The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards the smallest jail system possible without compromising public safety.
The DOC is solely responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff, visitors, volunteers, and people in custody inside our jails.
Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to providing people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities. The DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with over 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledge experts.
The DOC seeks to recruit an Arts Program Facilitator who will be responsible for developing and implementing, multimodal creative programs for people in DOC custody. Selected candidates will facilitate arts-based groups that provide opportunities for developing interpersonal skills and teamwork, increasing self-esteem, and offering opportunities to engage in activities of interest. Under the guidance of the Deputy Director of Fine and Performing Arts, and with latitude for creativity in designing new programs, the Arts Program Facilitator will:
- Conduct arts-based groups to men and women in the Department’s care and custody, on housing units, in city jail facilities.
- Develop and implement impactful arts programs (including but not limited to creative/fine arts, dance/movement, theater, music and writing) and engagement strategies for facilitating groups with people in DOC custody.
- Support the DOC capacity to provide arts programming by determining arts needs of specific groups (i.e. by age, special interest, etc.), creating program curricula and encouraging people in custody to engage in organized arts activities which contribute to increased health and wellness while decreasing stress.
- Evaluate curricula and community-based art programming for individuals in the custody of the Department quarterly and as requested and be able to present successes or suggest changes to existing programs as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
- High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.
Preferred Skills
- Professional experience in the creative arts field; licensed or permit-holding Creative Arts Therapists encouraged to apply
- Experience with developing programs for individuals within the correctional setting.
- Proficient knowledge of best practices related to juvenile justice and at-risk populations.
- Excellent writing, communication, interpersonal, analytical, research, problem solving and organizational skills.
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) proficiency
- Assist leadership in identifying and connecting with additional community partners.
- Assist with the development of strategies as well as short- and long-term goals related to the expansion of arts programming.
- Conduct periodic inspections of materials, equipment and facilities.
- Complete and input daily data collection of Fine and Performing Arts programming.
- Participate in supervision (individual and team) as scheduled, and complete assigned
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Additional Information
The City of New York offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance for the employee and his/her spouse or domestic partner and unemancipated children under age 26, union benefits such as dental and vision coverage, paid annual leave and sick leave, paid holidays, a pension, and optional savings and pre-tax programs such as Deferred Compensation, IRA, and a flexible spending account.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.