Youth Support Specialist [015] [084]

The rate of pay for this position is $23.00 an hour. Work Schedule: Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8pm until 8:30am.

Transform Lives, Transform Yourself:

Are you eager to be a part of the change and care that supports youth in our community? Do you have experience that could be an assurance and lift for young people facing houselessness to help them with the skills and resources to lead healthy, independent lives? New Avenues for Youth seeks a compassionate and resilient Youth Support Specialist to join our Alba team.

The Alba Youth Support Specialist will provide crisis intervention, safety planning, and emergency housing placement for high-risk youth (ages 9-17) who are homeless or at-risk. The responsibilities of this position include intake and assessment, emergency placement coordination, record keeping related to job duties. The specialist will engage youth and provide services through Positive Youth Development model and Trauma Informed Care frame.

Join New Avenues and...

• Make an Impact: Provide consistent support, guidance around resources, and advocacy.
• Thrive in a Supportive Team: Join a collaborative and inclusive environment where your contributions are celebrated.
• Grow as a Professional: Receive ongoing training, mentorship, and opportunities for career advancement.
• Enjoy a Robust Benefits Package: We value your well-being and offer a robust benefits package that includes:
  
  
  
  • Generous holiday, personal, and paid time off (PTO) allowances to support your work-life balance and personal needs. Roughly five weeks of available time in year one with an additional week added in year two.
  • Discounted gym memberships to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.
  • Access to free counseling services to help you manage stress and maintain your emotional health.
  
  
  
  

Our Commitment to Equity:

At New Avenues for Youth, we envision a community where all young people thrive. We recognize that historical inequities and intersecting forms of oppression have created barriers for many. We are unwavering in our commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

Who You Are:

• Experienced: You have faced and overcome challenges related to substance use, mental health, and/or houselessness. Your experience is a source of strength and fuels your compassion and care.
• Compassionate Listener: You offer empathy without judgment, creating a safe space for young people to share their stories and struggles.
• Reliable Advocate: You are committed to showing up consistently, building trust, and following through on your promises to young people.
• Growth-Oriented: You embrace continuous learning, seeking new knowledge and skills to better support yourself and the youth you serve.
• Equity-Focused: You understand how systemic oppression impacts the lives of youth in programs and the systems that you will support youth in navigating. You approach this world with humility and a deep sense of growth and learning.

What You'll Do:

• Meet Youth with Support and Compassion: Be the first point of contact in a youth's journey to access services through the Alba Collaborative. Coordinate intakes, assessments, and emergency housing placements.
• Be a Mentor and Guide: Build genuine connections with youth, share relevant and intentional experiences to instill confidence and build trust.
• Empower Through Advocacy: Help young people navigate complex systems, access resources, collaborate and coordinate with other providers, and make informed decisions about their own recovery journey.
• Support Growth and Learning: Lead and participate in group sessions, recreational activities, and individual support meetings that foster connection and personal development.
• Document the Journey: Maintain accurate and timely records, ensuring that our programs have the data they need to thrive and continue serving those who need it most.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of two years of experience working with high-risk youth.
• Understand the issues of substance abuse, mental health, trauma, abuse and adolescent development including brain development.
• Experience, ability and commitment to working with sexual minority and culturally diverse staff, participants and community.
• Excellent communication, organization, creativity, flexibility, optimism, positive humor and overall interpersonal skills.
• An understanding of Positive Youth Development model and Trauma Informed Care.
• Use of personal automobile for transporting self and clients for work purposes.
• Must have access to an automobile, a valid driver's license, and active auto insurance on that vehicle.
• Must be willing to be CPR trained and certified.

Any candidate deemed viable for this position based on resources and resume submission will be contacted to participate in a screen interview to discuss interest and job compatibility. Of those screened, advancing candidates will be asked to participate in a subsequent interview or interviews to evaluate job qualifications and interest further. From this process, a hiring selection will be made. New Avenues for Youth is an equal opportunity employer.

This position requires a high level of mobility, meaning the successful candidate must be able to swiftly move and adapt to different situations and tasks. This may or may not also include different agency locations or locations within the community being served. A person in this position must be able to perform with or without accommodation the essential functions of this job including any physical requirements associated with this role. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be routinely exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. If the position may require the use of any personal protective equipment, New Avenues will have such equipment on hand for the employee's use.

New Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.