Roca

Roca Pre-Release and Juvenile Justice Reentry Specialist

Roca is an internationally recognized violence intervention and behavioral health program that works with the young people most likely to shoot or be shot. Founded in 1988 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Roca now serves nearly 2,000 of the highest-risk young people each year across seven sites in Massachusetts, Baltimore (MD), and Hartford (CT).

Roca's work is grounded in Rewire CBT, a breakthrough adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy designed for young people living with trauma, disconnected from traditional services, and involved in/impacted by violence. Through relentless outreach, long-term relationships, and skill-building, Roca helps youth move from reacting to choosing, from surviving to living.

Meanwhile, the Roca Impact Institute extends this reach nationally. Launched in 2020, the Institute trains community violence intervention staff, criminal justice agencies, and police officers in Rewire CBT, building trauma-informed practices and systems change across the country. To date, the Institute has trained more than 10,000 staff across 100+ organizations in 24 states and D.C.

Position Summary

The Pre-Release and Juvenile Justice Reentry Specialist works within the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services facilities to engage young people who are approaching release and prepare them for successful transition into Roca's intervention model.

This role manages a flexible caseload of approximately 20 young people and is responsible for building relationships prior to release, introduction to Rewire CBT and Circles, coordinating reentry planning, addressing immediate basic needs and ensuring a warm handoff to the Youth Worker they will be assigned to.

The Pre-Release and Juvenile Justice Reentry Specialist collaborates with families, facility staff and internal Roca staff to support continuity of care and long-term engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Release Engagement & Case Management

• Maintain a flexible caseload of young people who are nearing release from Maryland Department of Juvenile Services facilities.
• Meet regularly to deliver Rewire CBT, Circles, structured activities and one-on-one meetings when appropriate.
• Assess readiness for release and prepare participants for engagement with Roca programming.
• Meet with assigned DJS Case Management Specialists assigned to young people prior to release.

Reentry Planning & Basic Needs Assessment

• Assess participants' basic needs upon release, including housing stability, identification and documentation, healthcare access, education/employment readiness, and other immediate supports.
• Develop individualized reentry plans that address barriers to successful transition and promote sustained engagement post-release.
• Complete Safety Profile and in coordination with DJS Outreach Manager, work with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and Baltimore Police Department to mitigate any potential risk.

Family & Natural Support Engagement

• Meet with families, guardians, or other caregivers with whom the young person will reside after release.
• Support families in understanding Roca's model, expectations, and available resources.
• Strengthen family and natural support systems to promote stability and successful reentry.

Coordination & Enrollment

• Coordinate and facilitate in-facility meetings with appropriate Roca staff to complete:
• Eligibility and enrollment paperwork
• Safety profiles
• Transitional Employment Program (TEP) documentation
• Ensure all required paperwork and assessments are completed prior to release whenever possible.

Transition & Post-Release Connection

• Schedule the young person's first visit to the Roca building following release.
• Support a seamless transition from facility-based engagement to community-based services.
• Communicate effectively with internal teams to ensure continuity of care and shared understanding of participant needs and goals.

Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain accurate, timely, and thorough case notes and documentation in Efforts to Outcomes (ETO).
• Adhere to confidentiality, safety, and professional standards when working in juvenile justice settings

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of program and organizational needs.

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 a good fit both personally and professionally for the culture of Roca. In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker. He/she 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 community experience accepted
• Understanding and experience working with young adults and high-risk young adults
• Minimum of three years' experience working with young people
• Experience in street work, outreach, conflict resolution, violence prevention, etc.
• Capacity to think and act intentionally and strategically to help young people change behavior
• Capacity for creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, violence prevention
• Strong written and oral communication
• Excellent at organizing, managing and completing complex projects and tasks simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor.
• Self motivation, initiative, sound judgment and commitment to ongoing learning are essential

Requirements for the position:

• Ability to travel around the service area
• Computer Literacy
• High Proficiency with Microsoft Office products specifically Excel.
• Valid state issued driver's license and current driving record
• 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

The physical demands that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to push, pull, stock, and must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Work can be repetitive in nature. Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception, peripheral vision, the ability to distinguish basic colors and the ability to adjust vision to bring objects into focus.

It may be necessary to wear some protective clothing and/or equipment such as rain and snow gear, boots, goggles, hard hat, full face shield, respirator, ear plugs/muffs and gloves. Work requires physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven surfaces, and recurring bending, climbing, crawling, crouching, stooping, and reaching, and occasional lifting or moderately heavy items. Work requires average physical agility and dexterity.

Work Environment

The work environment an employee is exposed to while performing the essential functions of this job. The position can work in outdoor and indoor environments. - The noise level is typically moderate. - The incumbent is frequently exposed to all outdoor weather conditions.