Youth Care Specialist

Youth Care Specialist I #901303

Program:
Youth Center

Department:
Youth Services

Reports to:

Program Supervisor

Shift Differential Premium: $1.75/hour for hours worked between 6pm-6am

Schedule:

Sunday-Thursday 9:00am-5:30pm

Status:
Non-Exempt, Union

Probation: 90 days

Benefits:
Medical, Dental, Vision: also including Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, and 403(b) Retirement Plan

Center's Mission:
Building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

Department Summary:

The Youth Center serves youth up to the age of 24 who are currently at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. The Youth Center offers services in an LGBTQ+ safe and affirming environment and serves as an entry point to assist youth making the transition from homelessness to housing. Our services include meals, clothing, support groups, a charter high school, GED and college prep program, an employment preparation, training and placement program, street outreach, case management, counseling, a crisis shelter, a transitional living program (TLP) and supportive apartments.

Our community-based programs include services for youth at-home, in school or in systems of care.

Job Summary:

The Youth Care Specialist collaborates with the drop-in and access center staff. This position actively engages with members facing housing crises, initiating conversations about alternative housing options to prevent the necessity of homeless services. This involves offering financial support to divert members from needing to access homeless services. The Youth Care Specialist ensures that members who cannot be diverted are quickly connected to available emergency or crisis housing services, prioritizing their immediate health and safety needs.

Essential Functions:

• Provide a welcoming presence onsite for members to engage with by answering questions, providing information and facilitating engagement opportunities.
• Provide a comprehensive continuum of homelessness prevention services including street outreach, employment preparation and placement assistance, individualized case management, education, housing location and retention, and other supportive services.
• Follow a framework of care goals and department protocols to ensure member and resident safety, provide crisis intervention and de-escalation along a spectrum of intervention techniques.
• Provide direct supervision and assistance with basic needs (meals, clothing, hygiene) and day to day program operations.
• Conduct intake, CES assessment, and individualized needs assessments and collaborate with youth to develop a services and housing stability plan that addresses barriers to obtaining services, housing, and healthcare.
• As the primary Point of Contact work in collaboration with a team of service providers to help obtain, stabilize, and maintain housing.
• Implement a philosophy of care including housing-first, harm-reduction, and trauma-informed care principles.
• Collaborate with other Center departments as well as outside organizations agencies on events, resources, and development opportunities.
• Plan and facilitate programming, events, and activities utilizing a positive youth development framework that develops a sense of competence, usefulness, power, and belonging among at-risk youth, youth experiencing homelessness, at-home/at-school youth, and youth who see themselves as the leaders of the future.
• Conduct outreach and create engagement.
• Complete general operational and administrative work such as compiling data, statistics, preparing reports, and drafting correspondence.
• Organize and maintain program files and materials through data entry and database maintenance.
• Assist with special projects as directed by management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications and

Experience:

• Knowledge of or experience working with the LGBTQ community and familiarity with issues of particular relevance to LGBTQ people.
• A passion for the Center's work and its mission to make the world a better place for LGBTQ people.
• Understanding of the issues affecting LGBTQ youth, including experience working with high-risk youth (specific work with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or runaway youth a plus).
• Minimum 3 years of experience in related field, specifically working with youth experiencing homelessness/housing instability, foster youth, and/or mental illness, low-income, or individuals experiencing homelessness or bachelor's degree (Social Work, Social Services, Public Health or…