Program Specialist – Former Foster Youth Program, LA

CLASSIFICATION: Full time – 40 hours, non-exempt

REPORTS TO: Intake Manager

POSITION START: ASAP

COMPENSATION: $32‑$34/hour

WORK SCHEDULE: Tuesday‑Saturday 8:30am‑5pm (subject to change based on program needs). Primarily in‑person with some work from home hours.

PREFERENCES: Spanish‑speaking preferred

ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION

A Sense of Home strives to prevent homelessness by creating first‑ever homes and a community for youth aging out of foster care. 50% of those struggling with homelessness are former foster youth. The homeless crisis can only end through prevention.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Program Specialist (PS) supports the onboarding of new applicants who will receive services with A Sense of Home. The PS is the first point of contact for a former foster youth interested in receiving our services, ensuring that a young person receives all of the support and resources they need to thrive. The PS collects documentation, reviews eligibility, and moves applicants to the intake interview process.

Working closely with the Intake Manager, the PS identifies furniture and resource needs, conducts weekly check‑ins, provides resource navigation, identifies external partners, supports volunteer recruitment at Home Creations, and assists with administrative duties for scholarships and events. The PS thrives as a careful listener eager to connect individuals to an ongoing community of care.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

ASOH is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds to apply. We value the individuals we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

OUR COMMITMENT

We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace and value the health and well‑being of our team members. ASOH offers 100% paid health and medical benefits to employees, along with generous paid sick and vacation time. We also foster advancement and professional development for all employees.

HISTORY AND CONTEXT

ASOH began as a random act of kindness. Founders Georgie Smith and Melissa Goddard noticed that young people exiting foster care struggled to make a space a home. Since then, ASOH has grown into a caring community that provides critical resources and a sense of belonging to over 700 former foster youth and their children annually.

UNIQUE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING AND HEALING FOR ALL

We commit to action for impact and continuous learning. We strive to:

• Evolve how we achieve our goals and deepen impact
• Listen to those we serve
• Partner with organizations that uplift marginalized communities
• Find and implement new tools to overcome barriers to healing
• Amplify BIPOC voices
• Ensure a safe, inclusive, diverse workplace
• Integrate social justice and public health scholars in development

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Program Specialist (PS) is directly responsible for the following duties:

Recipients – The PS reviews new recipient applications for Home Creations, collects and reviews documents, determines eligibility with support from the IM, moves eligible applicants to the phone interview portion, and coordinates weekly check‑ins. The PS works with the IM and Home Coordinator to review designs, confirm they meet recipient needs, and collects logistics information for on‑site Home Creations. Emails are sent with logistics information for Warehouse Home Creations.

Referrals/Community Partner Organizations – The PS identifies potential partners within the sector, provides referrals and reports possible partners to the IM to develop relationships.

Volunteer/Recipient Events – The PS serves as recipient support at on‑site and Warehouse Home Creations, leads recruitment for “Pay‑It‑Forward” ambassadors, prepares volunteer information (bios, videos), and supports events as needed.

Case Notes – The PS inputs diligent case notes into the A Sense of Home App to track interactions, collect context, and log resources.

Community Representation – Speaks at community events, referrals to agencies, conferences, and other settings as directed by the IM, PD, or ED.

Administrative Program Support – Colle…