Outreach Specialist

OUTREACH SPECIALIST

40 hours/week – FLSA Status – Non-Exempt

Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) goal is to create a world where young people with disabilities will be able to live with dignity and pride in who they are, and to lead self-determined lives filled with purpose. To make this happen, we build the skills and abilities of young people with disabilities, and increase the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities.

The Outreach Specialist is an existing position reporting to a PYD’s Community Outreach Manager who is critical to ensuring PYD’s mission is realized. To that end, the Specialist is responsible for implementing PYD’s community engagement strategy and supporting the administrative functions necessary to ensure effective youth and volunteer recruitment, retention, intake, and enrollment.

Founded in 1985, PYD serves youth ages six to twenty-six with a broad range of disabilities across Massachusetts, with select programming offered nationally. In addition, PYD increases the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities across the country through coalition building, innovative programs, and supportive services. Since our founding, PYD has grown from one program serving nine youth to an array of award-winning programs, including Mentor Match, Career Readiness, Access to Theater, Youth Leadership Forum, Young Leaders Rising, the National Disability Mentoring Coalition, and the National Career Readiness Academy. We empower more than 500 youth with disabilities each year and have trained more than 10,000 people from over 300 organizations in inclusion best practices.

The Outreach Specialist position is on the outreach team, engaging youth and young adults with disabilities. PYD’s programs are community based with headquarters located in Boston, MA. The Specialist position is a full-time role and requires a willingness to travel independently throughout the service area and work occasional weekends dependent on outreach needs. The organization currently is working in a hybrid work format, this role is expected to be in the office or community a minimum of two days per week.

What You’ll Do:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Execute community and digital engagement strategies that build a pipeline of prospective participants, volunteers, and partners, including but not limited to timely research, recruitment, interview, intake, and cultivation activities that support PYD's growth objectives
• Conduct intake interviews and assess prospective youth/volunteer/partner interests, needs, and eligibility; make appropriate referral to PYD programs and/or external partners as necessary
• Facilitate completion of all necessary onboarding paperwork to engage in selected PYD programming
• Conduct trainings and presentations to orient new youth, volunteers, and partners to PYD programs
• Oversee youth services wide events calendar to ensure programmatic goals are met. Identify community-sponsored events and other outreach opportunities to add to team-wide calendar
• Engage in PYD’s online inclusion communities to provide additional resources, support, guidance, and timely access to events
• Ensure effective and accurate documentation of necessary paperwork and ongoing database management to support program evaluation and state agency  reporting
• Execute retention strategies that create sustained engagement from current and past participants, volunteers, and partners, including but not limited to relationship development, positive youth development, social activities, and youth interaction
•  Oversee caseload of matches and provide ongoing match support.
• Orchestrate match events and develop new match activities
• Research and expand upon resources for matches around the topics such as remote activities, anti-racism resources, COVID-19 resources, and mental health
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• Marginal Responsibilities:
• Attend monthly staff meetings, quarterly National Disability Mentoring Coalition meetings, team meetings, and supervision
• Contribute to the newsletter, blog, social media content, and other promotional collateral
• Support the planning and management of PYD community and fundraising events
• Assist in the creation of digital and print marketing materials as necessary
• Provide individualized case support to matched mentors and mentees or students participating in internship experiences
• Assist with grant reports and proposals as necessary
• Assist with special projects as they occur
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• Who You Are: