Youth Peer Support Specialist (Ypss) Clatsop County

POSITION SUMMARY:

Position Title: Youth Peer Support Specialist

Work Schedule: Full-Time (40hr/week)

Location: Remote-Hybrid (Clatsop County, OR)

Position Type: 1 FTE

Supervisor: Program Manager

DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to their assigned program manager, the Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) is responsible for providing Peer Support services to youth participants ages 14-25. This position is charged with building connections to young adults and assisting in needs-identification, solution brainstorming, and self-advocacy at all levels. The YPSS is tasked with fostering a welcoming and engaging drop-in center environment for all youth participants. Furthermore, this position is responsible for providing resources and support to young adults in these settings. This position supports youth in gaining control over their lives and in fostering positive community connections. The YPSS functions as a role model by demonstrating competency in recovery and ongoing coping skills.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Sharing lived experience to provide Peer Support to young adult participants and helping them navigate the system(s) they participate in (mental health, addiction/recovery, incarceration/juvenile justice, Oregon Youth Authority, foster care, education, LGBTQ+, etc.);

• Organizing and executing additional meetings or communication regarding support, resources, and crisis intervention as may apply;

• Advertising the program to community partners and recruiting young adults to apply for drop-in center membership;

• Engaging and building relationships with young adults during drop-in center hours;

• Monitoring physical and emotional safety, appropriateness, applicability, and engagement of youth participants at drop-in center, and interrupting oppressive and inappropriate behavior;

• Acting as a partner and an intermediary between formal mental health staff and peers by providing/advocating for recovery-based services, assisting young people in receiving services that suit their recovery, meeting with providers to improve relations, and role modeling effective problem-solving skills;

• Providing culturally responsive assistance to each participant utilizing evidence-based practices including Positive Youth Development, CPS, Wraparound, and the 40 Developmental Assets;

• Empowering young people to advocate for themselves, set goals and identify life assignments (using The 40 Developmental Assets) and implement achievable steps towards reaching them;

• Co-facilitating and leading youth groups, which may include creating weekly curriculum topics, coordinating guest speakers, leading youth activities and providing transportation to youth participants;

• Referring community-based resources, support, and opportunities;

• Communicating with participants outside of drop hours via phone, text/chat, and social media;

• Documenting and reporting cases of abuse or neglect to the Oregon Department of Human Services;

• Collecting paperwork and complying with confidentiality procedures, tracking attendance of youth and volunteers, and inputting data into data tracking software;

• Attending weekly staff meetings, reporting to and communicating with supervisor;

• Traveling to attend one-on-ones, community meetings, and when necessary;

• Tracking of expenses/mileage on a YMO-approved expense tracking program (currently Tallie);

• Recording hours worked into YMO-approved time tracking program (currently TimeTracker);

• Complying with all current policies as written in the Youth M.O.V.E. Oregon Employee Policy Manual; and

• Performing other assigned duties.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel and willingness to work evenings and weekends as required.

• Valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, and car insurance.

• Willingness to update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining professional networks, and attending trainings.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the capacity to communicate and, work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

• Ability to build/sustain collaborative working relationships with staff, supervisors, and others as appropriate.

• Willingness to address and work to eliminate personal biases and prejudices.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Demonstrated social/situational problem-solving skills.

• Outstanding oral/written communication skills and strong organizational skills.

• Excellent advocacy and public speaking skills.

• Ability and willingness to learn about youth culture and the organization's history, mission, demographics, programs, etc. in order to persuasively articulate how Youth M.O.V.E. Oregon distinguishes itself from peer organizations.

• Proficiency in the use of computers, their routine software applications (i.e. Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel), and Google applications (i.e. Gmail, Hangouts, and Google Calendar).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Understanding of peer-support, youth advocacy, and the youth movement and the ability to discuss it intelligently with professionals and the public.

• Familiarity with and understanding of the Youth Bill of Rights and support principles, youth and young adult culture, and issues affecting families (i.e. mental health, juvenile justice, child welfare, etc.) across the country.

• Identification as a peer with lived experience in youth/young adult-serving systems (i.e. mental health care, addiction/recovery, juvenile justice, Oregon Youth Authority, foster care).

• Multilingualism (especially in Spanish and English).

PREFERRED CERTIFICATIONS:

• First Aid Certification

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification

• Oregon Food Handlers Card