Youth Services Employment Specialist

* Staff positions are supportive roles providing support to our rehabilitation mission. Applicants for staff positions do not need to have a barrier to employment to be eligible for these roles.
** To ensure full consideration for a staff position, please attach a resume to your application so we can gain a complete view of your experiences
* Peckham, Inc. – Youth Services Employment Specialist Ann Arbor Day Treatment | Part-Time POSITION SUMMARYHelp young people see what’s possible—and help them get there.

At Peckham, we believe every young person has strengths, abilities, and potential worth investing in. The Youth Services Employment Specialist plays a meaningful role in creating an extraordinary experience for youth—helping them discover their strengths, explore possibilities, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward becoming successful, responsible, and caring adults.

This part-time position serves youth who are court-involved as well as youth referred through the Washtenaw County community. The Employment Specialist builds authentic, trusting relationships with young people and uses a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach to help each student identify their interests, abilities, and goals and develop a path toward education, training, and employment.

This position provides individualized career exploration, vocational assessment, career planning, job-readiness instruction, and employment support. The Employment Specialist connects youth to meaningful opportunities to develop skills, earn industry-recognized credentials and certifications, explore high-demand careers, and experience success in the world of work.

The goal isn't simply to help a young person get a job—it's to help them recognize what they are capable of and begin building a future they can be proud of.

The ideal candidate brings energy, creativity, consistency, and a genuine belief in young people. They are someone who can see potential before problems, build meaningful relationships, hold young people to high expectations while meeting them where they are, and contribute to a culture where youth feel known, valued, challenged, and supported.

This is a part-time position based at Peckham's Office area at the Washtenaw County Day Treatment facility at Washtenaw County Children's Services. The position is available through a contract with Washtenaw County court.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESInspire Growth & Build Meaningful Relationships Build authentic, trusting relationships with youth through a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach that recognizes their abilities, experiences, interests, and potential.

Create an environment where youth feel welcomed, respected, supported, and challenged to grow.

Serve as a consistent, encouraging adult who helps students recognize their strengths, develop confidence, and envision new possibilities for their future.

Provide mentoring, encouragement, and individualized support while maintaining appropriate boundaries and professional relationships.

Hold students accountable for their choices and behavior while using pro-social, restorative, and skill-building approaches that promote personal responsibility and growth.

Provide individual counseling, support, and crisis intervention within the scope of the position and organizational practices.

Connect youth and families with schools, community resources, and other supportive services when additional resources are needed.

Create Pathways to Education & Employment Provide individualized career exploration, assessment, evaluation, and consultation based on each student's interests, abilities, goals, and needs.

Develop individualized vocational and career plans that identify strengths, goals, barriers, action steps, and opportunities for growth.

Help youth explore careers, understand workplace expectations, identify education and training pathways, and connect their interests to real-world opportunities.

Deliver comprehensive work-readiness instruction, including job preparedness, job-seeking skills, applications, phone etiquette, resume development, interviewing, workplace communication, professionalism, and job-search strategies.

Provide…