Community Safety Ambassador, SE

Community Passageways; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Passageways in Seattle seeks a Community Safety Ambassador to support individuals at risk of gun violence. You will work within a coordinated Care Team to build trusting relationships, conduct outreach, and connect participants to positive opportunities and community resources.

The role includes conflict mediation and truce negotiations in collaboration with the Community Support Team. The position requires compassionate, trauma-informed engagement with youth and young adults, with

Qualifications

• Experience with de-escalation, mediation and harm-reduction efforts.
• Lived experience of the impact of gun violence.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to safeguard and maintain participant records with confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Build ongoing relationships and trust with participants aged 12–30 at risk of violence.
• Maintain a caseload of up to five participants and support progress toward safer opportunities.
• Coordinate with Resource Navigators to connect participants to services and resources.
• Support transportation coordination for appointments and events.
• Use trauma-informed engagement strategies and advocate for participants in court when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate and timely participant documentation and notes.

Skills

De-escalation

Mediation

Trauma-informed care

Verbal communication

Microsoft 365

Job description

Seattle, United States

We exist to eliminate the need for the criminal legal system foryouth and young adults. To do this, we create alternatives toincarceration for youth and young adults based on committedrelationships centered on love, compassion, and consistency. We usecommunity to heal community, planting seeds of hope, self-respect andvision to unlock the promise of our youth while fighting to dismantlethe systems of oppression that threaten to take that promise away.

Why We Matter

Over the last 20 years, we have seen a sharp decline in the numberof young people in detention across King County. But even as theoverall number decreased, our juvenile legal system has had anincreasingly and disproportionately harmful impact on youth of color,particularly Black youth. While only 10% of King County’s 2 millionresidents are Black, they now make up almost half of the detentionpopulation on any given day and more than half of felony offenses.

In the last three years, Community Passageways has worked withnearly 200 young people with felony charges with the aim of divertingtheir charges and keeping them in the community. In the end, most ofthem spent no time in detention and the average young person saw an80% reduction in their length of sentence. The young people kept inthe community through their dedication and our support have gone on toenroll in college, start businesses, graduate from high school, andhelp rebuild our communities.

Who We Are

We are a family born from the community we serve. The livedexperiences of staff prepare them to act as credible messengers andAmbassadors. Our Ambassadors work with heart, humility, and compassionto lead community and school-based healing circles, individual andfamily case management, court advocacy, and youth leadership opportunities.

Job Description

Summary of Position

Reporting to the Safe Passage Director, the Community Safety Ambassador works as part of a coordinated Care Team alongside the Resource Navigation Team to support individuals most at risk of gun violence and retaliation. Community Safety Ambassadors build trusting relationships with participants, conduct consistent outreach, and help connect participants to positive opportunities and community-based resources. This role also supports broader violence prevention efforts including conflict mediation, hotspot outreach, and truce negotiations in coordination with the Community Support Team.

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodation will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. The Employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Participant Support

Build ongoing relationships and trust with participants ages 12–30 who meet multiple violence risk factors or are referred through partner networks.

Maintain a caseload of up to five participants and support their progress toward safer and more positive opportunities.

Work alongside Resource Navigators to connect participants to services and community resources.

Support transportation or coordination for participant appointments, meetings, and events when necessary.

Use compassionate, trauma-informed engagement strategies with participants experiencing trauma, substance use, or behavioral health challenges.

Advocate for participants in court or other formal systems when appropriate.

Maintain accurate and timely participant documentation and case notes.

Ongoing Participant Communication

• Confirm receipt of referral within one business day.
• Reach out to potential participants within three business days of referral.
• Support completion of strength and needs assessments and safety planning within five business days of first contact (process led by Resource Navigator).
• Assist participants in developing individualized service plans based on their needs and strengths.
• Maintain consistent participant contact through in-person meetings, calls, and texts according to program engagement phases.

Community Engagement and Outreach

• Leverage community credibility and relationships to help disrupt cycles of violence.
• Participate in outreach, engagement activities, and community events in coordination with the Street Team Manager.
• Support pop-up outreach events, Safe Passages programming, community BBQs, and pro-social activities.
• Assist in mediation efforts to prevent violence or retaliation between individuals or groups.
• Build relationships with businesses, residents, young people, and community stakeholders.
• Identify environmental conditions contributing to violence and work with leadership to identify solutions.
• Participate in neighborhood cleanups, graffiti removal, and community improvement efforts when appropriate.
• Proactively identify youth at risk of gun violence and connect them to community-based supports.
• Support vigils and funerals by helping de-escalate tensions and provide visible community safety support.

Other responsibilities

• Participate in meetings and trainings as assigned by supervisors.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with organizational guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

A clear criminal background check isrequiredfor all positions within our school district or working directly with youth/minors.

While on the job in the community providing services, you will be in uniform (shirts, hoodies, badges, walkie-talkies, etc.)

While on duty, you will be on call for potential incidences of violence including hospital support, vigils, funerals, and community events, including on evenings and weekends.

Ability to walk long distances at a time with up to 30lbs of equipment.

Reliable Transportation

Preferred Experience or Skills

Experience with de-escalation, mediation, and harm-reduction efforts isrequired.

Experience and/orexpertisein the area ofviolence prevention and intervention, or trauma-informed support services among high-risk populations isrequired.

Lived experience of the impact of gun violence

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Ability to safeguard andmaintainindividual records to keep participant files complete, confidential, and in order.

Basic knowledge for Microsoft 365

Maintain a restorative justice orientation in relationship to staff, partners and participants

Value the intrinsic worth of young people and their unlimited potential

Commit to understand deeply andseekto dismantle the systems of oppression impacting communities of color

Ability to build rapid/lasting rapport with high-risk youth, young adults, family members, elders, faith partners, and community workers.

Be a self-aware (know your strengths and weaknesses), engaged and adaptable team player

Take ownership of projects, be self-motivated, and practice independent problem solving

Be flexible about changing priorities and manage competing deadlines

Ability to prioritize workload and daily activities and complete tasksin a timely manner.

Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflicts, and de-escalate issues.

Ability to work under pressure, receptive to change, willing to learn, and with a cooperative approach to problem-solving.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, participants, and outside contacts.

Observe the highest level of discretion in protecting confidential information and preserving database security

Practice excellent oral and written communication, especially proactive communication

Exercise a willingness and ability to execute routine administrative procedures and tasks