Youth Empowerment Coach

For nearly 150 years, The Jewish Board has been delivering innovative, best‑in‑class mental and behavioral health services. We are unique in serving everyone from infants and their families, to children, teens, and adults. That adds up to countless opportunities to use your skills, training, and compassion to make a difference in the lives of over 45,000 New Yorkers each year.

Location
: 74 St Marks Pl, New York, NY , US

Purpose
:
The Kaplan House (Manhattan) and Cedar Knolls House (Bronx) provide therapeutic and support services to adolescents ages 16‑21 who are referred through the Administration for Children’s Services. Our residents have experienced significant trauma and often struggle with managing their emotional and behavioral needs. The program provides an array of services including medical, clinical, education/vocation, recreation, substance use and additional support services that emphasize family interaction and strengthening of community support networks, as well as increasing independent living skills.

The Youth Empowerment Coach is part of The Jewish Board’s “A Step Ahead” coaching program, sponsored by Fair Futures where young people ages 14+ are matched with a full‑time, professionally trained Coach.

Fair Futures is a coalition of child welfare agencies, non‑profits, foundations, advocates and young adults working to ensure they fulfill their promise to New York City’s foster youth.

As a Fair Futures Coach you will be part of a successful, innovative, and collaborative movement that is changing the landscape of Child Welfare, and make an immediate impact in the lives of young people by helping them carve out a pathway to success in life as they define it. You will receive significant professional development supports from the Center for Fair Futures, including quality trainings and workshops on every topic you will need to succeed as a coach, unlimited 1:1 support in any area, 1:1 professional coaching to help you with your goals, and access to a learning community for Coaches where you can share best practices, challenges, and build your network.

• Build trusting relationships and a network of positive adult and peer supports.
• Prepare for and graduate from high school.
• Connect to and persist in post‑secondary settings.
• Engage in career exploration and career development experiences in line with their interests to help them eventually navigate onto a living wage career pathway.
• Access and maintain stable, affordable housing if they are exiting foster care and gain independent living and life skills.

• Utilize Fair Futures’ Goal & Steps framework in the core areas of academic, career development, social/emotional, and housing and independent living.
• Work 1:1 with youth onsite/offsite to develop individualized academic and career development goals based on their interests and strengths and take measurable steps towards their goals.
• Employ creative, out‑of‑the‑box approaches to engaging youth and do not give up if they are not responsive.
• Provide Aftercare Coaching Services for discharged youth (up to 26 y/o) who are interested in continuing coaching or re‑engaging in coaching.
• Connect youth to quality schools, programs, resources, and opportunities in connection with their goals.
• Collaborate with residential team members as well as outside service providers, parents/caregivers, Department of Education, etc. to develop youth‑focused plans.
• Re‑engage disconnected youth and help them re‑enroll in an academic setting as well as assess the fit between a youth and their current academic setting.
• Consistently visit the youth’s school/program and build relationships with school staff, review transcripts, provide educational advocacy, and discuss progress towards graduation/HSE obtainment.
• Ensure youth are attending school and have the supports and resources they need to be successful, such as tutoring, individualized educational plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, or other special accommodations.
• Work closely with the program’s College Specialist to expose youth to post‑secondary pathways, such college and/or accredited vocational…