Assistant Program Coordinator - Court Accompaniment, Referrals, and Education (CARE) - Elizabeth Fry Society Kingston

The Court Accompaniment, Referrals, and Education (CARE) Program provides self-identified women (aged 18+ years) in Kingston and surrounding areas who have been charged with provincial and/or federal offences, are involved in matters of family law, or are facing other legal challenges with wrap-around support and practical assistance. The CARE Assistant Program Coordinator will provide said support in accordance with the program’s three-pronged approach to wrap-around care: (1) court support and accompaniment (e.g., transportation and support during court appearance); (2) systems navigation (e.g., referrals to other agencies as required, advocacy); and (3) information and practical assistance (e.g., access to legal resources and information and regularly scheduled seminars offered by agency staff and external partners).

Women who are criminalized experience significant levels of vulnerability and discrimination before, during, and after incarceration. Despite well-documented barriers to their reintegration and inclusion upon release from prison, many women receive minimal support to successfully navigate the complex network of local community resources. As a result, many criminalized women must accomplish the impossible upon release: independently achieve economic success, social integration, physical well-being, and emotional healing with little to no knowledge and/or resources to do so. Without dedicated assistance to help navigate necessary resources, many formerly incarcerated women remain stuck in an oppressive cycle of poverty, incarceration, and marginalization. Having been in operation in the Kingston area since 1949, Elizabeth Fry Kingston has the necessary experience and relationships with community partners to understand and address the unique needs of criminalized women.

In keeping with the gender-specific and anti-oppressive philosophies, programs, and policies of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Kingston, the CARE Assistant Program Coordinator will assist the CARE Program Coordinator provide targeted, empathy-driven, and client-led support to criminalized women throughout their journeys in the legal system and ultimately break the violent and destabilizing cycle of incarceration and release.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in a Social Sciences field.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with women in the criminal justice system and/or other groups of women and gender diverse people pushed to the margins.
• Working knowledge of the Ontario Court of Justice (including Criminal Law, Family Law, Bail Court, Mental Health Court, Gladue Court, and Drug Treatment Court) and the Courts of Justice Act.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation (e.g., the Criminal Code of Canada, Correctional and Conditional Release Act, Ontario Mental Health Act, National Parole Board policies, Community Residential Facility Standards) is considered an asset.
• Driver’s License, access to a reliable vehicle/transportation to and from Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee, and current CPIC and First Aid/CPR certificate are requirements. Enhanced Security Clearance will be secured upon hiring.
• Strong commitment to, and experience with, women and gender diverse people’s intersecting needs and systemic issues, and familiarity with anti-oppressive frameworks.
• Excellent oral/written communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• An acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience will be considered in place of some education and/or experience requirements.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

At a minimum, the CARE Assistant Program Coordinator shall provide the following services:

1. Court Support and Accompaniment

• Facilitate communication between criminalized women and their legal support networks (e.g., lawyers, the Queen’s Legal Clinic, loved ones, social workers, probation/parole officers, community organizations, sureties, etc.).
• Access and print dockets for local bail courts.

2. Systems Navigation

• Conducting a needs assessment with every client to determine their goals and design a realistic, time-oriented plan to achieve these outcomes.
• Make referrals to appropriate organizations on a case-by-case basis and conduct follow-ups on behalf of clients with these services.
• Field general inquiries about the program from potential clients, community partners, community members, etc. by phone, email, and in-person conversation.

3. Information and Practical Assistance

• Assist the CARE Program Coordinator to facilitate legal education at Elizabeth Fry’s Women Empowered (WE) Hub to allow clients to learn more about their unique cases, develop communication skills and legal literacy, and establish and maintain relationships with local legal experts and agency staff in a trauma-informed, safe environment. Components of said legal education will include: access to legal resources; questions/concerns addressed and pamphlets/cards available for distribution; services tied to the needs of women in conflict with the law (i.e., information sessions on mental health, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, etc.) offered by internal staff and external partners; and regularly scheduled legal information seminars operated primarily by local legal experts and law students from Queen’s University.
• Design and regularly update CARE Program online and print resources (e.g., social media content, pamphlets).
• Regularly update the Agency’s living document of community, charitable, and government resources for criminalized women in the Greater Kingston Area.
• Remain up to date on legislative or procedural changes, as well as news and/or current events, that may influence the operations of local court systems, and the impacts of these changes to facilitate and/or hinder achieving clients’ goals.

4. Data Maintenance

• Keep accurate and well-documented files for criminalized women who participate in the CARE Program. Specifically, the CARE Assistant Program Coordinator will input and analyze client data collected by the CARE Program Coordinator for use in a monthly data report to the Executive Director. This will include, at minimum:
• Number of incarcerated women receiving services.
• Number and type of referrals for services by Agency staff, government and community partners, and self-referrals.
• Number and type of training/group programming sessions provided.
• Number and type of daily assistance components and personal supports provided to clients.

5. Institutional and Community Networking

• Establish a network of community resources to assist and appropriately refer women to local services and programs throughout their journeys in the legal system (e.g., in prison, in court, upon release).
• Liaise with provincial correctional staff as appropriate to organize and carry out programming, needs assessments, one-to-one meetings, education, and other forms of support within Quinte Detention Centre.

6. As a staff member of Elizabeth Fry Kingston, the CARE Assistant Program Coordinator:

• Maintains confidentiality as per Agency policy
• Uses Agency grievance procedure(s) to resolve issues
• Demonstrates initiative and professionalism, and participates in professional development
• Attends all relevant meetings
• Undertakes additional responsibilities as requested by the Executive Director
• Female only, relying on provisions of Section 23 of the Human Rights Act in setting the restriction. Elizabeth Fry encourages and supports diversity in the workplace.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit your resume to info@efrykingston.ca with the position title in the subject line

Deadline to apply: By 4:00 p.m. on April 11, 2025.

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Kingston is committed to employment equity within its staff and providing accessible employment practices that comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation for a disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please notify us at info@efrykingston.ca.