Advocacy Counselor (East LA​/Inglewood Sites

Job Description

United Friends of the Children empowers current and former foster/justice involved youth on their journey to self-sufficiency through service-enriched programs, advocacy, and consistent relationships with a community of people who care.

Founded over 40 years ago, United Friends’ is a leading provider of youth development services to current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Through its housing and education programs, the organization has helped thousands of young people imagine and actualize their own dreams and futures. United Friends’ programs focus on commitment, trauma-informed care, and empowerment by prioritizing a whole-person-development approach.

Through a Social Justice Positive Youth Development (SJPYD) model, we center building relationships with youth over an extended period to achieve greater outcomes. Around those relationships, United Friends wraps an array of supportive services to help youth successfully transition to adulthood. As a result of services, United Friends alumni have greater housing and economic stability, higher educational attainment and a stronger sense of community and emotional wellbeing.

Pathways is a low-barrier to entry housing program that provides intensive case management and support services to transitional aged-youth (TAY), ages 18-24. The Pathways program utilizes the Housing First Approach in which, assertive engagement with our youth is essential to ensure youth are aware of and participate in a myriad of resources and supportive services offered by the program. The Advocacy Counselor (AC) manages a caseload of up to 15 youth and provides housing-focused case management centered on increasing skills, removing barriers to their goals, and successfully obtaining an education plan, employment, and stable housing.

The AC provides life skills trainings, linkages to community resources, and builds meaningful relationships with youth to foster self-sufficiency into adulthood.

The ideal candidate will have a keen understanding of best practice service models, such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and social justice positive youth development. Specific knowledge related to transitional aged youth experiencing housing instability is a plus.

United Friends currently implements a hybrid work environment – schedule is determined at the discretion of management and the needs of the program and/or agency. This position will work full-time hours, Monday-Friday. Weekend and evening support may be required. The Advocacy Counselor is a part of the after-hours rotation schedule where they are required to respond to youth related crises and emergencies.

The Advocacy Counselor will work primarily from the East LA and Inglewood housing sites. The Advocacy Counselor will work four days per week at the housing site and work remotely one day per week. Travel between United Friends’ housing sites across Los Angeles County is required.

• Create individual case plans for youth tailored to their needs and goals towards education, employment, and stable housing.
• Provide intensive case management that includes removing barriers and linking youth to relevant community resources and services.
• Establish rapport and maintain a high level of engagement to provide quality services and support.
• Develop a transition plan to thoroughly guide and support youth into stable housing.
• Coordinate weekly meetings to provide coaching and guidance on goals related to housing, employment, education, mental/physical health, and basic life skills, including budgeting and finance.
• Assess ongoing information to ensure youth safety, wellbeing, and progress towards case plan goals.
• Coordinate and facilitate tasks related to apartment and program readiness for youth move-ins and exits.
• Lead conversations with youth and their care team concerning their progress and needs in program.
• Monitor site safety and cleanliness, including youth units.
• Provide de-escalation and crisis intervention as needed.
• Facilitate and attend community building activities, life skills workshops, and events for youth.
• Attend required agency and…