Youth Advocate

Youth Advocate

The Youth Advocate is a part-time, youth leadership role supporting the Youth Engagement Team in creating meaningful, youth-driven public health programming. This position plays a key role in guiding the Youth Health Advisory Council, promoting youth voice, and helping develop peer-to-peer education related to public health topics that matter to young people. This position will serve as a peer to youth and young adults and learn about public health approaches, communication strategies, social media outreach, and educational campaigns while building skills to create lasting change in Adams County.

This is an hourly position working 6-8 hours per week, typically Monday-Friday with some weekend events. Youth advocates are responsible for ensuring they can reliably participate in both remote and in-person work, meetings, and events. We encourage applicants to discuss any transportation or work-from-home related needs or barriers with the School and Youth Engagement Supervisor.

What You'll Gain:

• Leadership and facilitation skills.
• Experience in youth engagement and public health education.
• Opportunities to connect with peers, community partners, and professional mentors.
• A chance to make a positive impact in your community.

Examples of Duties for Success:

Leadership and Facilitation:

• Assist with planning, facilitating, and supporting Youth Advisory Council meetings and activities.
• Chair subcommittees focused on different shared risk and protective factors.
• Help create a thoughtful, youth-centered environment where council members feel welcomed, heard, and empowered.

Public Health Education and Communication:

• Participate in developing and delivering peer education on public health topics (e.g., mental health, substance use prevention, social determinants of health, and shared risk and protective factors).
• Provide feedback on youth engagement strategies, materials, and messaging to ensure they are culturally responsive and relevant.
• Attend regular check-ins and trainings with the Youth Engagement Team.

Collaboration and Community Engagement:

• Support outreach efforts to engage young people from a variety of backgrounds in public health initiatives.
• Represent youth perspectives in program planning and community conversations when appropriate.
• Advocate for youth substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion within Adams County Public Health.

General Administration:

• Attend and participates in monthly youth council meetings.
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications for Success:

• Passion for youth voice, leadership, and positive health outcomes.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Interest in public health, community engagement, or working with peers.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Reliable and able to commit 6–8 hours per week.

More Qualifications for Success:

Education & Experience:

• Requires candidate to be currently enrolled in high school, GED, or a recent (1-4 years) high school/GED graduate.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred

License or Certificates: Possession of, or the ability to obtain a valid Colorado Driver's License and insurance within 30 days of employment.

Background Check:

• Must pass a criminal background check and an MVR. For applicants over 18, a job offer is contingent on passing a criminal background investigation with fingerprinting.
• Having a criminal background does not necessarily disqualify applicants from being hired, unless the charge is related to child safety & welfare.

Other: This position will require some travel between locations. Candidates should have the ability and means to travel as needed for the position.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Duties:

• Completes trainings identified as appropriate for this level employee.
• Employee participates in all exercises and drills on emergency preparedness and response, as required.
• Employee responds, as required, to support emergencies, incidents and events with a public health and medical impact.

HIPAA STATEMENT: Maintain sensitive & confidential client information according to the HIPAA policy confidentiality requirements.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Work is primarily conducted indoors with occasional time spent in an outside environment.
• Incumbent will experience routine, environment.
• Requires travel between Adams County offices and to locations in the surrounding community for meetings and events.
• May be required to work after normal work hours to attend meetings and events.
• Requires sufficient hearing and speech ability to communicate verbally in response to inquiries, complaints, and to speak to groups of people or the media in an informational or training situation.
• Requires sufficient writing ability to communicate needs fluidly and accurately in program development.
• Requires the ability to operate computer and office equipment.
• Requires the ability to sit and perform administrative and computer work for significant periods of time.

Equipment Used: Standard office equipment including, but not limited to,…