Overnight Residential Counselor

Overnight Residential Counselor

San Diego Youth Services seeks an Overnight Residential Counselor in the Safe Stay Wellness Center department to be based in San Diego. This is a full-time & non-exempt position reporting to the Program Manager.

San Diego Youth Services has helped improve the lives of more than 834,000 homeless, runaway and vulnerable youth since its beginning in 1970. We provide safe places to live and long-term solutions through shelter, foster homes, community centers and housing to more than 16,000 youth every year at 100+ community and school locations. Through prevention, early intervention and treatment, we also help youth before they need higher levels of care or become homeless.

We aim to:

• Meet the basic needs of youth. Hunger, poverty and youth homelessness are on the rise for many youth and their families today. We help meet these basic needs for youth. What could be more vital than food and shelter? We provide safe places to live and long-term solutions through shelter, foster homes, community centers and housing.
• Create positive connection. We help youth focus on positive life changes and healthy relationships as part of providing needed resources and services. San Diego Youth Services has long provided foster homes and adoption support services for families considering adopting a youth in the foster care system.
• Help youth develop life skills. In addition to a range of safe and stable housing options, we offer support to help youth develop the independent living skills necessary to become self-sufficient and keep off the streets.
• Promote overall health and well-being. Early intervention and care for the whole child are critical. We provide a broad continuum of services to help youth overcome trauma and challenges that put them at risk, including case management, counseling, mental health treatment and educational support and resources.

SDYS has a staff of approximately 250 employees and 80 volunteers working across San Diego County and an annual budget of approximately $24 million.

The Safe Stay Program provides specialized wrap-around assistance to youth at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. The Residential Counselor is responsible for ensuring that the facility is safe and accessible and that the overall milieu is supportive, affirming and youth driven. Responsible for providing comprehensive trauma-informed peer support services to youth in the center and ensure that standards relating to inclusivity and safety are maintained.

Staff also are responsible for the maintenance and supervision of Safe Stay Wellness Center Gender Affirming Housing Component with transitional age youth residents staying the program.

Essential Functions:

• Assist with implementing and evaluating an integrated approach for transition-aged youth, some with co-occurring disorders, in quality trauma informed youth programs, which adhere to and uphold the rigorous standards of San Diego Youth Services as mandated by its mission, purpose, guiding principles and standards of quality.
• Be able to work mid shifts from 3pm-11:30 pm, and 1 overnight weekend shift 11pm-7:30am. Days can be discussed during the interview process. Weekend days may be required for shift.
• Establish rapport with transition-aged youth from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Link youth with resources that are appropriate to their individualized needs.
• Provide evening/overnight and weekend supervision of transitional aged youth, 18-24. Staff is expected to do hourly walks by units, to ensure program guidelines are being followed.
• Supervise youth meal preparation/distribution, house maintenance, and other in-house activities as scheduled or needed.
• Support advocacy efforts for youth serviced within and across the TAY system…