Youth Specialist II

and the job listing Expires on August 15, 2026

Youth Specialist II’s are responsible for guiding young male-identifying youth in grades 6 – 12 to learn, internalize, and practice social skills, make responsible decisions for their future, and become positive members of their school and community. Drawing on their academic training in psychology, social work, or counseling, BAM Youth Specialist II’s use evidence-informed practices, trauma-informed engagement, and culturally responsive approaches to support the personal growth of youth.

Youth Specialist II’s do this by providing the youth with the mindsets, values, and abilities they need to develop into healthy, responsible young men and thrive.

Work in collaboration with BAM Sr. Youth Specialist, Curriculum Specialist, and school administration to identify, recruit, and build relationships with up to 60 school-based youth to participate in the BAM.

Lead and facilitate 4 – 5 weekly BAM groups during the school day, utilizing youth engagement, clinical counseling, and men’s rites of passages skills.

Provide individualized support to all BAM participants, and provide individual, family, and crisis counseling sessions to students on an as-needed basis.

Provide trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate support to BAM participants, including one-on-one check-ins, case management, and goal setting as needed.

Participate in monthly staff development training and team meetings on the evidence-based BAM curriculum and other topics relevant to working with youth.

Participate in supervision and coaching to ensure fidelity of program delivery.

Deliver crisis intervention, risk assessments, and short-term individual interventions to students as needed, in alignment with best practices in adolescent mental health care and school-based clinical protocols.

Document all interactions with youth, including group and individual case notes, clinical assessments, brief encounters, special events, program consents, pre/post surveys, and monthly program narratives based on program protocol (within 24 hrs).

Work jointly with Sr. Youth Specialist and leadership to manage an annual program budget to plan and execute field trips and special events for students throughout the school year and summer.

Collaborate with school administration, teachers, and other Youth Guidance programs to provide, and participate in professional development sessions.

Collaborate and/or coordinate services with the Local School Council, Youth Guidance Parent Family Engagement team, and school-parent engagement team.

Participate in Journey to Self-Discovery Rites of Passage Training

Other duties as needed.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required from an approved accredited university in the field of social work, counseling, psychology, criminal justice, or similar related field

Master’s degree in social work, counseling or a related human service field from an approved accredited university and one year of youth engagement experience preferred

Minimum of two years of youth engagement experience.

Minimum of two years of experience providing supervised group counseling.

LPC, LSW, or eligibility preferred. LCPC, LCSW or LMFT plus.

Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of advanced psychological concepts (e.g. CBT, Clinical Processing, Modeling and Group Development)

Ability to commit to working in at risk environments

Ability to commit to the continuous improvement of service quality and the organization’s mission

Effective communication skills:
Written and verbal

Ability to function well in group and team settings

Ability to demonstrate interpersonal skills that excel in cultural sensitivity and respect for differences

Willingness to occasionally participate in youth sports activities

Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products (outlook, word, excel, power point)

Core Competencies

• Communication:
  Uses effective written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening
• Client orientation:
  Recognizes needs of diverse stakeholders and approaches relationships with a service orientation, to ultimately maximize the impact
• Equity mindset:
  Understands and is committed to…