Youth Pathways Specialist

Youth Pathways Specialist

NYFS is actively seeking an in-person Youth Pathways Specialist to join our team. To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to Human Resources.

The Youth Pathways Specialist will provide services within our Youth Pathways programming, primarily supporting our Community Connections groups. This position will be responsible for planning and facilitating quarterly community connections groups with adolescent clients and their caregivers, with a caseload in the youth diversion program.

Schedule: 20 hours a week, Monday through Thursday from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm

• Provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive, community-based services to clients within the Youth Pathways Programs.
• Facilitate community connections groups with youth that center around healthy life skills, career development, community resourcing, and positive peer and adult connection. Groups are offered offsite in the community at various locations.
• Facilitate seminars for youth and caregivers focused on positive decision making and accountability.
• Work with youth and their caregivers to identify and understand their individualized needs. Provide ongoing case management to support their goals, with a focus on restorative justice principles.
• Collaborate with community providers to facilitate outreach, referrals, and programming.
• Complete timely documentation and tracking in accordance with NYFS policies.
• Attend and participate in weekly team meetings and consultation.
• Table at community events as assigned.
• Evening availability is required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice, social work, psychology, or related field.
• 1‑3 years of experience working with youth and families.
• Ability to build relationships with youth and their caregivers.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and personal means of transportation.

• Speaks Spanish, Hmong, Karen, or Somali.
• 2+ years of experience with systems‑involved youth and families.
• Knowledge of restorative justice and motivational interviewing principles and application.
• Experience with Procentive.

Strong candidates will have a solid understanding of their own culture and practice sensitivity and respect for the cultural backgrounds of clients as well as other staff. NYFS welcomes clients as well as staff with diverse cultural/ethnic identities, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Salary Range: $20.00 – $25.00 per hour, based on education, training and/or experience.

• Competitive benefits included dental and vision, 401(k) that matches at 3%, vested immediately.
• Generous Paid Time Off, Reasonable Time Off (similar to sick time), and Holiday policy.
• $250 stipend to seek out training with 2.5 CEU days.
• Reimbursement for licensure fees, if applicable.
• The final week of the year NYFS closes services to ensure all staff have a paid collective week off to support work sustainability.
• Many agency-sponsored training opportunities, including cultural responsiveness trainings quarterly.

Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS) is a community-based nonprofit founded in 1976 serving Northeast Ramsey County. NYFS provides trauma and culturally responsive clinic‑based, and school based mental health services, domestic and sexual violence services, and community-based services including diversion programming, youth development programming, and community advocacy in Shoreview. We have long‑standing partnerships with 15 municipalities in Ramsey County; NYFS’ services are genuinely community-driven.

NYFS lives its deep values around providing integrative care for the whole family with a focus on youth, young adults, and their caregivers. Staff are dedicated, innovative, and mission‑driven, offering authentic, relational, client‑centered care. The team is playful, creative, growth‑oriented, down‑to‑earth, and hardworking – and we laugh a lot! We are committed to genuine integration of trauma and culturally responsive care across the agency.

As a trauma‑responsive organization, NYFS is actively invested in organizational supports for staff wellness and work sustainability. We believe in a family‑first work environment, rather than seeking work/life balance.

We are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity in recruitment, hiring, training, and promotion of persons based on merit, qualifications, and competence. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, place of residence, political affiliation, veterans’ status, or status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by local, state, or federal law.

NYFS provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.