COMMUNITY-FUNDED PRISON CHAPLAIN

ORGANIZATION LOCATION:

Polkton, NC with occasional travel to Raleigh, NC for trainings and meetings

DESCRIPTION

Are you interested in building bridges of hope for justice-involved women? Can you see the inherent autonomy within each individual to define their own future? Do you believe in the power of relationship and community? Are you committed and tenacious, able to flourish within complex systems, while valuing people over process? If so, Arise Collective is looking for you!

Arise Collective is a unique organization operating at the nexus of prison chaplaincy, women’s issues, and social justice with a mission to equip women with the tools and support they need to heal, grow and thrive, both in prison and in the communities to which they return. The organization celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020 and expanded its programming with a new reentry model that provides comprehensive, holistic wraparound services for formerly incarcerated women, including housing and access to education and employment opportunities. Arise Collective’s work is offered using a trauma-informed, evidence-based, participant-centered lens. Visit arise-collective.org to learn more.

CURRENT NEED

Arise Collective seeks a second Community-Funded Chaplain to help expand the organization’s chaplaincy presence in North Carolina. For 44 years, the organization has covenanted with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) to provide chaplaincy and transitional services at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women (NCCIW) in Raleigh and its minimum-security Canary Unit. We now have an exciting opportunity to hire a secondChaplain to work primarily as a prison chaplain at Anson Correctional Center for Women in Polkton, NC, currently the largest women’s prison in the state.

This position will deliver chaplaincy services inside the prison in line with Arise Collective’s strategic and business plans, organizational goals, and culture, as permitted and approved by the NCDAC. The ideal candidate will be a strategic partner with Arise Collective’s leadership team and will work collaboratively with the State-funded Chaplaincy team at the prison as well as the organization’s staff and board members to provide welcome and witness to Anson’s Chaplaincy Services participants. The incumbent will have a dual chain of command, serving on a team with Arise Collective’s CEO and Senior Chaplain, and to the prison’s State-funded Chaplain.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PRISON CHAPLAINCY (75%)

• Serve inside the prison as a Community-Funded Chaplain, contingent upon the final candidate’s Chaplain Covenant being approved and signed by NCDAC.
• Supervise Chaplaincy Services programming in partnership with state-funded, NCDAC prison chaplaincy staff and programs staff, in all state-recognized faith traditions, as needed, to meet the religious and spiritual needs of residents.
• Recruit, manage, and supervise Chaplaincy Services volunteers; maintain a database of volunteers.
• Serve as a supervisor for Chaplain’s Clerk(s) in the absence of other staff chaplains or on an as-need basis.
• Provide pastoral care for prison residents and staff of any or no faith affiliation.
• Work alongside state-funded NCDAC chaplains to provide grief support when residents lose family members.
• Respond to prison residents’ requests through one-on-one pastoral care, provision of literature, and/or enrollment of women in need-specific programming.
• Lead trauma-informed, evidence-based programming, religious education, and worship in one’s own tradition (as defined by one’s endorsing or ordaining body) and in accordance with one’s professional area(s) of expertise.
• Facilitate observance of religious holidays across a wide array of faith traditions.
• Serve as a supervisor for an Arise Chaplaincy Intern, if allowed, as Arise Collective is a Duke Divinity School Field Education placement site.
• Provide programmatic, research, and administrative support to Arise Collective’s Senior Chaplain pertaining to the organization’s Chaplaincy Services inside the prison, including maintenance of Chaplaincy data and quarterly reporting in accordance with prison and HIPAA policies.

REENTRY CHAPLAINCY (10%)

• Connect women with faith communities to build supportive relationships post-release.
• Provide spiritual discernment and support to women in the community taking part in Arise Collective’s non-residential programs.
• Establish connections with community resources to bridge reentry support for potential and past program participants.
• Provide clinical pastoral care and grief support, as needed, for participants of any or no faith affiliation, in conjunction with Arise Collective’s Clinical Director and Senior Chaplain.
• Conduct community and faith-based outreach to identify potential mentors and volunteers and to increase awareness, engagement, and involvement in this work.
• In tandem with other staff, participate in the use of reentry simulations and other engagement activities and presentations as educational tools.
• Depending on experience and interest, foster endeavors and opportunities for creative expression and awareness-raising projects among justice-involved communities.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES (15%)

• Attend weekly staff meetings and monthly 1:1s with supervisor and Senior Chaplain.
• Attend board meetings, retreats, and committee meetings, as needed.
• Participate in partner meetings and presentations related to the work of the organization.
• Attend all required NCDAC Chaplaincy Services trainings, conferences, and meetings.
• Supervise interns at the discretion of Arise Collective and the NCDAC, as needed.
• Compile and analyze data in order to create reports necessary for continuity of funding.

QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Master of Divinity, or equivalent degree, highly preferred.
• Inclusive and empathetic worldview with demonstrated skill working across lines of difference; prior Equity & Diversity training, preferred.
• Ability to support participants of all faith and/or philosophical traditions.
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): Minimum of one unit of CPE, preferred. CPE is not required in order to be covenanted as a Community-Funded Chaplain with NCDAC, though Arise Collective values this training greatly. (To learn more about DAC Chaplain requirements, visit: https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/rehabilitation-and-reentry/chaplaincy-services.
• Ordination/Endorsement Certificate and/or letter of good standing in one’s ordaining or endorsing tradition.
• Strong experience in pastoral care and counseling.
• Expertise in trauma-informed and/or alternative healing modalities preferred.
• Strong organizational abilities, including planning, delegating, program development and management, volunteer management, ability to work within a chain of command structure, and administrative ability required.
• Prior teaching experience and strong group facilitation skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly in oral and written forms with excellent presentation skills.
• Proficient in use of technology, including standard operating systems and Microsoft Office products; database (Excel, e.g.) experience.
• Ability to work both independently and on a team within a high stress environment while maintaining policies, professional standards, and a calm, non-judgmental attitude.
• Experience working in chaplaincy with women, and/or in a prison setting, preferred.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possess valid NC Driver License, satisfactory driving record and proof of insurance.
• Be able to complete and pass NCDACrequired background check.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position requires: ordinary ambulatory skills as well as the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and occasionally manipulate (lift, carry, move) light-moderate weight; hand-eye-foot coordination; arm, hand and finger dexterity, visual acuity; and the use of auditory senses. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those with physical limitations to perform the essential functions, per NCDAC policy.

WORK REQUIREMENTS

The position’s primary purpose is to provide programs and services to enhance participants’ abilities to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Arise Collective staff work within a hybrid model, including work “in the field,” and remote and/or virtual work (certain staff meetings, e.g.). The primary office location for this position will be inside the prison. The incumbent is expected to have approximately four on-site shifts in the prison each week to include daytimes, evenings, and Sundays, to be negotiated with the State-funded Chaplains. They are also expected to attend periodic staff meetings and retreats at Arise Collective’s offices in Raleigh. We welcome candidates from areas within commuting distance to the prison, which includes locations in South Carolina, as well as the Charlotte Mecklenburg County area.

PRIMARY RELATIONSHIPS

Must develop and maintain excellent relationships with program participants, Arise Collective staff and board, prison staff, other NCDAC personnel at all levels, community volunteers, faith communities, nonprofit partners, and othersinvolved in the work of the organization.

JOB TYPE

Salaried, full-time, exempt position, exact schedule contingent upon NCDAC covenant.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, ordination/endorsement certificate, diploma, and CPE certificates. Application deadline is January 6, 2025. No calls, please.

Arise Collective is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted individuals strongly encouraged to apply.