. In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker. They will have a sense of humor, feel passionate and committed to direct work with high risk youth, and demonstrate interest in coaching and supporting coworkers.

Roca expects candidates to have the following skills:

BA preferred/Equivalent experience accepted--Minimum of three years of direct service work with high-risk young people.
Understanding and experience working with street involved high risk young people.
Capacity for creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, violence prevention.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Capacity to think and act intentionally and strategically to help young people change behaviors.
Creative problem solving and thinking.
Excellent at organizing, managing and completing multiple complex projects and tasks simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor.
Self-motivation, initiative, sound judgment, and commitment to ongoing learning are essential.
Ability to work as a part of a team.
Ability to travel around the service area.
Computer Literacy
Valid state issued driver’s license.
Criminal background and current driving record check.
Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, and Holidays and/or weekends as needed.
Ability to work with diverse cultures.
Strong attendance and high energy.

Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to perform the essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation. Duties may include standing and walking for extended periods; using hands to handle, feel, or operate objects; and communicating verbally and audibly with others.

The role regularly involves physical activity such as pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying materials, with the ability to lift and/or move items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work may be repetitive and may require bending, stooping, crouching, climbing, crawling, reaching, and working on uneven or outdoor surfaces.

Specific vision requirements include the ability to maintain depth perception, peripheral vision, color differentiation, and the ability to adjust focus as needed. The position requires average physical agility and dexterity.

Protective clothing or equipment may be required, including but not limited to weather-appropriate gear, boots, gloves, eye and hearing protection, hard hats, respirators, or face shields, depending on work assignments.

Work Environment:

This position is performed in both indoor and outdoor environments. The role involves regular exposure to varying weather conditions. Noise levels are typically moderate but may vary based on location and work activities.

Roca is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer

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