Hope For Youth's Residential Services Department provides community based, trauma informed, youth and family driven care to adolescents and young adults in Nassau and Suffolk County. Serving youth from varying points of entry with the child welfare system, juvenile justice system, and runaway and homeless youth/young adults, the opportunities to alter the trajectory for youth in need are abundant. Youth are supported 24/7 by a team of multi-disciplinary professionals, paraprofessionals, and agency administration that consistently meets standards for accreditation and licensing regulations.

The agency's federally funded Basic Center Program includes the role of a Positive Youth Development (PYD) Specialist whose focus is to support young people during their time in shelter as well as during aftercare services to enhance social and emotional well-being, fostering permanent connections, and connectedness to education and/or vocational networks. The PYD Specialist will have a key role in the rollout and administration of the Youth Voice Project which seeks to solicit and implement feedback directly from youth with lived experience to modify programming. Additionally, through this role, activities such as transportation to job interviews, opportunities to attend sports, art or music events, linkages to local companies who offer job shadowing, and many other similar activities will be available to youth in need. You will have the opportunity to learn trauma informed practices, build on evidence-based knowledge and interventions, be supported by colleagues, and contribute to the overall mission of the agency.

If you are driven by the opportunity to provide direct intervention and ongoing support for youth at-risk of, or currently experiencing, homelessness and positively impact the trajectory of a youth's life, you will succeed in this role!

To be a successful Positive Youth Development Specialist you must be ready, willing and able to do the following always:

• Function within Agency's policies and procedures as outlined in the Employee Manual and procedures as outlined in the program guide and applicable codes of conduct.
• Provide services to maintain youth in HFY's RHYS programming achieve positive outcomes/deliverables as outlined in the service grant focusing on safe and stable housing, social emotional well-being, permanent connections, and education/employment.
• Assess and address positive youth development interests, skills and connections.
• Provide appropriate support and advocacy as needed while working with youth collaterals.
• Coordinate with staff at the shelter including in person visits as well as phone/virtual contact.
• Complete all necessary reports, paperwork and forms as outlined in policy.
• Perform other resulting and necessary work to meet the needs and requirements of the clients, the program, Hope For Youth, oversight agency and any other regulatory obligations.

How will you generally spend your time in this job:

• Field work and on-site Shelter support work
• Documentation and related paperwork
• Staff meetings, committees, supervision
• Training and staff development

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Valid NYS Driver's License in good standing
• Access to a reliable vehicle/transportation
• Excellent writing skills/time management.
• Ability to be flexible with scheduling (work evenings and weekends as necessary).
• Physical Requirements: read/write reports and log entries, walking/standing for prolonged periods, bending/stooping, kneeling/squatting, climbing stairs, reaching overhead, repetitive wrist/finger movements, driving

Here are some of the benefits of working for Hope For Youth!

• Benefit eligibility commences on the first of the month following the first 30 days of employment
• 90% Employer-paid medical premiums
• Generous paid time off for all employees regularly working over 20 hours
• Agency-funded Pension Plan
• Pre-tax savings plans: self-directed 403(b), 529, FSA and HSA Accounts
• Agency-paid life insurance and disability, and for some positions, long-term disability
• Training programs and Tuition Assistance and free tuition credits are also available
• Employees may be eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
• Special Events and Recognition Awards
• Meaningful work that makes a difference in the lives of children and families of Long Island!
• Volunteer and Internship opportunities available within
• Supportive like-minded, mission-driven co-workers

Please include resume, cover letter and salary requirements. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

All positions are subject to background screening as required by law or contract, including but not limited to: Staff Exclusion List (SEL), State Central Child Abuse Registry (SCR), DMV record review, criminal records screening, reference checks, for some roles, a physical exam. Hope For Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Learn more about Hope For Youth at: http://www.hfyny.org

Additional Pay Range Information

The salary range and/or hourly rate range listed for this position is a good faith determination of potential compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining an employee's base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., years of relevant experience, education, licensing, certifications, other credentials, negotiated contracts, budget and internal equity, etc.).