Due to burgeoning economic disparities and the opioid crisis, AmeriCorps programs need 50 individuals to make an 11 month service commitment beginning in Sept.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA, June 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The AmeriCorps programs, Minnesota Opportunity Corps and Minnesota Recovery Corps, announced that they need to fill the highest number, yet, of full time Navigator service positions by August 2019. Opportunity Corps needs 30 Navigators to work with participants who are economically disadvantaged due to underemployment and/or under-education, while Recovery Corps is seeking 20 Navigators to serve local people in need of help in sustaining their recovery from substance use disorders.

According to Director of Opportunity Corps and Recovery Corps Alana Stimes, “This is the largest number of Navigators that either of these programs has been awarded to date. The need is particularly great right now because of the increasing economic disparity among the populations we serve, as well as the burgeoning opioid crisis. We need people who care, and who have the time to invest in the future of others.”
Opportunity Corps Navigators work with Twin Cities residents who are economically disadvantaged due to un- or underemployment and/or under-education. Through research-based instruction and tools, members help program participants navigate employment and/or post-secondary education to meet their career goals and get a living-wage job.

Recovery Corps Navigators provide peer mentoring, support, and resource navigation for housing, jobs, education, or other opportunities. By partnering with participants to build strong support systems, Navigators promote the recovery of individuals working to overcome opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders in the Twin Cities.

AmeriCorps members, serving as Opportunity Corps and Recovery Corps members, are extensively trained and receive:
• A paid stipend every two weeks
• An education award of up to $6,095
• Free health insurance and child care assistance (for those who qualify)
• Up to $2,000 annually in housing assistance (in Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• Reduced fares on Metro Transit through the Metropolitan Council’s Transit Assistance Program
Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:
• Must be 18 years of age, a US citizen, national, or legal permanent resident alien, and a high school graduate or equivalent
• Willingness to commit to a full year of service (1700 hours for full-time members). Hours must be completed within 11 months of start date.
• Demonstrated English proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience with intermediate computer skills (word processing, internet, data entry, e-mail, comfort with database and software use, etc.).
• Desire to affect systems change at the ground level; ability to connect the small details to the bigger picture.
• Ability to build relationships and work with people of different cultures and backgrounds.
• Access to regular, reliable transportation.
• Recovery Navigators only: must have at least one year of uninterrupted recovery from a substance use disorder and have been discharged from treatment for a minimum of 6 months.

Anyone interested in learning more or would like to apply to serve, should visit opportunitycorps.org or contact 866-859-2825for Opportunity Corps, or visit recoverycorps.org or call 866-859-2825

About Opportunity Corps:
Opportunity Corps was piloted in 2011 with 15 partner organizations with focus in four service areas. In order to maximize resources, the program shifted its goals after it became clear there was significant need in the area of employment and training. This year, Opportunity Corps hope to place 30 navigators in employment and training-focused community-based organizations. Annually, the program serves over 2,000 individuals. Opportunity Corps is a strategic partnership between Serve Minnesota, Reading & Math, Inc., and nonprofit organization in the Twin Cities Metro Area. For more information, visit opportunitycorps.org or contact 866-859-2825.

About Recovery Corps:
In 2018, Recovery Corps began piloting a capacity-building program called Minnesota Opioid Response Corps. AmeriCorps members, serving as Opioid Response Project Navigators, help organizations build capacity in order to quickly and thoughtfully address the opioid epidemic in Minnesota. Minnesota Recovery Corps is an 11-month program designed specifically for people in recovery to guide other individuals who are trying to sustain their own recovery from substance use disorders in the Twin Cities. Recovery Corps is a strategic partnership between Serve Minnesota, Reading & Math, Inc., and nonprofit organizations in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Annually, Recovery Corps serves over 300 individuals. For more information, or visit recoverycorps.org or call 866-859-2825.

Gary Young
Gary Young Ink
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