Arts Program Facilitator

About the Role

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. The Arts Program Facilitator will develop and implement multimodal creative programs for people in DOC custody, facilitating arts-based groups that provide opportunities for developing interpersonal skills, teamwork, increasing self-esteem, and engaging in activities of interest.

Responsibilities

• Conduct arts-based groups for 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’s capacity to provide arts programming by determining arts needs of specific groups (e.g., by age, special interest), creating program curricula, and encouraging people in custody to engage in organized arts activities that 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 (or as requested) and present successes or suggest changes to existing programs as needed.

Skills

• Ability to develop and implement multimodal creative programs (e.g., fine arts, dance, theater, music, writing).
• Experience facilitating arts-based groups in a custodial or community setting.
• Skills in curriculum development and program evaluation.
• Creativity and latitude for designing new programs tailored to diverse populations.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills to engage participants effectively.
• Commitment to promoting health, wellness, and stress reduction through arts programming.