Youth Engagement Specialist
Covenant House New Jersey, Montclair, NJ, United States
Overview
The Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) will possess excellent communication and organizational skills and provide support to young people that is strength-based, trauma-informed and harm reduction focused. The YES will model our mission of providing absolute respect and unconditional love to all young people and will value working within a multi-disciplinary team to create a safe, inclusive environment for all.
Responsibilities
Engage with young people for ongoing engagement and resilience-building activities, assessment and service planning to meet housing, health and wellness, employment and educational goals, as they move toward permanent housing.
Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, document in multiple databases, facilitate educational and group activities, and network with local service providers.
Provide unconditional positive regard to young people regardless of behavior, race, class, culture, country of origin, disability, self-identified gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, immigration status, language capacity or ability to complete case plan requirements.
Provide Case Management Services with the goal of developing positive relationships using the Case Management System, including:
Welcome young people to the program, ensure they feel comfortable, safe, understand the program structure, opportunities for engagement and access to supplies.
Build a supportive relationship with youth that encourages them to find their voice and connects them to opportunities, experiences and resources.
Conduct all required assessments and document in file and data systems.
Develop a Success Plan with each young person upon completion of assessment; revise and update the plan routinely as necessary.
Maintain a calendar of the young people’s work schedule and appointments in conjunction with their Success Plan to support their journey.
Develop and maintain knowledge of and connection to community resources; make appropriate referrals for services within CHNJ and to community agencies.
Engage in positive transition planning with the young people.
Monitor progress toward self-identified goals and coach youth to plan, implement and follow through with tasks.
Motivate young people to explore and improve wellness, education and employment, financial literacy and social navigation goals and other areas that impact their success plan.
Monitor youth while taking medication and enter Medication Logs.
Engage with youth in daily house activities, including assisting with chores, dining, gym participation, and ongoing movement throughout the day.
Explore and participate with youth in outside activities, such as trips, walks to parks, visiting college campuses and other experiences that expose and enrich youth time with CHNJ.
Provide crisis de-escalation and intervention as necessary according to training and best practices.
Document Intake, Orientation, Success Plans, Assessments and Transitions into ETO and case files; document regular daily progress notes in HMIS and ETO; document pertinent information in Youth Incident Reports, Medication Logs and House Activity Logs.
Prepare and present at case review meetings; engage and meet with youth for their Success Planning meetings.
Facilitate youth group activities supporting the five resiliency objectives: Wellness, Social Navigation, Financial Literacy, Education and Employment on a regular basis.
Perform all duties assigned by the supervisor to meet the needs of young people while adhering to the daily program schedule.
Attend and participate in daily community meetings for seamless coordination of youth services.
Attend weekly supervision and weekly meetings as assigned; participate in professional development training as assigned.
Comply with all agency policies and procedures and Child Protection standards.
Read and respond to emails, calendar invites, voicemails and other agency communications daily.
Cover the front desk when required.
Utilize agency resources for agency use only (vehicles, computers, telephones).
Assist as needed with fundraising affairs and special events, which may occur outside the employee’s normal work schedule.
Experience and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work or related field preferred.
Preferred experience with young people ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness or human trafficking, or who have lived expertise. Knowledge of public benefits and community resources in NJ.
Must be a self-starter and team player with the ability to work well with others. Knowledge of adolescent development and ability to build positive rapport with young people. Excellent communication skills (concise, timely and professional, both written and verbal). Bilingual in Spanish preferred but not required.
Must have a valid NJ driver’s license and a good driving record. May need to transport clients/staff if required using agency vehicles.
Schedule
Applicant must be available to work the following schedule: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday 2:30 PM – 10:30 PM; Days Off Tuesday & Wednesday.
Benefits
Medical, Dental, Vision, 403B Retirement Plan, Ten Paid Holidays, Paid Time off (Vacation, Personal & Sick days).
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The Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) will possess excellent communication and organizational skills and provide support to young people that is strength-based, trauma-informed and harm reduction focused. The YES will model our mission of providing absolute respect and unconditional love to all young people and will value working within a multi-disciplinary team to create a safe, inclusive environment for all.
Responsibilities
Engage with young people for ongoing engagement and resilience-building activities, assessment and service planning to meet housing, health and wellness, employment and educational goals, as they move toward permanent housing.
Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, document in multiple databases, facilitate educational and group activities, and network with local service providers.
Provide unconditional positive regard to young people regardless of behavior, race, class, culture, country of origin, disability, self-identified gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, immigration status, language capacity or ability to complete case plan requirements.
Provide Case Management Services with the goal of developing positive relationships using the Case Management System, including:
Welcome young people to the program, ensure they feel comfortable, safe, understand the program structure, opportunities for engagement and access to supplies.
Build a supportive relationship with youth that encourages them to find their voice and connects them to opportunities, experiences and resources.
Conduct all required assessments and document in file and data systems.
Develop a Success Plan with each young person upon completion of assessment; revise and update the plan routinely as necessary.
Maintain a calendar of the young people’s work schedule and appointments in conjunction with their Success Plan to support their journey.
Develop and maintain knowledge of and connection to community resources; make appropriate referrals for services within CHNJ and to community agencies.
Engage in positive transition planning with the young people.
Monitor progress toward self-identified goals and coach youth to plan, implement and follow through with tasks.
Motivate young people to explore and improve wellness, education and employment, financial literacy and social navigation goals and other areas that impact their success plan.
Monitor youth while taking medication and enter Medication Logs.
Engage with youth in daily house activities, including assisting with chores, dining, gym participation, and ongoing movement throughout the day.
Explore and participate with youth in outside activities, such as trips, walks to parks, visiting college campuses and other experiences that expose and enrich youth time with CHNJ.
Provide crisis de-escalation and intervention as necessary according to training and best practices.
Document Intake, Orientation, Success Plans, Assessments and Transitions into ETO and case files; document regular daily progress notes in HMIS and ETO; document pertinent information in Youth Incident Reports, Medication Logs and House Activity Logs.
Prepare and present at case review meetings; engage and meet with youth for their Success Planning meetings.
Facilitate youth group activities supporting the five resiliency objectives: Wellness, Social Navigation, Financial Literacy, Education and Employment on a regular basis.
Perform all duties assigned by the supervisor to meet the needs of young people while adhering to the daily program schedule.
Attend and participate in daily community meetings for seamless coordination of youth services.
Attend weekly supervision and weekly meetings as assigned; participate in professional development training as assigned.
Comply with all agency policies and procedures and Child Protection standards.
Read and respond to emails, calendar invites, voicemails and other agency communications daily.
Cover the front desk when required.
Utilize agency resources for agency use only (vehicles, computers, telephones).
Assist as needed with fundraising affairs and special events, which may occur outside the employee’s normal work schedule.
Experience and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work or related field preferred.
Preferred experience with young people ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness or human trafficking, or who have lived expertise. Knowledge of public benefits and community resources in NJ.
Must be a self-starter and team player with the ability to work well with others. Knowledge of adolescent development and ability to build positive rapport with young people. Excellent communication skills (concise, timely and professional, both written and verbal). Bilingual in Spanish preferred but not required.
Must have a valid NJ driver’s license and a good driving record. May need to transport clients/staff if required using agency vehicles.
Schedule
Applicant must be available to work the following schedule: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday 2:30 PM – 10:30 PM; Days Off Tuesday & Wednesday.
Benefits
Medical, Dental, Vision, 403B Retirement Plan, Ten Paid Holidays, Paid Time off (Vacation, Personal & Sick days).
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