Youth Permanency Specialist

Youth Permanency Specialist

Program(s): Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP)

Community Care Mission Statement
To provide quality community-based services that are timely and effective in promoting the health, well-being, and independence of individuals and families.

GENERAL PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES/POSITION STATEMENT:

The Youth Permanency Specialist (YPS) partners with youth enrolled in housing-based services as they work to maintain safety, stability, and permanency. YPS’s are skillful in quickly establishing rapport with youth, collaborating with them to develop a plan of care consisting of clear, measurable goals that not only address their housing needs but also serve to strengthen their family relationships, address mental and/or physical health needs, educational needs, and employment opportunities. The YPS also plays an active role in engaging youth in conversations geared toward harm reduction, healthy relationships, overall support, and advocacy. YPS’s participate in a variety of diversion activities, including family mediation and advocacy work within their assigned communities.

The YPS’s work is dedicated to positively impacting four core outcomes for each individual youth:

• Stable Housing: A safe and reliable place to live and call home.
• Permanent Connections: Ongoing attachments to family, peers, school, communities, and other positive social connections.
• Education and Employment: Establishing and maintaining a high level of performance in educational, training, and employment opportunities.
• Social and Emotional Well-Being Development: Development of key competencies, attitudes, and behaviors that equip youth in succeeding across multiple domains of daily life, including school, work, relationships and community.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Takes primary responsibility for the development of the plan of care in partnership with the youth.
2. Takes an active role in engaging parents of minor youth in the development of the assessment and plan of care, consistently seeking opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the youth and parent(s)/other family members involved the care of the youth.
3. Offers mediation and reunification support to youth and parent(s)/other family members in order to assist the parent and youth in establishing a healthy relationship and to aid them in conflict resolution.
4. Rapidly initiates contact with youth new to the day program in order to establish rapport and begin the assessment process.
5. Provides supportive counseling to youth regarding violence, prostitution, sex trafficking, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, and/or pregnancy – referring youth to service providers as necessary.
6. Assumes responsibility for the client case record, ensuring all required documentation is accurately completed per agency policy and procedures within established timeframes.
7. Engages with youth utilizing Motivational Interviewing Techniques and Trauma-Informed practice, always embracing the Housing First approach and the orientation of client driven service delivery. Cultivates and maintains relationships with landlords, and assists youth in establishing and maintaining the same, including providing assistance in creating a foundation of open, honest communication.
8. Provide hands on assistance to youth in maintaining suitable housing, including supporting youth in securing resources/items needed and completing any necessary annual and initial property inspections.
9. Links identified youth with gateway services, benefits, supports, services, emergency housing, TH and/or RRH, and other services and supports needed to assist the youth in increasing protective factors.
10. Partners with the youth to conduct an initial and ongoing assessment per program requirements to assess the needs of the youth, and develops a service plan to delineate goals and action steps required to assist the youth in obtaining their goals.
11. Assists youth in strengthening skills in the areas identified in the needs assessment.
12. Seeks specialized services as needed including, but not limited to, parenting and pregnant youth, sexually exploited youth, and/or youth with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities.
13. Assists youth with transportation, including providing transportation when needed and linking youth with resources for transportation.
14. Offers a flexible schedule to meet needs of youth (i.e. working non-traditional hours to assist a youth in settling into a new apartment, etc.).
15. Implements Positive Youth Development, seeking opportunities to build on the strengths of youth and exercise leadership.
16. Provides family mediation as requested by the youth to assist youth in diverting homelessness when possible, and strengthening relationships with family members.
17. Completes all documentation as required by the program, accurately and according to established timelines.
18. Ensures data entry into HMIS within the timeline established by the program.
19. Serves as a point of contact for landlords to assist in resolving any issues that may arise.
20. Assists youth in referrals for services, resources, etc. when such services are identified as being needed/ desired by the youth.
21. Assists youth in all aspects of maintaining housing, including in the areas of securing and maintaining employment and pursuing educational/vocational opportunities.
22. Attends all required trainings within established timelines.
23. Abides by all agency policies and procedures.
24. Engages with youth and staff with cultural sensitivity, ensuring cultural sensitivity is demonstrated by all staff and youth within the program.
25. Engages with youth in a trauma informed manner, ensuring all staff are trauma Informed and also engage with youth in a trauma informed manner.
26. Takes active steps to create an environment that welcomes and respects LGBTQ youth and youth from other sub-populations (pregnant and parenting youth, tribal youth, youth with disabilities, etc), monitoring program practices to ensure inclusion and that the unique needs of those individuals are met through service planning.
27. Closely monitors youth interactions for signs of bullying and takes swift action to address signs to ensure a safe zone for all youth.
28. Present in a manner that is approachable, self-aware, accepting, fun, adaptable, engaging and committed to supporting self-determination for all, unconditionally.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND CERTIFICATES
High School diploma with a minimum of three years’ experience working with at risk youth and young adults.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $18.50 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• working with youth: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• State of Maine Driver's License (Preferred)

Work Location: In person