Dignity and Power Now (DPN) is a grassroots organization based in Los Angeles that fights for the dignity and power of incarcerated people, their families, and communities. In doing so, DPN wages a fight for everyone because the prison industrial complex forms an imaginative limit on everyone’s capacity to envision freedom and liberation.
Summary:
The Director of Health and Wellness will be an experienced nonprofit leader. Reporting to the VP of Program, the Health and Wellness Director is responsible for developing and implementing all wellness programming and leading the team responsible for their integration into campaign strategy as well as promoting Dignity and Power NOW’s approach to the broader community of funders, movement leaders, and organizers. The Director of Health and Wellness role requires an individual who embodies, and is able to articulate healing justice and transformative justice practices as well as the abolitionist framework. This role also requires an individual who understands and is passionate about the mission and vision of the organization, exemplifies DPN core values, and can articulate DPN’s mission on a local, regional and national basis. The successful candidate will help create and maintain new and existing relationships with coalition partners, external alliances, etc.
Responsibilities:
● Contribute to organizational vision and ensure that Dignity & Power NOW is achieving healing justice goals
● Lead on the organizing, implementation, and assessment of Seasonal Wellness Clinics
● Identify, recruit, orient, and organize with healers, health care professionals, and partners for Dignity & Power NOW wellness programs.
● Ensure all Wellness and Healing Justice programming (Freedom Harvest, wellness clinics, etc.) achieves intended goals by the assessment of all wellness programming
● Facilitate the co-creation of healing justice goals for DPN and the Healing Justice Team
● Develop and lead an Internal Wellness program for Dignity & Power NOW staff
● Lead internal staff training and implementation of Healing justice and Transformative Justice practices
● Develop and lead staff training around a Dignity & Power NOW approach to trauma-informed decision making.
● Expand and lead Dignity & Power NOW Justice Teams specifically for jail violence
● Develop protocol to respond rapidly to incidents inside and outside the LA County jails.
● Represent Dignity and Power NOW in coalitions as appropriate
● Prepare content on a regular basis for the Dignity and Power NOW communications team to use to convey the importance of healing justice.
● Manage health & wellness staff, including review of weekly workplans and reports
● Prepare weekly workplan reports using DPN report formats
● Develop and execute national Health and Wellness Network strategy as part of DPN's national expansion effort
● Train, develop and hold teams accountable to goals and outcomes
● Support the health and Wellness team, including DPN members, Building Resilience members, (BR is DPN’s Rapid Response Healers Network that supports Healing Justice programming and Rapid Response) and coalition partners to coordinate programming
● Perform other duties as required to support the department and mission of organization
● Work with Director of Policy & Campaigns to refine and communicate Dignity & Power Now’s approach to incorporating wellness into organizing, leadership development, policymaking, etc.
● Design and implement art and advocacy programming program/project
Influential Skills Skills/Additional Requirements
● Ability to lead staff in a way that motivates and inspire members to develop into leaders and participate in key DPN programs (i.e., politics, organizing, wellness clinics, etc.)
● Ability to frame issues and articulate organizational values and priorities- Healing justice, Transformative justice, and Abolition
● Ability to lead teams in a virtual settings and work effectively as part of a team
● Sound organizational skills to assist staff in managing and prioritizing work subject to deadlines in a dynamic and changing environment, as an individual and as a member of a team
● Ability to receive direction from and interact with his or her immediate supervisor when it becomes necessary
● Ability to develop and carry out plans with sound independent judgment and minimum supervision
● Ability to take initiative and be creative in developing staff for new roles and responsibilities within DPN and provide the support needed to be successful
● Sound interpersonal and communication skills appropriate to providing a quality staff and member experience including the ability to establish and cultivate respectful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
● Working knowledge and understanding of criminal justice system and its damaging impacts in communities of color
● Demonstrated ability to formulate and deliver on short-term and long-term staff and member development and capacity building goals
● Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office/Word, PowerPoint, Excel, databases and Internet
● 2+ years of experience with multiple healing practices including but not limited to Reiki, acupuncture, herbalism, massage, and therapy.
● Direct experience with community organizing and/or a deep understanding of the concepts and practices.
● Direct or indirect experience with incarceration and/or 2+ years working closely with people who have incarceration experience.
● Proven ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures
Dignity and Power Now’ is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We welcome all qualified applicants, including formerly incarcerated individuals. We are proud to comply with Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring (LA Ord. 184652)
Submit Resume & Coverletter to: dpnrecruiter@dignityandpowernow.org.
